Seattle Seahawks Injury Status

Football season is moving right along and our beloved Seattle Seahawks are 6-3 overall; ranking 10th in offense and 3rd in defense. There are several injuries on this season’s roster, including:

Seattle Seahawks Injuries

Coach Pete Carroll has cleared some of these players to return to the field but others are questionable for the rest of the NFL season. Of note, Zach Miller had undergone surgery and is on the injury reserve list and is not playing while Marcus Burley’s hamstring injury has sidelined him from playing for a questionable amount of time.

“With such devastating injuries to the squad up and down the line up, it reiterates the importance of preparation to prevent injury,” states Dr. Ruhlman.

The treatment protocol for football injuries varies and can range from basic RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) to surgery, with several options in between.

For all of these injuries, RICE can be improved with active cold and compression therapies to help speed up the healing process for injuries.

Cold compression therapy can also be used after surgery to help speed up the recovery process.

Football

OSS hopes that all these players recover from their injuries and wish the Seattle Seahawks a great rest-of-the-season.

If you believe you are suffering from a sports-related injury and need specialized orthopedic care, the orthopedic surgeons at OSS provide excellent treatment options for your injury.

MLB World Series Injuries

Rounding the Bases to Catching Fly Balls

MLB World SeriesThe 2014 Major League World Series begins this week with a frenzy of predictions from the sports experts and fans from both the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals predicting that their respective team will win.

Baseball, a game routed in tradition, history, superstition and sometimes, injuries.

Common Injuries

baseball_gloveMore than 627,000 baseball injuries each year are treated by medical professionals, according to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. Baseball is not a contact sport, but contact with a ball, bat, or another player results in the most serious injuries.

The most common injuries include repetitive use injuries to the shoulder and elbow, muscle pulls, contusions, ligament injuries, black eyes, concussions and lacerations. Knee injuries also are relatively common.

Some of these injuries can be career ending if severe enough, as joint replacement sometimes does not work well for athletes.

Your feet also take a beating when playing baseball. Baseball players are at risk from various injuries, including:

1. Ankle sprains may occur while running, fielding balls, stepping on or sliding into bases. Sprains should be evaluated by a foot and ankle surgeon to determine the extent of injury, including possible peroneal tendon injuries or fractures. The foot and ankle surgeon will develop a treatment plan: failure to fully treat and rehabilitate a sprain may lead to chronic ankle instability and recurrent sprains.

2. Overuse or excessive training may sideline some athletes with Achilles tendinopathy or heel pain (often plantar fasiciitis, or calcaneal apophysitis in children and adolescents).

3. Contusions may occur from impact with the ball or contact with other players.

4. Cleats may pose challenges in the forefoot and aggravation of neuromas, sesamoids, bunions, and hammertoes. To stay at the top of your game, ensure that cleats are fitted properly and have injuries evaluated by a foot and ankle surgeon.

According to Dr. Reed, “While baseball is a less violent sport than football, athletes can be prone to foot and ankle injuries often due to the quick bursts of required running or sliding. Orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons are uniquely trained to provide expert care of baseball-related injuries, including turf toe, osteochondral defects, ankle instability and Achilles tendinitis or rupture.”

Good luck to both the Giants and the Royals! Here’s hoping no one gets put on the DL list during the series!

If you believe you are suffering from a sports-related injury and need specialized care, the physicians at 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.

Reduce Your Chances for Injury While on the Football Field

Week four of the Seattle Seahawks football season has taken a few hits. Eight players are on this week’s injury list. It’s a reminder to both professional and non-professional athletes that playing smart is the best way to reduce your chances of injury in this contact sport.

The 8 Most Common Football Injuries:Football Helmets

Not including head injuries, the most common musculoskeletal injuries include:

1) ACL injuries – The anterior cruciate ligament in the knee can become damaged or torn when a player is impacted from the front or rear.
2) MCL injuries – Injury to the medial collateral ligament in the knee is also very common because it occurs when the knee is impacted from the side.
3) Torn meniscus – When a player rotates their body while a foot stays planted, the knee can twist, causing the meniscus to tear.
4) Ankle sprains and strains – Perhaps the most common injury in all sports, ankles are susceptible to soft tissue damage when pivoting, changing direction, or putting too much pressure on the joint.
5) Muscle contusions – A strong impact to a large muscle, usually in the thigh, can cause a contusion. This is basically a large, deep bruise that can impair muscle function.
6) Torn hamstrings – Bursts of speed can cause the hamstrings to tear if the player is not conditioned or properly warmed up.
7) Shoulder tendinitis – Frequent throwing can cause overuse injuries like shoulder tendinitis from repetitive motions.
8) Shoulder separation or dislocation – A direct blow below the shoulder can cause a separation of the acromioclavicular joint, while a dislocation occurs when the head of the humerus detaches from the scapula.

The treatment protocol for these football injuries varies and can range from basic RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) to surgery, with several options in between. For all of these injuries, RICE can be improved with active cold and compression therapies to help speed up the healing process for injuries. Cold compression therapy can also be used after surgery to help speed up the recovery process.

According to Dr. Peterson, “While injuries are an unavoidable consequence of contact sports, indeed any sport, the risk of injury can be dramatically lowered by proper background training and techniques. Additionally, proper conditioning can speed recovery times after injury reduce the chance of recurrent injury.”

Here are some helpful tips on how you can reduce your chances of a football injury:

-Have a pre-season health and wellness evaluation
-Perform proper warm-up and cool-down routines
-Consistently incorporate strength training and stretching
-Hydrate adequately to maintain health and minimize cramps
-Stay active during summer break to prepare for return to sports in the fall
-Wear properly fitted protective equipment, such as a helmet, pads, and mouthguard
-Tackle with the head up and do not lead with the helmet
-Speak to a sports medicine professional at OSS if you have any concerns about football injuries or football injury prevention strategies

If you believe you are suffering from a sports-related injury and need specialized orthopedic care, the orthopedic surgeons at OSS provide excellent treatment options for your injury. Please feel free to contact OSS at (206) 633-8100 to schedule an appointment.

Summer Running

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 their outdoor equivalents, from biking in the park to soccer on the grass.

Here are three important steps you should take to ensure that getting back into running leaves you free from injury this summer:

  1. Take a moment to set a goal. Setting a goal helps propel yourself towards a specific aim, a simple enough idea which cannot be overstated in its power to focus yourself on a reasonable achievement.
  2. Renew one of your new year’s resolutions or challenge yourself to meet or beat a pace that you haven’t quite kept up with over the past few years.
  3. More importantly, set up a log book to keep track of your times and achievements. Having a physical record of where you started with a means to your ends is paramount to meeting your goal.

Summer Running | Exercise Plan by Dr. ReedSpeaking 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 provides excellent treatment options available for you. Please feel free to contact OSS at (206) 633-8100 to schedule an appointment.

2014 FIFA World Cup Injuries Affecting Field of Players

fifa-world-cup-2014-UnoTelly

Several prominent figures for this year’s World Cup event have been lost to injuries. The list includes:

  • Franck Ribery – France
  • Radamel Falcao – Columbia
  • Marco Reus – Germany
  • Kevin Strootman – Netherlands
  • Luis Montes – Mexico
  • Riccardo Montolivo – Italy
  • Christian Benteke – Belgium
  • Theo Walcot – England
  • Roman Shirikov – Russia

Leg fractures to rolled ankles have plagued this year’s field of players throughout the world. It’s not unusual for injuries to strike before the World Cup, due in part to the increasing demand on players during the club season and the brief turnaround before reporting to national team duty ahead of the sport’s premier competition.

Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, which puts on the World Cup, blamed “too long a [club] season and always the same players [from the elite clubs] are always in the same competitions. Now they are tired.”

