Got a gently used book you have outgrown?
Drop it off at OSS! OSS is proud to be participating in the Family Works Book Drive. Books are being collected now through April 17th, 2014.
Help make the Reading Rocks program a success and donate your books to this great cause! As Abraham Lincoln once said, “The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I haven’t read.”
For more information on where to donate books, please contact OSS.
Spring arrives on March 20, and with it, the crack of a baseball or softball bat, the sound of a track coach’s whistle and the rough-and-tumble of other outdoor sports in the Pacific Northwest. Spring sports not only herald the return of warmer weather, they are a forerunner of an increase in an athlete’s risk of many sports-related injuries. Doctors at Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle (OSS), who have seen just about every possible sports-related injury, offer tips on how to avoid and treat many sports-related injuries.
Dr. Weil states, “As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand surgery, the spring is a busy time for me. I see many sports related injuries in the spring time as people in the northwest come out of winter hibernation. Some of the more common injuries are due to bicycle crashes due to cycling on wet roads and overuse injuries as people ramp up their activities too quickly. The old adage, “slow and steady wins the race”, is true in this case. I look forward to the upcoming triathlon season and will be out in the water, on the bike, and running as well.”
Upper Extremity
In both pro and college baseball players, upper extremity injuries are most common and account for approximately 20 percent of all injuries. Injuries include dislocations, sprains and strains, labral injuries, and rotator cuff injuries. Shoulder problems are usually part of a bigger problem, alignment. By correcting the alignment issues, most shoulder problems can be resolved as long as they haven’t passed the point of no return. Once this happens, surgery is usually the only option to truly fix the problem.
Elbow injuries account for approximately 16 percent of pro and 8 percent of college injuries. These injuries include sprains and strains, contusions, and more severe injuries such as ulnar collateral ligament injuries (Tommy John) and posterior impingement. Elbow sprains and strains are more likely the precursor to an ulnar collateral injury. And just as in the shoulder, by correcting alignment issues, most elbow problems can be resolved as long as they haven’t passed the point of no return.
Baseball Injuries
The 3 main lower extremity injuries in baseball are:
Rehab for sprains and strains can involve a short time off from play (if needed) and rehabilitation consisting of regaining range of motion/flexibility, strength, and balance. All of this should be done under the guidance of an athletic trainer or physical therapist.
Hand/wrist
Hand and wrist injuries account for approximately 10 percent of baseball injuries. These can be minor such as contusions to more serious injuries such as fractures and dislocations. The majority of these injuries are from being hit by a pitch or from sliding. Hand and wrist injuries should be evaluated by your athletic trainer who will refer to a sports medicine physician for more severe injuries such as dislocations and fractures. Minor injuries are usually treated with rest, rehabilitation, and taping/bracing if needed.
Track and Field Injuries
Many track and field injuries can be prevented by increasing the level of awareness and knowledge of prevention. Muscle strains and sprains are the most common track and field injuries.
Common track and field injuries include:
OSS doctors offer the following tips for avoiding sports injuries, including baseball and track:
If you believe you are suffering from a sports-related injury and need specialized orthopedic care, Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle provide excellent treatment options available for you. Please feel free to contact OSS at (206) 633-8100 to schedule an appointment.
Softball pitching subjects the biceps to high forces and torques when the player’s arm swings around to release the ball. Published in the March 2009 issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the study of the “windmill” pitching motion appears to explain the high incidence of anterior shoulder pain observed in female softball players.
In the study, seven women — three collegiate and four professional pitchers — underwent motion analysis and surface electromyography to evaluate the muscle firing pattern of their biceps in the course of a windmill pitch. Electromyography detects electrical potential generated by muscle cells when they contract.
The researchers found that even though the upper arm movement in both baseball and fast-pitch softball gives the ball about the same velocity, the muscle force during the windmill pitch was much higher, according to the press release.
Moreover, the maximum force, or maximum contraction, occurred not when the arm was cocked, as in baseball’s overhand pitching, but when the arm circled around from the 9 o’clock position (i.e. almost fully extended back) to the 6 o’clock position (i.e. perpendicular with the ground), completing the windmill motion with the release the ball.
In one case, a pitcher had ruptured her tendon during play, which implicated the long head of the biceps tendon as the source of stress. Female softball pitchers are prone to overuse injury not only because of windmill pitching dynamics, but also because they pitch so many games.
