The National Football League hasn’t had much news since the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in the Superbowl. The NFL has been in its offseason since early February, but that doesn’t mean there’s no news as teams struggle to stay in shape and make changes to build on last year’s success or improve their future status.
All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters of the Philadelphia Eagles is just hoping to be on the field come August. He injured his Achilles tendon in individual workout sessions in Texas on March 27th. The team doesn’t have a timetable yet as to his return, but the Eagles are looking for replacements to hold his spot. The average time to recover from Achilles tendon injuries in the NFL is about nine months, which will place the Eagles halfway into their season without their starting offensive lineman.
Demetrius Bell is another left tackle in the league who has not re-signed with his Buffalo Bills and has been looking around the league for other interested teams, finding many. He has met with the Eagles, as well as Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Arizona, and Washington. He’s currently a hot commodity to fill in the gaps, especially in Philadelphia.
The Eagles are hoping to get Bell or another strong reserve to fill in for Peters who could hopefully be ready for an end-of-the-season push towards the playoffs. But they are aware that it could be a more difficult path for the 30-year old veteran.
If you have questions about Achilles tendon injuries or other sports-related injuries, a Brooklyn podiatrist may be able to help. Dr. Michael Perlstein can diagnose and even help prevent injuries that plague many people with active lifestyles. His book Running and Exercise: A Guide to Your Foot Health available for free online.
Tiger Woods has missed a considerable amount of time on the links due to injuries or other issues over the years, and he’s about to miss some more. He pulled himself out of the WGC Cadillac Tournament recently after playing through a few holes with pain.
It was later revealed that he is suffering from a minor Achilles tendon strain. This is the third year in a row that Woods has had to pull himself out of a tournament mid-way through.
Unfortunately for the former top golfer in the world, this is the same tendon that kept him out of four months last season, a period of time that included two Masters competitions. That injury was also initially listed as a minor one, but Tiger’s doctors insist this won’t cost him more than a few weeks of competition.
Woods was hoping to be back for the Arnold Palmer Invitational the following weekend, but even with the best treatment, he would have to miss more than that. He is treating the minor injury with rest and ice for now, and plans on getting to the driving range as soon as possible. Typical minor Achilles tendon strains take two to four weeks to recover.
If he misses more time than he’s hoping to right now, it could cost him valuable training time leading up to the Masters.
If you have questions regarding the nature of Achilles tendon injuries, or want to work with an experienced Brooklyn foot doctor to establish a healthy rehabilitation program, contact Dr. Michael Perlstein for a consultation. His book How to Keep Your Feet Healthy and Feel Good is available for free online.
Last summer the National Football League was in danger of never beginning the season. After the lockout between the owners and players ended, the preseason was able to get under way. But the weeks that were spent arguing took its toll not only on the unions, but on the health of the players as well.
During the lockout, players were not allowed to use team facilities or meet with coaches or training staff. Some players took the extra time as vacation while their teammates and opponents were hard at work in the gym. Evidence for the “use it or lose it” argument came before week one got under way when ten players suffered Achilles tendon injuries, well above the number sustained through the average full-length season.
Unable to participate in formal workouts, many lost the strength and flexibility they usually have playing in one of the most grueling sports on earth. Rookies were especially at risk, never having worked out in a professional setting and being unprepared for the strenuous preseason. Rookies accounted for half of the preseason Achilles issues.
The Achilles tendon is especially susceptible to tears and ruptures when it becomes stiff from not being worked out regularly. Players could have been less at risk by maintaining a regular workout regimen that focused on range of motion and resistance.
If you have questions about Achilles tendon issues, want to set up a workout program to protect against injuries, or fear you may already be injured, contact Dr. Michael Perlstein, a Brooklyn podiatrist who can help keep you on the move. Order his book Running and Exercise: A Guide to Your Foot Health for free online.
A recent win for the Los Angeles Clippers over the Orlando Magic was marred by the loss of Chauncey Billups to an Achilles tendon injury. The Clippers finished a close game winning 107-105, which would hardly be a consolation if Billups is out for the rest of the season.
Team doctors fear that the tendon may be ruptured and could finish the season for Billups, a seasoned veteran in the league. The Clippers will rely on their stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to continue the team’s charge to the playoffs.
Billups was back-peddling down the court and tried to stop and accelerate forward, but went to floor instead. After trying to get up once, he knew it was a bit more serious and knew he needed to get off the court, but Orlando had the ball and play continued for 10 seconds. Billups was escorted to the locker room on the shoulders of the trainer and a teammate, and made it to the bus alone but on crutches.
