What do you get...

when you have a brash New York doctor working in the great state of Texas? Well, in this particular instance, you get an orthopedic surgeon who is doing some pretty impressive things when it comes to ACL recovery.  

ACL Reconstructed Rehabilitation

Specializing in Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Dr. Mark Sanders began advancing the development of the accelerated ACL Reconstructed Rehabilitation protocol as early as 1987. This unique protocol returns patients to their activities as quickly and safely as possible. He has assembled a trained staff of certified trainers to take postoperative exercise devices and traditional rehabilitation to a whole new level.

An avid cyclist, motocross rider, skier, and tennis player, Dr. Sanders has seen both sides of an injury and understands firsthand how his patients feel. His unique approach has allowed Dr. Sanders to promise elite athletes "the fastest way back" to recovery and active competition.  

For instance, in order to avoid such conditions as hemarthrosis (blood in the knee), which causes immediate pain, swelling, and disability and prevents patients from bending or straightening the knee, or putting weight on the foot, Dr. Sanders and his staff immediately begin patients on a non-surgical reconditioning program. The program includes ROM exercises, a gait reeducation program to quickly eliminate the need for crutches, a cold/compression device, and a strengthening and flexibility program.

This program lasts between four and six weeks and will generally be done by the patient independently. Following the program, most non-athletic patients, or patients willing to give up most sports during the program, can recover from their injury without the need for surgery.

For athletic patients unwilling to modify their activities sufficiently for a non-surgical recovery, this time is used for teaching and psychological preparation. Patients are readied for immediate post surgery mobility, by learning before the surgery takes place the function of any necessary rehabilitation device they will use, and the purpose of the progressively challenging exercises. Patients are educated about the role surrounding muscle groups can play in strengthening the injured limb during recovery. A personal plan is then developed, goals are set, and a timeline for activity resumption established.  

The results are impressive (and we have to admit we're a tad biased). We like his approach because he uses our Shuttle MiniClinic as a vital part of his innovative rehabilitation program. You can see the MiniClinic at work in the following dramatic video - a patient beginning his recovery just one day out of ACL surgery.

Besides exercise, never knew there were so many things you could do on a bike....

2. Dorsiflexion Stretch with the Shuttle MiniPress

For Shuttle MiniPress owners who would like to incorporate dorsiflexion into your training, here are some simple pointers:

• Sit with legs extended straight out in front and feet together.
• Secure one foot to the Foot Plate with the velcro strap.
• Bring toes toward body as much as possible for five seconds (dorsiflexion)
• Repeat movements and five-second holds for 10 reps

Tips: Do not bend knees - spread toes apart in dorsiflexion - maintain upright seated position - move only ankles during stretch

3. How to Get More Referrals

Photo by: Keith Allison

Regardless of how you feel about the New York Giants or the New England Patriots, any physical therapist worth their salt would find the most riveting news surrounding this year's Super Bowl to be the following exchange....

News Reporter: "Tom Brady, you're about to play in the biggest game this world has ever known, what are you going to do now?"

Tom Brady: "Um, I think I'll refer a friend to my physical therapist." 

In all the hype leading up to the Super Bowl, Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, took the time to talk about referring his physical therapist to hockey star, Sydney Crosby. And if that weren't enough, Brady stated that "if it wasn't for my [physical therapist], I don't think I'd be sitting here right now."

Most physical therapists would think at least a few seconds about deep sixing their mom to get such a referral.

Just imagine what it would be like to have somebody of that caliber, that notoriety, that power endorse your therapy services!

Well, we can't all have a celebrity recommend us to their friends on national TV, but we can work to create a practice that is worthy of such referrals. And how Tom Brady came to refer his physical therapist can be very instructive.

Alex Guerrero was the physical therapist from Utah that Brady referred to Crosby. Guerrero was instrumental in helping Brady make a speedy recovery from his ACL/MCL tear back in 2009. In an excerpt from a Boston Globe article, note how that therapy was described:

[Brady] also did plenty of core work. And he continued with an innovative shoulder program that he and Guerrero devised, something that’s off the board enough that Guerrero politely declined to describe it. What he would say was that Brady’s diligence with that work is a big reason the quarterback says he no longer gets the arm soreness he did earlier in his career.

