Dr. Souryal, Dr. Bellard, and Dr. Burgmeier are on the air today. They speak with a caller about CeeDee Lamb’s concussion. Brian Kelly going to LSU. and coaches moving to other schools in season. The Docs discuss the Cowboy’s handling of Ezekiel Elliott’s injury. Tiger Woods hitting balls on the practice range. Klay Thompson is back on the court. College Football game and playoff discussion.
Dr. Brad Bellard joins Dr. Souryal for this Easter Weekend edition with special guest: sportscaster Dale Hansen. The doctors start off discussing the controversial link between CTE and football and other susceptibilities that may affect outcomes. Then a concerned mother of a 19 year old lacrosse player calls in. Her son had his first “mild” concussion and still has symptoms six weeks later. She wonders if he should play or not, now or after more time to heal? Hard to know! Later in the hour, Dale Hansen continues the conversation on the issues surrounding longterm brain trauma and the risks to football players in particular. Along the same lines, a father describes his daughter’s head injury during a softball game that led to a longer road to recovery than expected, and the unhelpful attitudes she encountered.
Inside Sports Medicine relies on great listeners asking great questions which leads to valuable conversations. A 40 year old basketball player suffered a complete rupture of his patellar tendon a year ago and asks when he can get back to full range. A 32 year old has a herniated disc in his neck, already limits his activities, and is working through his options before considering surgery. A golfer wonders how to tell if his shoulder injury is a rotator cuff tear – without going to a doctor, that is. Another caller asks why it is so difficult to do exercises that don’t use the ACL right after ACL surgery. A mechanic has started to notice some numbness or aching in his hands while working that could be arthritis.
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.