This is the last year Billups is in a contract with Los Angeles, and questions have been raised whether or not this could mark the end of his career, not just his season. Depending on the severity of the injury, Billups would like to get back on the court as soon as possible, whether that be this year or next. But his age is a factor along with the injury, and he may not recover to playing ability.
Questions regarding the nature of Achilles tendon injuries can be directed to Dr. Michael Perlstein, a Brooklyn foot doctor with experience in a variety of injuries and ailments. His book, Running and Exercise: A Guide to Your Foot Health, is available to order free online.
Sports fans are no strangers to seeing season- or career-ending injuries on the field, the court, or the ice. Some sports even draw more attention for the possibility of the injuries than for the entertainment of the sport itself.
One might expect to witness an injury such as an Achilles tendon rupture occur when two 300-pound men run into one another, but few would expect to witness a ballerina get taken in out in such fashion.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened at a live performance of the New York City Ballet.
During a duet in “Polyphonia,” lead dancer Jennie Somogyi seems to have torn the Achilles tendon in her right heel and has undergone an MRI with results still pending.
Audience members may have thought it to be a stumble at first, but the surprise and pain was evident in her grimace before she got herself together and was somehow able to make it offstage under her own power. Her partner on stage Gonzalo Garcia attempted to smooth things over with a couple moves before he joined her on the sidelines.
Several doctors and trainers were on hand because the show was early in its presentation. Ice was given, and she was quickly moved for observation after her calf started rolling into itself, leaving several uneasy stomachs.
Somogyi is not new to tendon injuries, after suffering a tear in 2004, which also happened on stage. She spent long months off the stage relearning how to walk. Her presence on the stage will once again be missed.
Questions regarding Achilles tendon injury can be direct to Brooklyn foot doctor Michael Perstein.
The Chicago Bulls were eliminated from the playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers recently after being plagued by inconsistent play and injuries. The Bulls were the highest seeded team going into the playoffs and were upset in six games by a Philadelphia team that refused to be intimidated by rankings.
Joakim Noah has been a strong leader for the Bulls in the few years he’s been in the NBA, but was unable to be much of a factor in the series because of an ankle sprain suffered earlier. A lot of the pressure has been placed on the Bulls’ coach Tom Thibodeau, who kept Noah in game three after he was already injured. Noah then missed game four, which was the Bull’s third loss in a row, putting them at risk of elimination.
Noah’s ankle sprain was probably made worse by playing when he shouldn’t have been, and analysts think he would have been able to make it back to game four and been a force once more. But coach Thibodeau took a gamble in game three when Noah wasn’t ready, and made the ankle worse.
Ankle sprains should be tended to early with ice and rest, and putting further strain on the injury can make the problem worse. Granted, the NBA playoffs are a bigger stage than most athletes are used to, but if Noah had been able to rest his ankle properly, he may have been able to help put the series at 2-2 instead of down 3-1.
If you have questions about ankle sprains and how to care for an injury, contact an experienced Brooklyn foot doctor who can help. Dr. Michael Perlstein’s office can work with injured patients to get them back on their feet as quickly, and as safely, as possible. You can order his book Running and Exercise: A Guide to Your Foot Health online.
The National Basketball Association went through a player and owner lockout during the offseason that cost the league several conditioning sessions, practices, and games. The players couldn’t practice as a team, though some players put in individual workout sessions with teammates. After such a long time without regular workouts, the body can be unprepared for getting back into a workout regimen.
Rookies in the league especially fell victim to the plague of injuries following a quick return to the court. Not used to the rigors of professional basketball, new players all too commonly suffered ankle sprains and other minor but troublesome injuries.
The Miami Heat’s rookie point guard Mike Miller fell victim to a rolled ankle that ended up being sprained, and missed fourteen straight games as a consequence. He was scheduled to make his return in a recent game against the Detroit Pistons, with about a month left in the season. Beginning his comeback, Miller started practicing and participating in shooting drills and play run-throughs.
It’s not unusual for rookies to encounter bumps and bruises, but with a shortened preseason and a jam-packed regular season, with a stretch of eight games in eleven days coming up, players’ bodies are going to run into some extra problems.
Any level of activity needs a warm-up period, whether a person starts training for a half-marathon by taking walks around the block, or professional athletes having a proper preseason. If you have questions about beginning a workout regimen and what you can do to properly prepare your body, contact an experienced Brooklyn foot doctor who can work with you to get on track. Dr. Michael Perlstein can help prevent injuries before they begin, and you can order his book Running and Exercise: A Guide to Your Foot Health for free online.
