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Dr. Ahmad To Host 2nd Annual Baseball Sports Medicine Seminar

By Jim Monaghan
Baseball Health Network

Jim MonaghanDr. Christopher Ahmad, Head Team Physician for the New York Yankees and founding member of the Baseball Health Network will lead an esteemed panel of physicians, trainers and baseball notables at the 2nd annual Baseball Sports Medicine: Game-Changing Concepts seminar on November 16-17 in New York.

This live activity is designed to identify areas of concern or controversy in the management of baseball athletes in a team sport setting through didactic presentations and case-based scenarios. Key issues, along with up-to-date and practice solutions, will be addressed. Time has been built into the agenda for questions and answers.

Joining Dr. Ahmad as course director is Chicago White Sox Team Physician Dr. Anthony Romeo.

GUEST SPEAKERS
Jeff Passan – New York Times bestselling author and MLB columnist for Yahoo! Sports
Joe Torre – MLB’s Chief Baseball Officer and former manager of the New York Mets and New York Yankees

INVITED FACULTY
Robert B. Anderson, MD OrthoCarolina Charlotte, NC
Michael Ciccotti, MD Head Team Physician Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia, PA
Jeffrey R. Dugas, MD Andrews Sports Medicine Birmingham, AL
Neal ElAttrache, MD Head Team Physician Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles, CA
Lee Kaplan, MD Medical Director & Team Physician Miami Marlins Miami, FL
Sean T. Lynch, MD Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery Columbia University Medical Center New York, NY
Ron Porterfield, Head Athletic Trainer Tampa Bay Rays Tampa, FL
Mark Schickendantz, MD Head Team Physician Cleveland Indians Cleveland, OH
Nikhil Verma, MD Team Physician Chicago White Sox Chicago, IL
Kevin Wilk, PT, DPT, FAPTA Associate Clinical Director Champion Sports Medicine Director, Rehabilitative Research Birmingham, AL

TARGET AUDIENCE
This conference is designed for any orthopaedic surgeon, physician, athletic trainer, physical therapist, strength and conditioning expert, or coach concerned with the management or prevention of injuries to the baseball athlete.

OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:
•Analyze epidemiological trends in baseball injuries for professional, collegiate and youth baseball players
•Integrate prevention strategies with their health care team(s) to improve musculoskeletal and medical health for baseball players
•Assess and apply surgical and non-surgical treatment recommendations and rehabilitation protocols for the management of essential musculoskeletal and medical conditions in baseball

Last year was a huge success with MLB team physicians, trainers, and therapists presenting diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for baseball injuries.

For more details, click here for our full-color brochure.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Major League Baseball

Returning To Exercise After Shoulder Or Elbow Surgery

By Frank Alexander
Baseball Health Network

Frank AlexanderWhen someone is injured and needs surgery, the hard part is not undergoing the surgery itself. The hard part is being patient and maintaining the drive to get through each physical therapy session. For our patients with active lifestyles, the desire to get back to the activities they love may feel far away. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Many patients want to get back to playing their sport or even just get back into the weight room or gym. In some cases, getting on a stationary or recumbent bike is possible within days of surgery. However, that may not be enough. The type of surgery a patient has determines the length of time away from the gym and sports.

Once being cleared to return to working out, there are a number of exercises we would like our patients to steer clear from. Whether you are recovering from surgery or not, we strongly advise our overhead athletes to avoid these exercises.

free weightsExercises to avoid include: dips, chest flyes, lat pull-downs behind the neck, heavy-weight overhead shoulder presses and wide-grip bench presses. Patients should also avoid allowing the shoulders to be stretched to the extreme end range of motions. While these exercises are discouraged, there are variations and other exercises that can be substituted. Variations include: lat pull-downs with the hands in front of the body, using a medium grip for chest press and lat pull-downs, and using dumbbells for bench pressing. Substitutions include: the Thrower’s Ten exercises (internal/external rotation with TheraBands) and lying light dumbbell exercises such as Y’s, T’s, and A’s.

Upon being cleared to return to the gym or weight room, it is best for a gradual return to activities. For example: when returning to cardio, avoid using the moving arms on the elliptical for a number sessions or stick with the bike a little longer. As for weight training, it is suggested to start with light weights and gradually progress to heavier weights. If you are not sure if you should progress, feel free to ask in the office or check in with your physical therapist. Your physical therapist is a great resource for guidance when returning to unsupervised exercising.