Common injuries in softball players include tendonitis, rotator cuff and tendon strain, and ulnar nerve damage, but there are also plaguing lower body injuries that affect softball pitchers. So what is the source of injury? In simplest terms, the hips provide the platform for the scapula, and the scapula is the platform for the shoulder. If there is dysfunction in that system, this leads to injury. If a pitcher complains of shoulder pain, the shoulder may not be at fault for the pain, but rather faulty mechanics in the lower body.
Many times, softball pitchers experience upper body injuries that may be a result of faulty lower body mechanics. Force is produced in the ground, transfers through the legs and torso, and finishes in the upper body. If something along those lines isn’t functioning properly, injury will present itself.
Anterior shoulder pain is one of the most common complaints among windmill pitchers. A typical overhand pitch sees around 108 degrees of motion, whereas the windmill pitch has around 360 degrees of motion; which is an increase in the eccentric action of the biceps.
Strength and conditioning for softball pitchers takes on a significant meaning because all of the energy is transferred from the ground up to the hand (the final point of contact with the ball) and pitch from a flat surface vs. baseball players who pitch off of a mound; this means that a softball pitcher would need to train in ground reaction-force, emphasizing gluteal exercises. Strong glutes will provide a strong base for the pelvis, then transferring energy through the core to the upper body.
When considering training regimens for windmill softball pitchers, much of the conditioning should focus on strengthening the lower extremity and lumbopelvic-hip complex. The lower extremities and lumbopelvic-hip musculature can often be addressed in the same exercises. Ideally, the lumbopelvic-hip complex should be addressed first in the training cycle in order to maintain a base of stability throughout all the conditioning exercises.
Dr. Shapiro states, “Warming up prior to the game and using the proper technique while playing will reduce the opportunity for injury; however, if you are experiencing pain this may be from overuse or an acute injury. It is best to seek medical attention and be evaluated by an Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialist.”
If you believe you are suffering from a softball-related injury and need specialized orthopedic care, Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle provide excellent treatment options available for you.
As we thaw from this winter’s frost, our bodies will need to acclimate to warmer weather once again.
The warmth of spring is upon us, and once again it’s time to start gearing up for a refreshing change to the winter routines that have kept us cooped up with muscles creaking.
Even if you managed to remain active through trips to the gym; the prospect of getting outside and in the sun offers a range of new exercises that require preparation and training.
You may ask, “if I have maintained my exercises, why would I need any extra preparation?” The answer is that it’s specifically at the start of these new exercises that your body is most prone to injury.
As runners, think about the varied terrain and urban obstacles of jogging outdoors versus the treadmill’s regularity; now apply that same comparison to every gym exercise and the variables of its outdoor equivalent, from biking in the park to soccer on the grass.
The following are three important steps you should take to ensure that getting back into shape leaves you free from injury while offering the most beneficial takeaway of getting back into shape for spring.
Speaking of physical reminders, the change in season is the perfect opportunity to change your sneakers! Most dedicated running stores offer in-depth analyses of your feet and gait to make sure that you get the proper equipment. Think about marking your shoes with the date of purchase so you can keep tabs on when you got them so that you don’t keep using them after their time is up.
Dr. Mark Reed states, “With so many different running styles gaining popularity; selecting the shoe that fits your style is important. A properly fitted shoe will help protect against injury and may also enhance performance.”
You should also set up an appointment with your OSS physician to go over all the requisites, making sure to get the OK for the goals you’ve set for yourself before the start of new routines.
The simple act of updating your equipment and evaluating your physiology are powerful motivators for getting back in shape and keeping you injury free.
If you believe you are suffering from a running-related injury and need specialized orthopedic care, Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle provide excellent treatment options available for you.
The 2014 Sochi Olympics has had a fair share of injuries, none more so than the extreme sports that were added to the winter games as a way to attract a younger audience to watch and show interest in the Games.
OSS admires all the Olympians competing for the Gold as well as glory for their respective country; and as the final week rounds out this year’s Winter Olympics, we want to wish all the athletes who were involved in some kind of injury, a speedy recovery.
According to Dr. Charlie Peterson, “These events demonstrate that even at the elite level of competition, injuries are part of the game for all athletes. It re-emphasizes the need for maximum fitness and proper techniques and equipment to minimize the chance of injury, as well as the timely treatment of injuries when they occur.”
Here is a rundown of athletes and their injuries:
