Oakwood Sports Medicine is the exclusive healthcare provider for the Canton Cup. Again this year, we will have certified athletic trainers at each of the venues for all games, to attend to the health needs of the players, answer questions, provide injury evaluation, recommendations and follow-up care as necessary. Stop by and visit our medical tents during the tournament!
Summer time is usually a period of rest, recovery and recharge – for athletes and athletic trainers alike. This year it’s taking a bit longer to reach the restful part of the summer months but this past weekend was a step in the right direction on many fronts.
A call from a local high school coach, who shall remain nameless (coaches the Cardinals and played at Albion College), asking for an athletic trainer to help out at the Midwest Linemen Camp.
Albion is approximately 90 miles west of Detroit and home to Albion College.
As it turns out, the camp co-director was an old acquaintance from many years ago who has moved upward and onward to the ranks of the NFL and several former players from the same time period were on the camp staff too. They were a tight group back in the day and still are today – the bonds of friendship solidified by the countless hours spent in the film room, winter conditioning and practices. In those years gone by, life has taken its twists and turns for everyone, mostly for the good.
It is our belief that knowing ones coaches as well or better than the players can only result in better overall care for the players.
Although this was a weekend of “work”, the schedule did allow for a quick bike ride from Albion to Marshall and back.
Games are definitely won in the trenches.
The Chippewa connection (and a Spartan). From L to R: Paul Jacobson, Paul Alexander, Dave Basirico, Art Droski, Greg Sherwin, Jeff Kline and Kyle Cook.
Playing 9 or 18 holes of golf requires a great deal of concentration, skill and physical ability—what? Physical ability to play golf? That’s right, in order to keep playing for many years, one should follow an exercise routine throughout the year.
The golf swing is very demanding on the muscles in the trunk and legs, as well as a high demand on the spine and associated ligaments. Proper warm up to prepare these structures for the rotation and movement is essential.
Nice self stretch for the hamstrings. Note the position of the left leg, back flat on the ground. The slight bend in the (R) knee is totally acceptable.
Hip flexor stretch - flexibility in this muscle group plays an important role in the swing follow through and helping to absorb the forces through the low back during play. Note the upright position of the trunk and chest wall.
Low back stretch - breathe and relax!
Join Oakwood Sports Medicine at the 4th Annual Football Coaches Clinic which begins this evening. We have a great set of topics for those attending, including injury prevention, concussion updates, how to properly hydrate youth athletes and much more!
Stretching often falls by the wayside when you are gearing up for your favorite activity. Sure, you might tug on your ankle a few times or shake your legs out before taking the road for a run, but is that doing you any good?
Stretching will improve your flexibility and improving your flexibility may have a positive impact on your overall performance and quality of life, especially when that increased flexibility allows your joints to move more freely throughout their entire range of motion. You can also decrease the risk of activity-related injuries by improved flexibility (through stretching). When muscles or tendons are less flexible and we place a demand on them exceeding their capability, the tissue can be injured.
Numerous studies have attempted to provide a clear cut answer on the benefits of stretching – few have been able to do so definitively.
Athlete: Ouch! (Athlete seen walking away from the track, limping)
Coach: What happened?
Athlete: I pulled my muscle while running. It really hurts!
Coach: Did you stretch before you went running?
Athlete: 
We have all heard or been a part of a conversation just like this and often uncertain if we did or are doing the right things to prepare ourselves for a workout. In today’s post, we will attempt to provide some of the latest information available and share our thoughts on what to do and when to do it.
The benefits of stretching may include improved flexibility, circulation, balance & coordination, and performance of daily activities. (Photo courtesy of T. Simler/Oakwood Healthcare Inc)
Stretching, particularly of a single variety, is a common practice before sports participation and likely based on the concepts drilled into coaches and athletes heads: stretch or get hurt. Watch any high school game – the choreographed, highly precise stretching activities that take place once the team takes the floor or field.
There are three types of stretching: static, ballistic and PNF.
Static stretching requires you place the extremity and muscle into a position of lengthening or stretch and hold for a short period of time before releasing the stretch. When performed properly, static stretching is one of the safest methods of increasing muscle length. Although, an acute session of stretching has been shown to impair muscular strength but did not have an effect on overuse injuries. Timing of a stretching session may then be important. To improve overall flexibility, perform the stretching routine after an exercise session, while the muscle tissues are still warm. A good 15 minutes of focused attention on specific muscle groups will help improve your flexibility.
Ballistic stretching is performed by repetitive bouncing motions into and out of a stretched position (very old method and not recommended); or by activating the agonist muscle group (say the quadriceps – see the photo) by swinging the leg forward and up higher than the torso, which will actively stretch the antagonist muscle group (in this example, the hamstrings). One study concluded that ballistic stretching did not impair jumping performance, likely due to the total volume of stretching performed in the study. A ballistic program can be implemented prior to an exercise bout and when combined with an active warm-up, it can yield beneficial results.
By engaging the quadriceps (agonist), the antagonists (hamstrings) are placed on stretch.
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facillitation (PNF) is a method of stretching using a partner or device to facillitate a variety of stretching techniques. For today’s post, we will leave this topic for those trained and educated in its proper use.
Don’t consider stretching a warm-up – to improve a muscle’s flexibility, stretch after a workout, practice or activity. This way you are not stretch cold muscle tissue and the will gain the improvements in flexibility you desire.
Perform stretching for large muscle groups – The large muscle groups do most of the work. Focus on them! Calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, lower back, neck, shoulders and chest. Always perform the stretching routine for both sides of the body.
Pain is not your friend when stretching! – You can expect to feel a moderate amount of tension within the muscled being stretched, not pain. Stretch just to the edge of pain, then back off to a point where the pain lessens.
Use sports or activity specific stretches – If you play soccer where hip flexor muscle injuries are common, add in the appropriate flexor stretch. For baseball pitchers, specific shoulder and forearm stretches are essential.
Maintain the routine – We struggle to even carve time out for a workout, let alone the extra time for a stretching routine. Do your absolute best to not skip out on the stretching so you gain the most benefit in terms of flexibility.
We have stayed away from in-depth writing about a proper warm-up. For this you will have to check back with us very shortly.
If you aren’t moving already, get moving and include a general program of stretching to your routine. If you are moving, move more; and focus on the appropriate stretching methods at the appropriate time. Stay loose, stay flexible, move better and move more!
Special thanks to Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC (Edsel Ford HS) for his prep work on this post!
This year’s Oakwood University: Joint Class 101 has been a great initiative and successful. Oakwood looks to continue Joint Class into 2012.
Tonight is the last Joint Class of 2011. If you would still like to attend, call 543.WELL or register at www.oakwood.org
Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you in 2012!
Fred Goethe didn’t know what to do.
For about three weeks, the 63-year-old Canton resident had been bothered by nagging pain in his hip that made it difficult to sleep and get around as well as he used to. Goethe decided he needed to find out what caused the ache as well as what to do about it and, after a little research, found himself in the first Joint 101 class sponsored by Oakwood Healthcare. He said he’s glad he did.
“It was very educational,” he said. “I was really impressed with it.”
One part, lecture, one part question-and-answer period and one part informal evaluation, Joint Class 101 brings orthopedic specialists, family doctors and physical therapists to small groups of people concerned about lingering pain in their hips, knees or shoulders. The free class allows time for the physicians to talk about issues and potential treatments, along with time for audience members to ask specific questions. They break up into small groups so attendees have some individual time with the doctors, too. Mary Zatina, senior vice president of government relations, corporate planning and communications for OHI, said the goal is to inform, not recruit.
“People make better health care decisions when they are equipped with information. Our physicians know a great deal about the anatomy of the human body, the causes of joint pain and the many options for addressing joint pain. Through Joint Class 101, a panel of physicians and therapists will share their extensive knowledge in simple terms that everyone can understand,” she said.
“Joint pain can be a serious quality of life issue and we want everyone to know exactly what their options are so they can resume active lives without the pain,” she added.
There are a wide variety of treatment options available, anything from injections to over-the-counter medicine to physical therapy or major or minor surgery. Sometimes, changing shoes is all that’s necessary to alleviate a chronic pain, according to Karen Weaver, MD, a family doctor who was a member of the initial panel of experts.
A 46-year-old attendee who leads an active lifestyle wanted to find out the best way to eliminate the arthritis that impacted both his knees. He was concerned about the stigma associated with total joint replacement—as well as how well the replacements would hold up. Dr. Eric Silberg, an orthopedic specialist and surgeon had this advice: don’t let age be a factor in considering things like knee replacement or physical therapy.
“I always tell people that I would happily trade active years in their 40s for active years in their 70s or 80s,” said Silberg. “Even professional athletes work with physical therapists—and they couldn’t be more active.
“Age is not a factor—it’s your health and spirit,” he added. “It’s really about quality of life and if you want a better quality of life.”
The Joint 101 classes are free and will take place every two weeks, either at the Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center (OHMC) in Dearborn or at the Oakwood Southshore Medical Center (OSMC) in Trenton. They will feature a moderator along with primary care physicians, surgeons or physical medication and rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians talking about a variety of joint-related issues as well as a question and answer period. Attendees can expect plenty of information in language that is easy to understand.
The next class is from 6-7:30 p.m. on April 21 at the OSMC in Trenton. The next Dearborn class is from 6-7:30 p.m. on April 28 at OHMC. For more information or to register, call (800) 543-WELL or visit www.oakwood.org.
The Oakwood Sports Medicine program is designed for anyone who is physically active. Whether you’re a senior maintaining an active lifestyle, a weekend warrior, or a sports enthusiast or experience athlete, your individual needs are as diverse as the activities you pursue. When you suffer an injury, it can disrupt your daily routine and the activities that keep you fit.
Oakwood Sports Medicine has been providing outreach services to the communities we serve since 1986. The importance of having access to a certified athletic trainer is immeasureable.
Our team is comprised of orthopedic and sports medicine physicians, physiatrists, family physicians, pediatricians and athletic trainers. Our interdisciplinary approach to care includes:
As an organization, Oakwood has always worked toward improving the health of the communities we serve.
Find out from Doctors, physical therapists, expert clinicians on how to recognize shoulder problems, diagnose and treat with the most advanced and successful treatment options available.
Join our guests, Richard Gruz MD, Marc Milia MD and host Mary Zatina as we explore your shoulder pain causes, treatment options and guidance from leading experts.
Follow the Oakwood Champions of Care TV segment on Shoulder Pain.
Richard Grucz, MD Oakwood Healthcare