Thrower's TenWhile some exercises should be avoided, many should be done regularly. The Throwers Ten Exercises are a staple of all throwing athletes’ shoulder programs and should be done throughout the off-season and regular season to help keep the shoulders healthy. Core and leg exercises are integral for any throwing athlete. When performing lower body exercises with a load, be sure to listen to your body. If soreness is present, modify the lift or avoid it if possible.

If you are ready to return to weightlifting, our office has a handout with guidelines that you should follow as well as the Thrower’s Ten. Following these guidelines and the advice of our team and your physical therapist will help ensure the ability to safely return to the gym and sports!

Frank J. Alexander, Jr., M.S., ATC, is a Physician Extender to Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Team Ahmad, Thrower's Ten, Tommy John Surgery

The Importance of Finding Your Personal Arm Slot

By Steve Hayward
Founder, Baseball Health Network

Steve Hayward photo
BHN Founder Steve Hayward
For years now, I’ve been hearing coaches and parents telling their kids to throw over the top, get the arm up, elbow higher, and so on.

The end result can be that a pitcher ends up being forced to throw from an unnatural arm slot.

The common myth is that it’s safer to throw over the top.

Check out these two videos that discuss finding one’s own natural arm slot.

The first video, from the MLB Network, features San Diego Padres left-hander Clayton Richard talking with former Major League All-Star Harold Reynolds. Note how Richard points out the difference between coming over the top, and throwing from (for him) a more natural arm slot in which his hand is still able to get on top of the ball.

This second video, with my Baseball Health Network partner Doug Cinnella, talks about the link between finding your natural arm slot and how it relates to throwing the fastball consistently for a strike.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, Doug Cinnella, Pitching Healthy, Steve Hayward

The Importance of Prehab

By Frank Alexander
Baseball Health Network

Frank AlexanderINJURY PATHOLOGY
A soccer player makes a great run, has one defender to beat – plants their foot, twists the knee, and feels a pop. The player immediately goes to the ground clutching their knee in pain. A lacrosse defenseman checks the ball out of an offensive players stick, goes for the ground ball – tries to avoid an opponent – plants their foot, twists, and feels a pop. Similarly to the soccer player, they immediately grab their knee wondering what happened.

The athletic training staff rushes to the player, assesses the injured knee, and the player doesn’t return to competition. In the doctor’s office, the knee has great laxity and a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is confirmed. Unfortunately, the only way the ACL will heal is with surgery. It will not heal on its own. There is significant swelling and a decrease in range of motion (ROM). Before a surgery day can be set, the swelling needs to be decreased, range of motion must be improved, and while strength will not be 100% pre-surgery – it needs to be improved as well. To achieve these goals, prehab is recommended. Prehab is pre-surgery rehab specifically designed by an athletic trainer or physical therapist targeting ROM, quadriceps strength, and swelling.

COMPONENTS OF PREHAB
There are three main goals of prehab: decrease swelling, increase range of motion, and increase strength. After an injury, the body has a natural reaction to protect itself and a consequence is swelling. Swelling in the knee will restrict range Game Ready unitof motion and needs to be decreased. If swelling is not diminished before surgery, the outcome will not be favorable for the patient. By doing prehab exercises, icing, and taking anti-inflammatory medications, swelling can be decreased. Many athletes have heard of the GameReady unit. This unit combines both ice and compression through a sleeve that surrounds the knee. Another unit similar to the GameReady is the CryoCuff which operates in a similar manner. These units are highly recommended in both the prehab and rehab phases. They can be discussed with our staff in the office.

The knee is a joint that, when healthy, has 0 to 130 degrees of motion, or more. When the knee is fully extended, we say it is at 0 degrees. In a healthy knee, it can flex (bend) to 130 degrees or beyond. Not everyone is the same and range of motion varies from person to person. However, it is said that the knee can be functional at 125 degrees of flexion and that is the goal before surgery. Exercises such as wall-slides and assisted flexion are parts of a good home prehab exercise program. While flexion is important, extension should be emphasized. Extension should be emphasized because if it is lost, extension is difficult to get back. Physical therapists will be able to flex the knee post-operatively, but extension has to be a focus of the therapist and patient as well. Ways to prevent a loss of extension is by performing exercises such as quad sets and straight leg raises. Another good way to aid extension is, while watching TV, icing, or hanging out, prop a few pillows under the ankle and keep the toes towards the ceiling. This will allow gravity to gently pull the knee into extension.

In addition to decreasing swelling and regaining range of motion, quad strength is another key component of prehab. Quad strength will help avoid atrophy – which is a decrease in muscle mass. Exercises such as quad sets and straight leg raises will help with quad strength and control. These two exercises are not only a large part of prehab, but also of the immediate rehab phase.