To Guerrero, Brady’s ability to sustain the kind of hit Albert Haynesworth laid on him in the preseason – crumpling the quarterback under 350 pounds – was proof positive that the quarterback’s hard work was paying off. If he’d just worried about rehabbing his knee, the result might’ve been uglier. Because he worked his shoulder and core, it wasn’t.

What Guerrero called “the transformation’’ came in Week 4, when the Ravens visited Foxborough, and Brady completed 66 percent of his passes for 258 yards, a touchdown, and no picks.

“His confidence with his body was back, you could see it,’’ Guerrero said. “He’s totally confident with the program, how the knee feels, how his arm feels, how he’s going to feel after the game.”

Best-selling author and marketing guru, Seth Godin, states that if you want customers to make positive "remarks" about your service to their friends, then you have to be "remarkable". You have to be "worthy" enough for people to talk about you - to be willing to recommend you to a friend. You can't expect to get referrals if you're just offering standard physical therapy services to patients. 

Helping Tom Brady achieve a quick recovery was certainly remarkable. But note how Guerrero did more than just rehab Brady's knee. It was part of a more comprehensive approach. In fact, the therapy was unique enough that Guerrero wouldn't even divulge it - referring to it discretely as "the program". His therapy was unique, it was special, it was distinctive. And, it was proprietary.

Now, do you think Guerrero is practicing some kind of physical therapy that noboby has ever heard of?

No.

If nobody's ever heard of it... then we probably would have heard about it by now. Obviously, Tom Brady's talking about it - and with a little investigative journalism we could probably find out exactly what this therapist is doing.

But that's not the point!

You don't have to copy what Guerrero is doing. Your therapy approach does not have to be truly revolutionary. In other words, you don't have to be the only physical therapist on God's green earth that offers such therapy. It can be something that is unique to you, formulated in a unique way, perhaps with a unique focus or a different way of doing things.

The fact that you have a therapy approach that gets good results and is unique in some way makes it worth talking about. And people like to talk about things that are new and different - things that are remarkable.

Well, give them something to talk about - be remarkable! 

4. "I don't feel a day over 80...."

Great!!!

Now I'll have the kids - and grandma - fighting over the video games.

5. An Exercise Sequence for Progression in Balance Training

Noticed in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research where a study was conducted looking at An Exercise Sequence for Progression in Balance Training. They found that "balance performance decreased in response to an increased level of task difficulty introduced by narrowing the base of support and by limiting the use of sensory information."

Whether working with athletes or geriatrics, owners of the Shuttle Balance have found the same progression useful: bilateral, tandem, and unilateral stances (base of support) and eyes open and eyes closed (sensory information).

Of course, one thing the research did not incorporate was something that makes balance increasingly more challenging (and infinitely more fun for the practitioner):

Perturbation!!!

1. Thirteen year old breaks world weightlifting records and she loves bacon... which can be a healthy part of a Paleo diet.

2. Physical Therapists: I Like to Move It or Cruel to be Kind?

Bill Ervolino writes a wonderfully humorous piece on his experience in physical therapy while rehabbing his shoulder. He starts his article:

You know the old doctor joke: Man goes to a doctor's office, lifts his arm and says, "It hurts when I do this." Doc nods and says, "Then don't do that."

Which brings us to the wonderful world of physical therapy.

ME: "It hurts when I do this."

THERAPIST: "Good! Keep doing it!"

The healthcare field is full of professionals that live to make you feel better. Physical therapists do that, too. But, sometimes they gotta make you feel bad to help you feel good. It's painful to get injured joints and muscles moving again. But a physical therapist - overflowing with vim, vigor, enthusiasm and encouragment - will help you "enjoy the pain" and get you back to better than you used to be.

In short, they're some of the nicest, most pleasant and cheerful masochists you'll ever want to meet!

So, I began to wonder, If there were a theme song for physical therapists, what would it be?

