January 2016

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

01/30/2016 #559: Barking up the Wrong Shoulder

The risk/reward equation for the Super Bowl is a hot topic this week. Can Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis play effectively after getting a metal plate in his right forearm? Tony Romo broke and re-injured his collarbone, would a plate help him? What’s up with the Pro Bowl? Who are the toughest athletes?

If you have sports medicine questions or comments, Dr. Souryal has answers, or at least an opinion! First up, a twisted knee needs to get checked out. Then a jogger with a foot injury and subsequent sensory nerve damage is still having problems over a year later. The Business of Medicine segment at the top of the hour is about morals and money and passion. Dr. Souryal and Dr. Brad Bellard discuss how “bill-ability” sometimes takes precedence over what works for patients. Not on their watch!

A former athlete and current Orthopaedic Trauma PA has pain, limited range of motion and weakness, and even a pop and numbness recently which could be related to a shoulder procedure decades ago. The show ends with an interesting case of a rare shoulder blade injury that could actually be a pain in the neck.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

01/16/2016 #558 Football Needs This

Hard to believe he’s gone. Legend David Bowie has passed and in tribute, provides the background tunes to this week’s show. Dr. Souryal, as usual, has so many good topics to get through. Roethlisberger’s and Romo’s shoulder injuries are explained in depth, along with the real reason for wearing shoulder pads. Teaching “rugby-style” tackling techniques at all levels could be good news for preventing concussions and aims to make football safer. The difference between an ankle sprain and a high ankle sprain is explained, at last, in Sports Medicine 101.

The text machine is going crazy bananas as a record number of questions and comments flow in and the phone lines are hopping, too. The first caller has questions about rehab for shoulder and knee surgery with just a week in between. How can he go about rehab for each at the same time? A high school coach has had both knees replaced and has lots of “static electricity“ pain two years later and a swollen foot. What now? An active flat-footed man has grade 3 ankle problems and asks if there is any alternative to the major reconstructive surgery that is recommended for him. A boxer gets a sharp stabbing shoulder pain while throwing a left jab that points to joint instability.

A youth football coach calls to weigh in on new Heads Up Tackling techniques. It is a good thing! Another PeeWee coach chimes in about still more benefits, including building confidence. The consensus: football needs this.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

01/09/16 #557: Chickens and Eggs and Chocolate Cake

Three brains are better than one! Dr. Scott Blumenthal and Dr. Brad Bellard join Dr. T.O. Souryal to talk of sports, medicine, and field call after call. A 42 year old still has pain after his knee replacement and needs a new doc, a motorcycle racer has had neck pain for seven years and wonders how many injections are too many, while another caller asks about the success rate for an OATS (Osteoarticular Transfer System Surgery) procedure and his return to full range of motion. An ultra-marathoner had a torn meniscus, goes back to his normal routine post-surgery, and wonders if his doctor’s advice is too “friendly”.

The second hour includes a long Business of Medicine segment that covers the uneasy relationship between insurance companies and good medicine and how that relationship impacts doctors, patients, and rising costs for all. A caller who had a motorcycle accident has pervasive numbness and needs a clear diagnosis, an avid handball/racquetball player has some nerve damage after surgery and wants to know what he can expect, and Dr. Bellard ends the show with a quick rash story.

I want cake.

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

01/02/2016 #556: AKA "The Nipple Episode"

Something’s going on with head injuries in sports – what could it be? Art imitates the life of sports medicine professionals in the new movie “Concussion” and inspires the themes of our first show of 2016. Doctors Souryal and Bellard begin with stories of the first inspirations that led them into the sports medicine field and continue on to old school memories, newfound revelations of Dr. Bennett Omulu on longterm brain damage, and answers, answers, answers to your questions!

Appropriately, a former professional bull rider has had multiple concussions, some memory issues currently, and questions about what he should do next to evaluate and identify the cause of his problems. A father asks if is there a difference between brain trauma to younger, softer brains than to the harder brains of older athletes. Another caller asks simply why CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, can only be diagnosed post-mortem. One man asks for an opinion on PRP versus surgery for lateral left myelitis and the recovery time for each. Lucky for us Dr. Bellard is a PRP expert! More questions come in about Osteonecrosis, the downsides of an untreated UCL tear, the possibility of shoulder pops that may or may not be related to over-pitching as a 13 year old, and an arm injury that has hurt for a decade.

Go see someone for gosh sakes and Happy New Year, dear listeners!

Back to top