READY FOR SURGERY
Dr. Ahmad surgeryOnce improvements are made, the patient is ready for surgery. The prehab process varies for each patient with the ideal time from injury to surgery being 2 weeks. Timelines are not set in stone so while some patients are in the average, some may be quicker and others may be longer. Another factor is severity of injury. Many ACL tears happen in addition to other injuries within the knee such as medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears and meniscus tears. These other injuries need to be taken into account for timing of surgery as well. The more effort put into prehab, the quicker surgery can be scheduled. For many athletes, timing is of the essence and getting ready for the upcoming season will take a lot of work. The hard work doesn’t stop on the day of surgery, athletes will need to keep their work ethic for the months following surgery to ensure staying healthy once they return to the athletic fields.

When an ACL tear is diagnosed, Dr. Ahmad’s office will provide each patient with home exercises that should be done in addition to any prehab. In some cases, prehab may not be necessary but this is not always the case. We suggest that each patient does not compare their injury to another’s. Everyone heals differently but if maximum effort is given throughout the process, a return to the field is well within sight.

Frank J. Alexander, Jr., M.S., ATC, is a Physician Extender to Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center.

Tagged With: ACL, Baseball Health Network, Dr. Christopher Ahmad

Dr. Ahmad Speaks With WFAN Host Kim Jones On ACL Injuries

By Jim Monaghan
Baseball Health Network

Jim MonaghanDr. Christopher Ahmad and doctors from Columbia Orthopedics recently sat down with WFAN host Kim Jones to discuss treating and preventing ACL injuries.

Dr. Christopher AhmadBaseball Health Network founding member Dr. Ahmad, Dr. Lauren Redler, and Dr. Charles Popkin discussed steps athletes can take to avoid injury, warning signs athletes should be aware of, identifying at-risk behaviors, treatment options and recovery expectations.

With proper training and education, the risk of ACL injuries can be reduced between 50 and 80%.

Tagged With: ACL, Baseball Health Network, Columbia Orthopedics, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Kim Jones, WFAN

Orthopedics Today Round Table Discussion On Tommy John Surgery

By Dr. Christopher Ahmad
Baseball Health Network

Dr. Christopher AhmadSerious arm injuries are happening to baseball players at the youth, high school, college and professional levels at an alarming rate. Just this week, the eyes of the professional baseball world turned toward the St. Louis Cardinals #1 pitching prospect Alex Reyes underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery.

I was privileged to serve as the moderator on the Orthopedics Today Round Table with a panel that included Dr. James Andrews, Dr. Michael Ciccotti, Steve Donohue (trainer, New York Yankees), and others.

Dr. Christopher Ahmad arm surgeryThe goal of the discussion was to elicit expert opinion about the reasons for increased numbers of elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries, elucidate the scope of the problem, understand prevention strategies, establish realistic expectations for nonoperative and operative treatment, and provide thoughts about the future.

Read the entire discussion here on the Orthopedics Today website.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, James Andrews, Tommy John Surgery, Youth Baseball

The Pros & Cons Of Training With Weighted Baseballs

By Jim Monaghan
Baseball Health Network

Jim MonaghanThey’re not new – pitchers were using them in the mid-1970’s as part of their training routine – but weighted baseballs appear to be gaining some new proponents at the MLB level.

The National Center For Biotechnology Information (NCBI) recently published an abstract by Dr. Glenn Fleisig of the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, AL (the research part of Dr. James Andrews’ world-famous practice) which examined the differences between weighted-ball exercises compared to the traditional 5 ounce baseball.

In a recent post on MLB.com, Lindsay Berra explored how pitchers at the highest level are once again turning to weighted baseballs.

weighted baseballs

Fleisig concluded that throwing slightly underweight and overweight baseballs is not only a reasonable exercise for baseball pitchers, but also that the variation from the normal routine of throwing a 5-ounce ball serves to increase awareness in the nerves and muscles and can make a pitcher more effective when he returns to the standard baseball.

However, the use of weighted balls isn’t universal across Major League Baseball.

The Phillies, Marlins, Royals and Pirates are among clubs that have been wary of using this method, with the fear that training with weighted balls — both underloaded and overloaded — creates too much stress on the elbow and can cause injury.

Former professional pitcher Brent Pourciau has cautioned against the use of weighted balls as a means of gaining velocity.

There is science showing weighted baseball training can increase pitching velocity but the question is, “At what risk?”