Well, you decide. Vote by adding your comments below.

And thanks, physical therapists - it Hurts So Good!

     vs.     

3. Athletic Trainers Against The World

Was a tad surprised to see where an athletic trainer was instrumental in getting a high school football coach investigated, and more than a tad surprised to see what he said about the offending coach:

"The most deplorable, disrespectful and disgraceful behavior from a head coach in any sport I have ever seen."

Um, tell us how you really feel....

Coaches and athletic trainers don't always see eye to eye. The trainer can be under significant pressure to release an athlete to play before they are fully ready. But, sometimes it's hard to appreciate just how much pressure an athletic trainer faces until you consider all the influences that combine against them.

Athletic Greed is Good

Sports is big business. We see it in the pros and we see it in college. Now, we're seeing it in high school athletics, as well. A high school in north Texas is building a $60 million football stadium. You better believe there's gonna be some serious pressure on that coach (from administrators and the community) to fill that stadium by putting a winning team on the field. That pressure will be passed right long when an athletic trainer has to make a ready-to-play decision on a star athlete.    

Meet the Parents

Most top athletes have aspirations to play at the next level. Quite often those aspirations are backed up by a firm resolve, a do-whatever-it-takes-to-achieve-my-goals mentality. And, quite often those aspiring athletes will have equally aspiring parents. By the time little Johnny has reached high school graduation, those same parents have shelled out a small fortune in year-round sports play, summer camps, training specialists, recruiting videos, etc.

An injury threatens all of that. There's a lot at stake - both financially and aspirationally - and an injury is an obstacle that must be overcome. You can bet the athletic trainer, who provides some much-needed perspective, will be under pressure to help the family get around that obstacle.  

Unnecessary Toughness

Finally, the athletic trainer has years of tradition working against them. The essence of sports is blood, sweat, and tears. So, if an athlete gets their "bell rung", it's simply one more way to prove their mettle. Coaches expect an athlete's full commitment. Teammates may not expect quite as much, but they most definitely want their friend beside them in the game - whether they're hurting or not. In short, you've got an athlete who, despite the pain, wants to be in the game - and the rest of society expects them to be out there, as well.

Sometimes an athletic trainer has to stand in the way of all that.

4. Wes Welker's Mini Romance

Even with the frenzy leading up to this Sunday's Super Bowl, New England Patriot's Wes Welker still found the time to get engaged to model Anna Burns.

(And, yes, that little gray thing you see in the bottom right hand corner of the picture is a crutch. But, don't worry Pats fans, this particular photo was taken two years ago when Welker was rehabbing his knee - and launching a new relationship with the lovely Miss Burns.)

The media reports that when Welker suffered his MCL/ACL tear back in 2009:

 "Anna was by her beau's side for his surgery and rehab, and the two have been living together ever since." 

Which leads us to our little story.... 

We have it - on innuendo and inference - that Welker used one of our machines to rehab his knee. We can't prove it, but we think the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming.  

Well, here, you decide....

THIS WEEK'S WILD, WEIRD, AND WONDERFUL....

1. This is a great PSA! Learn the simple steps to CPR... and you'll never hear "Stayin' Alive" the same way again.

2. Dr. Matthew Matava describes his responsibilities as the Head Team Physician for the St. Louis Rams. (And, if you look real close, you'll spot our Shuttle Balance around the 15 and 32 sec. mark - sweeeet!)

3. Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD writes a great article on Winter Nutrition: How to Fuel for Cold Weather Exercise. If you plan on running or skiing this winter, this is a good read. 

4. The New York Times set part of the world abuzz with their recent article: For Neck Pain, Chiropractic and Exercise Are Better Than Drugs. But before everybody goes ga-ga, Dr. Jeff Cubos takes a objective approach recommending that we atleast "be a little more responsible when drinking the kool-aid". Hooray for calm, cool, and collected - good stuff, Jeff!

Photo by: Fokkets 

5. Move Forward just published a Physical Therapist’s Guide to Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear - a very thorough treatment of all things ACL (and well worth your review). Here, Kent Bond of Impact Physical Therapy shows how he uses his Shuttle Balance to treat the ACL patient.

6. Travel back in time with photographs.... Check out this interesting picture website called Dear Photograph!

7. A recent study showed that hip replacement patients can benefit from physical therapy-assisted training and strengthening of the hip - both before and after replacement surgery. Here, Dr. Kate Mangione of Arcadia University demonstrates how to use the Shuttle MiniPress to strengthen the hips. 

8. Finally, since we need all the motivation we can muster to stick with our New Year's Resolutions for at least a few more days, we thought we better share something to inspire you.

Shuttle Systems wishes you a glorious weekend!

1. What you're about to see is called a murmuration. Nature is awesome... is it not? 

2. Movember is the month when men all over the world grow moustaches to raise money and awareness for men's health. Our very own Marketing Media guy, Kris Aguero, is in hot pursuit of the ultimate stache. You can join his team! 

3. Happy Seven Billionth Birthday to the world... my, how you've changed!

4. If you can't join 'em, beat 'em! That'll give you some respect. Here are nine female athletes who competed against men.

5. This is the "magnum opus" of the ACL injury. It's not the most professionally done, but it does show you some actual ACL injuries starting around the 2:00 mark. It also provides plenty of motivation for those going through ACL rehab. Plus, it shows our very own Shuttle MiniPress at the the 6:02 mark... sweeeet!

6. Dr. Robert Donatelli helped PGA player Fred Funk increase his hitting power. Interestingly enough, he did it using the Shuttle Balance to improve Funk's proprioception and dynamic visual acuity.  

7. The folks at San Jose State University provide a nice, expansive explanation of what the study of kinesiology entails. 

8. A runner's guide to the best protein consumption practices. Eating protein right will definitely put a spring in your step.

9. Coaching anything at the professional level is hard. You don't have the luxury of pointing fingers. Others do... and sometimes those fingers will point to you as the scapegoat. Just ask Dave Page, former Strength and Conditioning coach for the Boston Red Sox. 

1. For the next week or two, we're going to talk about the game of basketball. And to tip things off, we thought we'd share the greatest basketball story ever told....

2. Look at this babe's perfect squat technique:

3. The divided brain explained... and with a lovely British accent. 

4. Only a short distance from the brain is your neck and spine. And if you have a patient that has experienced a neck/cervical injury, you can recreate the circumstances surrounding that injury using the Shuttle Balance. This will help your patient's body to reestablish and develop neuromuscular responses to recover and prevent injury again.

(Kenji Carp, owner of Cooperative Performance & Rehabilitation, is a great therapist. A vestibular therapy specialist, Kenji teaches various continuing education courses all over the country. And, when he's not traveling or helping his patients get back to perfect health, he actually finds time to play around on our machines. We've captured him on video teaching about our Shuttle Balance, Shuttle Recovery, and Shuttle MiniPress. Thank you Kenji!)

5. The Tyranny of the Fathers: How we become sports fans....

Photo by: shawnzrossi

6. Are you an awkward runner? We certainly hope not. But if you suffer from any of the maladies demonstrated in the video below - please - see a physical therapist for a gait analysis IMMEDIATELY!

7. Bob Medina, strength and conditioning coach for the Portland Trailblazers, takes guard Steve Blake through some basic pre-game warm-ups on the Shuttle Balance.

(Our Shuttle MVP has been with the Portland Trailblazers since 1998. Our Shuttle Balance has been there since 2007. Steve Blake was traded in 2010. We appreciate the Trailblazers loyalty.)

8. Since we're in the final days of celebrating National Physical Therapy Month, we couldn't resist sharing this: How to Vacuum Like a Physical Therapist. 

(Of course, if you really want to prevent injury during vacuuming, just have your kids do it....) 

1. Inspiring....

2. VIDEO: Kneeling externally rotated leg press on Shuttle MVP

(Eric Foran is the son of the Miami Heat's Strength & Conditioning coach, Bill Foran. Together they own Foran Strength & Conditioning. I was impressed when I saw Eric's video - mainly because I've never seen anybody do a kneeling externally rotated leg press on our MVP. Good stuff! You can learn a lot from these guys... and you can follow them on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Their ForanSC.com website is coming soon!)