With the regular season not even under way yet, some of baseball’s best are already looking at spending some time on the bench with injuries. After a few months off the field during the off-season, there have been rolled ankles and sore bones as athletes head back to practice. But not all injuries have been on the field suffered by out-of-shape professionals.
The New York Yankees’ relief pitcher Joba Chamberlain severely sprained his ankle recently while playing with his son at a local play spot, which features a trampoline. The team didn’t release whether or not the trampoline was involved in the injury, but the trampoline has been known to cause severe injuries such as the one Chamberlain suffered.
Chamberlain had recently been on a recovery plan for elbow ligament replacement surgery and wasn’t expected to be back on the field until early summer. But that doesn’t make the right-handed pitcher feel any better about the injury, which resulted in a bone breaking through the skin after he landed awkwardly.
Brian Cashman, the general manager of the Yankees, said Chamberlain was recovering from surgery and would be hospitalized for a few days. An MRI exam and a CT scan will show whether any further damage was done internally.
The team is hopeful for Chamberlain’s return at some point over the summer, but they know he will have to undergo some intense physical therapy for both of his injuries.
Questions regarding the details of physical injuries such as sprained ankles and Achilles’ tendon injuries can be directed to Dr. Michael Perlstein, a Manhattan foot doctor who specializes in podiatry. You can also order his book Running and Exercise: A Guide to Your Foot Health for free on his website.
Professional athletes face enough dangers on the court, the field, or the ice. And with baseball having over 160 games through the year along with practices, there’s bound to be some natural wear and tear on the body, especially with foot injuries. But an injury isn’t always as glorious as diving for a fly ball over the fence. In fact, David Robertson suffered a mild ankle sprain while walking down some stairs.
Robertson is an All-Star reliever for the Yankees and managed to hobble around practice in a protective boot on his right foot. X-rays looked good, says the team, but he is scheduled for an MRI to discover if there has been any extra damage that could get worse over time.
While moving some boxes in his home, Robertson missed a step and came down hard on his right ankle. He reported that the pain wasn’t so bad at first, but worsened over an hour or so, prompting him to get it checked out further.
The injury may be a minor sprain that could clear up completely over a couple weeks, or it could be something worse. And some sprains can take much longer to recover, a well-known fact for the Yankees, whose former pitcher Chien-Ming Wang missed half of a season in 2008 with a sprained Lisfranc ligament. Robertson plans to be back on the field in less time than that, and the team’s doctors will have a diagnosis soon.
If you have any questions regarding sports injuries such as ankle sprains, contact the offices of Dr. Michael Perlstein. Dr. Perlstein is an experienced Brooklyn foot doctor serving the greater New York area, and he can help diagnose foot injuries and develop a recovery plan to get you back on your feet. You can also order his book Running and Exercise: A Guide to Your Foot Health for free online.
The Washington Nationals are getting back to form as the official spring training season is well under way, with only a few injuries. Fortunately for the team, but unfortunately for him, two of the injuries are from one player. First baseman Adam LaRoche missed some of the final practices leading up to the preseason opener against the Houston Astros with a mid-ankle sprain and a sore shoulder.
Although he’s not happy about the ankle injury, LaRoche is relieved to have a few extra days to let his shoulder recover. He missed a good amount of last season after he had his shoulder surgically repaired, and it has been giving him some trouble as the Nationals pick up the pace of practices before kicking off the Grapefruit League in Florida.
LaRoche noticed that his shoulder had been acting up and was worried about sustaining more damage. Even after the ankle sprain, he’s been participating in light hitting and throwing drills, saving any serious running for game day. The coaching staff is in constant contact with the training staff to discuss what will be best for LaRoche in the long run.
During spring training, most athletes are getting used to the bumps and scrapes that go along with a rigorous daily training program. While it might not be as much contact as football or basketball, baseball is not without its damaged players going into the regular season. LaRoche is looking forward to getting back on the field after missing so much time, but doesn’t want to risk more injury by doing too much too soon.
The Brooklyn Foot Doctor can answer questions regarding sports injuries such as ankle sprains in a consultation that can help athletes get back on their feet. Their book Running and Exercise: A Guide to Your Foot Health is available to order free online.
Dr. Perlstein's office is open Monday through Friday as well as on Sunday.
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