The Baseball Health Network offers these points of view on the subject.

Steve Hayward photo
BHN Founder Steve Hayward
Baseball Health Network founder Steve Hayward – I don’t have a concrete stand on weighted baseballs. Years ago I worked with them for a few weeks, but I didn’t like the way my arm felt throwing them and never promoted them. Over the years I’ve realized that weighted balls can have a place in a player’s training at some level. But they are certainly not for all players, only the players that have the ability to throw a regulation baseball with efficient throwing/pitching mechanics. I believe, as with any training routine, that some players will see positive results while others may see adverse reactions. My theory is if a player does something that makes his arm feel good and velocity increases, who am I to tell him not to do it? My own guideline with pitchers is to caution them to be careful when doing any type of weight training regimen.

CJ Nitkowski
Former MLB pitcher CJ Nitkowski
Former MLB pitcher and current Texas Rangers/Fox Sports 1 baseball analyst C.J. Nitkowski – I am in favor of using weighted baseballs as a compliment to any arm strength program. I used them in college in the early 90’s during a period in my life when I saw my greatest gains in velocity. Long toss, strength training and nutrition all played a role. There is no one single factor that will get you the velocity gains you seek. Weighted baseballs can also be used to teach proper arm path, even in young throwers (without actually throwing the weighted baseball). Like with any training there is a risk of injury and not all players will get the same results. If you’re considering weighted baseball as part of your training make sure you read up on them, do your research and get with a professional teacher who can guide you.

Ron Darling
Former MLB pitcher Ron Darling
Former MLB pitcher and current New York Mets/TBS/MLB Network analyst Ron Darling – (from MLB Tonight 3/15/17) I remember when I pitched for the Mets, and most of the Mets did not have any shoulder injuries because we had an old trainer, Tommy McKenna, who fought in the Korean conflict. When he came back (from Korea) he had this martial arts kind of thing with a weighted ball that we would imitate the alphabet in certain ways. No one ever had shoulder injuries because of using a weighted ball in such a way to build the back of the shoulder so it wouldn’t hurt your rotator cuff. David Cone, Dwight Gooden, Sid Fernandez, myself…all of those pitchers used it…none of them had shoulder issues.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, CJ Nitkowski, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Glenn Fleisig, James Andrews, Major League Baseball, Pitching Healthy, Ron Darling, Steve Hayward, weighted baseballs

Dr. Ahmad Speaks With WFAN Host Kim Jones On Tommy John Surgery

By Jim Monaghan
Baseball Health Network

Dr. Christopher AhmadBaseball Health Network founding member Dr. Christopher Ahmad recently sat down with WFAN host Kim Jones to discuss throwing injuries and Tommy John surgery.

Arm injuries mirroring those of professional athletes are happening to young throwing athletes with alarming frequency.

Dr. Ahmad, Dr. T. Sean Lynch from Columbia Orthopedics, and 16-year old pitcher Mike Petze spoke with Kim about major causes, upper extremity warning signs, and some of the challenges presented by the surgery and subsequent rehabilitation.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, Columbia Orthopedics, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, Kim Jones, WFAN

Eric D’Agati On “The Strength Coach Podcast”

By Jim Monaghan
Baseball Health Network

Jim MonaghanThe Strength Coach Podcast, hosted by Anthony Renna, is one of the first and most popular strength and conditioning podcasts averaging about 9,000 listeners to each episode.

Baseball Health Network founding member Eric D’Agati appeared on a recent episode to discuss using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) with baseball pitchers.

https://baseballhealthnetwork.com/go/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Eric-DAgati-The-Strength-Coach-Podcast.mp3

 

The Baseball Health Network does an FMS screen on all of the pitchers in our Pitching Healthy Program and gives each pitcher an individualized program based on the findings.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, Eric D;Agati, FMS, Functional Movement Screen

Opportunities With the BHN For Trainers

By Eric D’Agati
Baseball Health Network

Eric D'AgatiIf you’re in the business of training athletes, our partners at Professional Baseball Instruction in Bergen County have just added a great new training center inside their space and we are looking for trainers who have experience working with baseball athletes to join the staff to work with their players.

We are also looking for trainers who would like to rent their space during daytime hours as an Independent Contractor. It’s like having your own facility to train your clients without the stress of leasing a building or having to purchase equipment!

For complete details, email me at eric@baseballhealthnetwork.com or Doug Cinnella at doug@baseballclinics.com.

Tagged With: Baseball Health Network, personal training, strength training

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