3. VIDEO: One of the biggest mistakes athletes make when they stretch.

(Alan and Alicia Tyson own Architech Sports & Physical Therapy in Charlotte, North Carolina. One of things that impresses me about Architech is their dedication to the female athlete. Their Female Athlete Sports Summit is next week... and they even have a separate Facebook page devoted specifically to the female athlete. They have two of our Shuttle MVP’s and you can follow them on their website, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. )

4. VIDEO: I have it on nameless authority that the New England Patriots' star receiver Wes Welker uses a Shuttle... but you’ll never guess which one.

 

5. PHOTO: Just look at the stress on the metatarsophalangeal joint... oh, the humanity! 

Photo by: The Art and Science of Kinesiology

6. The Untold Story of Gatorade

7. VIDEO: We were featured on the nightly news... and they only got one thing horribly, horribly wrong.

8. VIDEO: Scientific test of speed, agility, musculature, and power of world's greatest soccer player. 

9. Straight Talk on Vertigo

(Kenji Carp is a sharp guy. He knows his stuff and can talk about it in an eloquent manner. That's why you'll find him leading a variety of continuing education courses throughout the year. Kenji owns Cooperative Performance & Rehabilitation in Eugene, Oregon. The guy's so busy, you won't have much luck catching him on social media. But, you can see his stellar work in a variety of videos he has done with the Shuttle Balance, Recovery, and MiniPress.)

There's a lot of things fans don't know about Wes Welker....

Considered one of the greatest receivers in the game today, not many fans know that only one NFL player has had more all-purpose yards in their first three seasons than Welker.

That player's name was Gale Sayers.

Welker was the first pro football player to ever record 110-plus receptions in three consecutive seasons.

What most fans don't realize is that nobody in the NFL has ever caught over 110 passes three times in their entire career.

Nobody!

Back to School

My admiration for Wes Welker all started in college. I was attending Texas Tech University in pursuit of a masters degree, and I kept hearing about this little guy on the football team who was running circles around the competition.

I attended a few home games where I was able to see Welker's heroics firsthand: a variety of acrobatic receptions interspersed with a few "take it to the house" punt returns.

Yeah, the guy was pretty high up in my estimation. And actually getting to meet him on my way to graduation ceremonies didn't hurt much either (my only regret was not getting Welker to sign my program so I could prove to my sons that my story was actually true).

Well, years pass, and despite his size and the critics collective concern about his ability to make it in the NFL - Welker makes it. And, as mentioned, he makes it pretty big.

But in 2009, on a routine catch against the Houston Texans, Welker plants his foot and his knee crumbles. He tears both his MCL and ACL. Welker was done for the season.

About this same time, I was just minding the Shuttle Systems’ business when we get a phone call from the New England Patriots. A man -  who shall remain nameless - orders a Shuttle MiniPress.  

The Little Mini Press

Now, don't get me wrong. Somebody ordering a Shuttle MiniPress isn't a shocker. We sell a lot of these MiniPresses.

But we sell them to nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and home healthcare agencies!

The Shuttle MiniPress is lightweight, mobile, and allows you to "bring the press to the patient." But, generally, that patient is a much OLDER patient.

So, what is a world champion football team doing ordering a Shuttle MiniPress?!?

Well, I had to know. I called back "the man from New England" and asked him how they were going to use the MiniPress and who it was for.

He wouldn't tell me....

All he could say was, it was for a player who was going to have knee surgery, and they wanted to be able to take the MiniPress to his home so he could start his rehab immediately.

WES WELKER!!!

When I asked if, in fact, it was for Welker, the man said that he couldn't tell me. I imagined it was one of those I'd-tell-ya-but-I'd-have-to-kill-ya type deals. Seriously, the secrecy and competition in professional sports - especially football - has grown to ridiculous levels. If a pro football coach has to cover his mouth with the play card so the opposing coaches can't read his lips and know the play he's calling, you gotta know that these guys would have no qualms whatsoever in "wacking" somebody from an exercise equipment company. 

