Monday, February 19, 2007
An athletic approach to health care part 2
In my private practice, I have the good fortune of treating many accomplished amateur and professional athletes. Some are still active in their sport, while others have long since left their days of glory behind.
These athletes often suffer from injuries and diseases no different from the rest of my patients. What distinguishes these athletic patients is their approach to illness.
Athletes receive a diagnosis as if it were the result of a match or other event. They want to hear about a plan for recovery and immediately hope to begin the rehabilitation process, as if preparing for another contest.
It is this disciplined mindset that leads to what has proven to be quicker and more complete recovery. Lance Armstrong serves as a good example of this.
One day each week, I share office space with Procare Physical Therapy in Willimantic.
It is there I get to observe many of my patients as they grind through the difficult recovery process.
One patient is a professional golfer who needed lumbar disc surgery. Often this is a career-ending event. Instead, we found a surgeon who had successfully treated golfers in the past. Post-operatively, his rehab was impressive. He followed the directions of the therapist as if working with a world-class coach. He returned to competitive golf a full year sooner than we predicted.
A potential Heisman Trophy candidate came to me for an opinion regarding a nerve injury that could have ended his athletic career. Instead, he spent two years rehabilitating his leg, and, to the astonishment of all involved, returned to NCAA Division 1 competition.
After 21 years of practice, I am witnessing what may be the greatest recovery of all. A 16-year-old Olympic-level gymnast was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. This young lady has approached her 18 hours of surgery and ongoing chemotherapy and radiation as a seasoned, veteran athlete. She insists on continuing her physical therapy in the midst of all these treatments.
I watch as she begins with massage and gentle stretching. Her routine no longer consists of vaulting to great heights, or swinging across uneven parallel bars, but a seemingly simple yet physically demanding workout of sitting on a large ball to keep her balance. I have no doubt because of this discipline, she will recover fully and all of us involved will be inspired.
I have learned many things from these experiences. Among them is most young people who participate in sports acquire a fundamentally sound approach to life and health. We can all benefit by taking an athlete's approach to illness.
If you have any inspiring story of neurologic recovery, and you'd like to share them, please e-mail them to me at healthyliving@wwbh.org
Anthony G. Alessi, MD, is a member of the Backus Hospital Medical Staff and neurologist in private practice at NeuroDiagnostics, LLC in Norwich. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Dr. Alessi and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthliving@wwbh.org
These athletes often suffer from injuries and diseases no different from the rest of my patients. What distinguishes these athletic patients is their approach to illness.
Athletes receive a diagnosis as if it were the result of a match or other event. They want to hear about a plan for recovery and immediately hope to begin the rehabilitation process, as if preparing for another contest.
It is this disciplined mindset that leads to what has proven to be quicker and more complete recovery. Lance Armstrong serves as a good example of this.
One day each week, I share office space with Procare Physical Therapy in Willimantic.
It is there I get to observe many of my patients as they grind through the difficult recovery process.
One patient is a professional golfer who needed lumbar disc surgery. Often this is a career-ending event. Instead, we found a surgeon who had successfully treated golfers in the past. Post-operatively, his rehab was impressive. He followed the directions of the therapist as if working with a world-class coach. He returned to competitive golf a full year sooner than we predicted.
A potential Heisman Trophy candidate came to me for an opinion regarding a nerve injury that could have ended his athletic career. Instead, he spent two years rehabilitating his leg, and, to the astonishment of all involved, returned to NCAA Division 1 competition.
After 21 years of practice, I am witnessing what may be the greatest recovery of all. A 16-year-old Olympic-level gymnast was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. This young lady has approached her 18 hours of surgery and ongoing chemotherapy and radiation as a seasoned, veteran athlete. She insists on continuing her physical therapy in the midst of all these treatments.
I watch as she begins with massage and gentle stretching. Her routine no longer consists of vaulting to great heights, or swinging across uneven parallel bars, but a seemingly simple yet physically demanding workout of sitting on a large ball to keep her balance. I have no doubt because of this discipline, she will recover fully and all of us involved will be inspired.
I have learned many things from these experiences. Among them is most young people who participate in sports acquire a fundamentally sound approach to life and health. We can all benefit by taking an athlete's approach to illness.
If you have any inspiring story of neurologic recovery, and you'd like to share them, please e-mail them to me at healthyliving@wwbh.org
Anthony G. Alessi, MD, is a member of the Backus Hospital Medical Staff and neurologist in private practice at NeuroDiagnostics, LLC in Norwich. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Dr. Alessi and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthliving@wwbh.org
# posted by ----------------- @ 3:41 PM 