Fatigue is not responsible for all injuries. Muscular ailments occur at all stages of the season, while missteps and reckless tackles are also to blame. Falcao suffered a knee injury in January.

According to U.S. midfielder, Michael Bradley, “There [are] certain things as players you do to try to prevent injuries, to try to stay fit, but at the end of the day, you step on the field, you play, you leave everything out on the field and unfortunately things happen at times.” He goes on to say, “No player ever wants to see anybody else get hurt and have to miss a big game, a big tournament.”

Common soccer injuries include:

  • Lower extremities – Sprains and strains are the most common lower extremity injuries. The severity of these injuries varies. Cartilage tears and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprains in the knee are some of the more common injuries that may require surgery. Other injuries include fractures and contusions from direct blows to the body.
  • Overuse of lower extremities – Shin splints (soreness in the calf), patellar tendonitis (pain in the knee), and Achilles tendonitis (pain in the back of the ankle) are some of the more common soccer overuse conditions. Soccer players are also prone to groin pulls and thigh and calf muscle strains.
  • Upper extremities – Injuries to the upper extremities usually occur from falling on an outstretched arm or from player-to-player contact. These conditions include wrist sprains, wrist fractures, and shoulder dislocations.
  • Head, neck and face injuries – Injuries to the head, neck, and face include cuts and bruises, fractures, neck sprains, and concussions. A concussion is any alteration in an athlete’s mental state due to head trauma and should always be evaluated by a physician. Not all those who experience a concussion lose consciousness.

Treatment options to soccer injuries include:

  • Stop participation immediately until any injury is evaluated and treated properly.
  • Most injuries are minor and can be treated by a short period of rest, ice, and elevation. Contact the physicians at Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle (OSS) to evaluate an injury.
  • Overuse injuries can be treated with a short period of rest, which means that the athlete can continue to perform or practice some activities with modifications.
  • In many cases, pushing through pain can be harmful, especially for stress fractures, knee ligament injuries, and any injury to the head or neck. Contact the physicians at Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle for proper diagnosis and treatment of any injury that does not improve after a few days of rest.
  • Return to play only when clearance is granted by a physician.

Orthopedic Specialists would like to offer the following tips for preventing soccer injuries:

  • Have a pre-season physical examination and follow your doctor’s recommendations
  • Use well-fitting cleats and shin guards — there is some evidence that molded and multi-studded cleats are safer than screw-in cleats
  • Be aware of poor field conditions that can increase injury rates
  • Use properly sized synthetic balls — leather balls that can become waterlogged and heavy are more dangerous, especially when heading
  • Watch out for mobile goals that can fall on players and request fixed goals whenever possible
  • Maintain proper fitness — injury rates are higher in athletes who have not adequately prepared physically.
  • After a period of inactivity, progress gradually back to full-contact soccer through activities such as aerobic conditioning, strength training, and agility training.
  • Avoid overuse injuries — more is not always better! Sports medicine specialists at Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle believe that it is beneficial to take at least one season off each year. Try to avoid the pressure that is now exerted on many young athletes to over-train. Listen to your body and decrease training time and intensity if pain or discomfort develops. This will reduce the risk of injury and help avoid “burn-out”
  • Speak with a sports medicine physician at Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle if you have any concerns about injuries or soccer injury prevention strategies

According to Dr. Peterson, “Two of the challenges the US team will have to face in addition to the “Group of Death” pairings are travel and heat. They will travel over 6000 miles during the preliminaries, and will be playing at least on of their games deep in the Amazon rain forest in the middle of summer! In these situations, it’s very important to work on hydration, proper diet, and sleep. Proper hydration is occurring when one’s urine is fairly clear to clear. Proper diet varies, but usually should include a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and minimal fried foods and alcohol. Sleep can be tough with airplane travel.

Try to have a standard time to go to bed, and getting at least 8 hours per night is important. If it is hard to fall asleep, natural sleep aids like melatonin can help. Good luck, USA and Sounders players!”

If you believe you are suffering from a soccer-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.