Friday, January 30, 2015

Earl Thomas: Super Shoulder?



 Seattle Seahawk's Earl Thomas injured while tackling Greenbay Packer's Randall Cobb during the NFC East Championship. (Ted S. Warren AP Photo)

  It's been exactly one week since       Seahawk's free safety Earl Thomas returned to full practice from dislocating his shoulder in the championship game against the Packers.Now a little more than 48 hours until Super Bowl XLIX fans wonder; is it possible for Thomas to play 100% with such short recovery period? To give you a better understanding of the injury when you watch the big game this weekend Orthopedic Associates' Dr. Manuj Singhal shares his expert opinion and explains the mechanics of the shoulder. 

       Dr. Manuj C. Singhal M.D.

The shoulder is built on a foundation of bones that are connected by ligaments and allows you to move your arm in almost any direction. However, if any of these parts are damaged shoulder movement can become painful or difficult. One way a dislocation will occur is when the head of the humerus is forced out of its socket, which is exactly what Earl Thomas did while tackling Randall Cobb of the Packers. Thomas exited the field to the locker room, put his shoulder back in place (reduced) and surprisingly returned to the game during   the second half with a brace. Despite his second half return it remained questionable in the following weeks whether he would still be recovered for the big game or not. How could he return and finish the whole game after sustaining this type of injury? Dr. Singhal explains a shoulder dislocation strains or tears tissues around the joint, so Thomas is most likely not recovered from the 

from the injury but has reducedthe pain level enough so he can play. The brace he wore out of the locker room will restrict the movement of his shoulder on the field and help prevent redislocation. Dr. Singhal says this weekend we should notice that Thomas is not 100% but it is not a surprise with his age and assumed good health that he is able to play the big game this weekend. However, Dr. Singhal added, more than likely as soon as the season is officially over Thomas will have to undergo reconstructive surgery. 

How common does this injury occur? Quite often in contact sports as you can imagine. Dr. Singhal serves as team physician for The Colony High School, Lake Dallas High School and Lewisville High School and treats this injury frequently he says. In contact sports it is one of the more common injuries and typically the younger patients see the highest chance of dislocating again. 


So this weekend when you are watching the big game, keep an eye out on Earl Thomas and let us know how you think the injury affected his game! 

Friday, November 14, 2014

Varsity Jacket for 15 years of service For Dr. James Heerwagen!

 
The Football Booster Club at Flower Mound High School presented Dr. James Heerwagen with this beautifully embroidered Varsity jacket for his 15 years of service as the team physician.
Dr. Heerwagen takes great pride in wearing it!
 



 

Wednesday, June 18, 2014



Our physicians at Orthopedic Associates would like to thank you for your ongoing support. We are amazed and humbled by all the help and encouragement we've been receiving from our community!

We are excited to be back to our office at 5000 Long Prairie Rd in Flower Mound!
At Orthopedic Associates we are committed to the satisfaction of our patients. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at 972-420-1776.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Body Mass Index - Finding your healthy weight.


 
Body Mass Index

 




 

Finding a Healthy Weight:
  To find a healthy weight you need to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) which is today’s most common method to determine an individual’s weight class.

Are you currently within your Healthy weight standards?   According to recent studies 2 in every 3 American adults are over-weight or obese- this puts people at a greater  risk for a number of health threatening conditions which include:

Ø  Diabetes

Ø  Heart Disease

Ø  High Cholesterol

Ø  Stroke

Ø  High Blood Pressure

Ø  Gallbladder Disease

Ø  Arthritis

Ø  Many forms of Cancer

Ø  Chronic conditions: Chronic back and joint pain: hip, and knee

      Maintaining a healthy weight decreases risks of theses common health disorders.

Healthy weight:  How to get there from here?
·         Talk to your Primary Care Physician about ways to lose the extra weight. It may not be easy but it is possible to lose weight!
·         There are so many weight lose programs that can fit all life styles- Find what works best for you!!
·         While having an ultimate goal of a normal BMI is great; setting smaller goals of losing 5%, 10% of body weight (10-20 pounds) can make a huge difference in goals- Plus it’s a great motivation!!

Sources:
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (n.d.) Aim for a Healthy Weight. Retrieved from

Centers for Disease Control Prevention. (2013, December 6). Body Mass Index. Retrieved from

Vertex 42 The Guide to Excel in Everything (n.d.) BMI Chart (Body Mass Index).
Retrieved February 2nd , 2014, from
http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/bmi-chart.html