All posts by Paul Bonilla

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Mental Health Issues in Sports

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“It is …clear that far too many players either choose to ignore their symptoms or fail to treat their mental health issues with the same diligence they would a broken wrist or knee injury.”

-Jackie MacMullan

Recently, prominent athletes in the NBA such as Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan have started a conversation about with the importance of mental health. Love talked about how he has addressed his own unhelpful symptoms of anxiety.  Love highlighted the stigma that elite athletes players should have perfect mental health. John Lucas, assistant coach to the Houston Rockets, state that mental health issues are “epidemic in our league…from ADHD to bipolar to anxiety and depression.”  In other words, elite athletes are human.  Love spoke up because he wants mental health to be as important as physical health:  “the last thing this should be is taboo, but that’s what it is.” The National Basketball Players Association recently hired Dr. William Parham as its first director of mental health and wellness, indicating a positive first step in acknowledging the importance of mental health and keeping it in the forefront of efforts to get and stay healthy.

 

All Blogs, Shoulder, Uncategorized

Nick Foles Shoulder Strain

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Philadelphia Eagles backup Quarterback Nick Foles left the game early in the second quarter against the New England Patriots on August 16, 2018. He was hit from the back trying to throw the ball and immediately fell forward, gripping his shoulder. He was diagnosed with a shoulder strain.

A muscle strain is a tearing of the muscle fibers.

Muscle strain is diagnosed on examination. Usually symptoms include tenderness over the injured area and pain with stretching. Muscle strains heal over time.

The injury was characterized as minor after further testing. In pre-season, there seems to be a lower threshold for calling pain an injury and taking key players out of the game. Foles returned to play against the Cleveland Browns a week later.

ACL Injuries, All Blogs, Football, Knee

Carson Wentz ACL Recovery

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Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz  remains on the injured list 9 months after surgery to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and repair his lateral collateral ligament (LCL). Wentz tore both ligaments jumping into the end zone with opposing players hitting both sides of the leg.  

The ACL is a ligament that connects the femur to the tibia at the center of the knee joint.  It helps stabilize the joint when planting the foot and changing directions (pivoting). ACL tear is one of the most common injury in sports  that feature a lot of pivoting. The LCL stabilizes the outside of the knee. It helps stabilize the side to side motion of the knee. This ligament is different because it is one of the few in the body that do not heal on its own.   People that play pivot sports may choose to have it reconstructed for more effective pivoting when they return.

ACL reconstructions heal in 1 year.  Most of the healing is completed by about 6 months.  If motion, strength, and agility are regained at 9 months, some people will return at that time. It was reported that Wentz plans to return for the start of the season, 9 months after the injury. .

Wentz has started to participate in drills and exercises in the team’s training camp.  He remains sidelined in team scrimmages as the team wants him in “controlled environments” limiting the possibility of reinjury. It is reported that he may sit him out for the duration of the preseason.