I Just Know It

But I know in my heart of hearts that Welker used our Shuttle MiniPress. Wes Welker - star receiver, perennial pro bowler, NFL world champion, and all around stud - was rehabbing on the Shuttle MiniPress! I can just envision it in my mind: the Patriots bought the MiniPress, took it to Welker's home, put it on his bed, and had him go through some simple range-of-motion exercises to begin the recovery process. 

Now, did I actually see this? No! I'm a fan, not a stalker.

But, I don't have to prove nothin' to nobody. The circumstantial evidence surrounding the Patriots' purchase of the MiniPress is compelling enough. And - though I may be a tad biased - I think the recovery results also speak for themselves.

Welker came back from his double knee injury in only six months! He went on to catch 86 passes, racking up 846 yards, and scoring seven touchdowns. Was the Shuttle MiniPress responsible for all that? Well... don't know if I can say exactly that.... But, I'd like to think that the MiniPress did play at least a small part in his miraculous comeback.

And the MiniPress Miracle continues....

This year, in the Patriots first game of the season against the Miami Dolphins, Welker tied an NFL record with a 99 yard touchdown reception! 

Wes Welker and the Shuttle MiniPress....

Yeah, it's our little secret!

New England Patriot's Wes Welker Proving Everybody Wrong... Again!

I went to Texas Tech University and saw Wes Welker play as a receiving and punt returning stud. But he was a small stud... some thought too small to play professional football. Just like he's done throughout his athletic career, Welker proved a lot of people wrong. Last year, Welker suffered a devastating knee injury. Well, he's back, better than ever (and Shuttle played a "mini" role in his recovery... but I'll tell you more about that in a post next week!). Enjoy his return-from-rehab heroics: 

Good Things Come In Threes

Since we're on the subject, might as well talk about another Texas university. This one's got three Top 25 teams and national player of the year candidates in all three major sports. Baylor University also has three Shuttle MVP's. Here's how Charlie Melton, Director of Men's Basketball at Baylor, uses the MVP for upper body training:

"We Were Told We Weren't Good Enough To Work With The Football Team"

Some long for the good ol' days. Actually, some of the old days weren't necessarily that good. Training and Conditioning magazine provides us with an in-depth look at the female athletic trainer: their struggles, challenges, and how they can make a difference in the male-dominated sport of football.

Women in the Field

A Cross Between Football and a Demolition Derby

Never seen this before and never thought I would see it - and it's a paralympic sport!

VIDEO: Wheelchair Rugby

Seniors Shouldn't Avoid Falls By Avoiding Activity

The consequences of a fall are significant. But, perhaps the biggest injury to a person when they fall is their confidence. Their fear of falling again causes them to shrink from further activity. And that lack of activity may cause them to become weaker and more prone to fall again.  

When Preparation Meets Opportunity

In this case, preparation met necessity, and Boston Celtics' strength & conditioning coach, Bryan Doo, saved a man's life.  

VIDEO: S&C coaches are such studs

Mans Best Friend?

Hey folks, when you go home tonight, be sure to give your dog a hug... and an extra helping of Kibbles 'n' Bits!

Keeping the hounds at bay

Here at Shuttle, we take a certain amount of pride in our equipment that helps athletes get back in the game after an injury. We also get excited when our machines are used to take an athlete's performance to the next level. But, we don't seem to say too much about what our equipment can do for the older set - our senior population.

Well, we'd like to talk about helping the geriatric population - whether that's through fall prevention, stroke recovery, total knee rehab, hip strengthening, or simply developing six pack abs (yes, you can do that on a Shuttle, but we don't necessarily consider it our sweet spot).

In the coming weeks, we invite you to come along and see how you can use your Shuttle to help your senior population. And we'd love it if you'd join in the conversation, as well. Just follow us on Facebook and on Twitter (look for the #StrongSeniors hashtag) or comment below!

Go Seniors!!