04-02 - Tennis - Rafael Nadal makes his return to Wimbledon

Known as the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is generally considered the most prestigious. It has always been held at the All England Club since 1877. The tournament takes place over two weeks in late June and early July. There are various main events, but the two most intriguing are the "Gentlemen's Singles" and the "Ladies' Singles". Barring any injuries, all of the top-seeded tennis athletes in the world participate in this 1 of 4 Grand Slam event. (128 players participate in each individual event) I'll list some creative / longstanding traditions associated with Wimbledon:

Colours and Uniforms:

- Dark green and purple are the traditional Wimbledon colours

- All tennis players participating in the tournament are required to wear all white, or almost all white

Royal Family:

- Players are only required to bow or curtsy on if Her Majesty "the Queen" or "the Prince of Wales" is present. (the Queen was in attendance at this years Wimbledon match on June 24, 2010

Trophies and Prize Money:

- The Gentlemen's Singles Champion receives a silver gilt cup that is 18.5 inches in height and 7.5 inches in diameter. This trophy has been awarded since 1887 and bears the inscription: "All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Championship of the World."

- The Ladies' Singles Champion receives a sterling silver salver commonly known as the "Venus Rosewater Dish". The salver, which is 18.75 inches in diameter, is decorated with figures from mythology.





This year marks the return of Rafael Nadal (Spain), currently ranked #1 in the world, who has sat out last years tournament due to a knee injury. Rafael Nadal has been playing tennis since the age of three. He broke onto the professional scene at the age of sixteen, breaking numerous records along the way. His playing style is generally aggressive based on heavy topspin groundstrokes, consistency, footwork and unbelievable court coverage. He is considered to be one of the best baseliner tennis professional in the game today. With two Grand Slam titles and numerous ATP Master Series / ATP Tour titles under his belt, he definitely has potential to surpass Roger Federer and many others as one of the best of All-Time.
The only negative aspect of his career has been the nagging knee injuries that has recently escalated to the surface. During the 2009 Wimbledon trials, Rafael Nadal was forced to withdraw due to tendinitis of his right knee. This specific injury stemmed from a previous knee injury. Earlier in the year, he damaged the tendons around the knee area and since then he has been diagnosed with tendinitis in both quadriceps tendons as well as a small amount of fluid on the kneecaps. Despite all of these diagnoses, he has publicly stated that these injuries, however painful, are not career threatening.

What is knee-tendinitis?: ( Weblink )
- it is an inflammation of the tendons in the knee. The most common type of knee tendinitis is patellar tendinitis, which involves the tendon below the kneecap.

Symptoms of knee-tendinitis:
- knee pain that worsens with movement, climbing and jumping
- swelling, warmth and tenderness over the tendon

Treatment of knee-tendinitis:
- rest, cold compresses, elevation, an elastic wrap and physical therapy
- also used are anti-inflammatory medication

Recovery time:
- Tendinitis recovery will vary on alot of factors: age of patient, seriousness of the injury/tendon, availability of medical services /treatment

Prevention:

1. Warm UP properly - practice small movements to warm up the body or the area that will be exerting the most force


2. Avoid activities that can cause pain


3. Always provide the body with enough rest and recovery (I like to use protein shakes as a good source of recovery / pre-workout sources)


4. Balancing exercises - I see too many weight lifters focusing on building their biceps, so they do hammer / barbell curls all day long, this can cause severe stress to the elbow joints


5. Footwear - "Its gotta be the shoes.."


6. Strapping - taping or utilizing knee support braces will add another layer of support for weak or injured knees

04-01 - NFL - Promising young Running Back sheds light on huge flaw with professional sports...

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) -- a form of degenerative brain damage caused by multiple hits to the head, has been recently linked to the death of a young NFL wide-receiver. With only 5 professional years under his belt, Cincinatti wide-receiver Chris Henry, died of a traffic accident. Upon further review of his autopsy, it was found that he had the illness known as CTE. Researchers / Doctors have now found more than 50 cases of CTE in the deceased bodies of professional athletes in various sports. (NFL, College, Wrestling, etc..)


CNN coverage on CTE and its effect on NFL players:







What is CTE?: (WebLink)

- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a disease of the brain believed to be caused by repeated head trauma resulting in large accumulations of tau proteins, killing cells in regions responsible for mood, emotions, and executive functioning

Common symptoms:

• Memory impairment
• Dementia
• Emotional instability
• Erratic behavior
• Depression
• Problems with impulse control

Causes of CTE:
The condition is caused by repeated concussive and sub-concussive blows (blows that are below the threshold of force necessary to cause concussion)targeted at the brain region.

03-03 - World Cup - Team USA vs. Ghana!

With a huge momentum going into the "knockout stage", Team USA has a great advantage on advancing past Team Ghana. Unfortunately for Team Ghana, they have a key-piece that is out with an injury. Their star mid-fielder and team captain Michael Essien, who is ranked as one of the best in the world, is out with a knee-injury. (knees are pretty much the bread & butter for soccer athletes)

The injury sustained by Michael Essien seems to be related to a tear in his meniscus. (I blogged on everything about meniscus tears' here: Blog: 01-01 ) All of this happened during a World Cup qualifying match against Libya. (He has previously suffered another knee injury (torn ACL) during the World Cup qualifiers in 2008)

It is not a surprise to see Team Ghana back in the mix of things, as they had successfully advanced out of the "Group Round" by defeating the US team by a score of 2-1 in 2006. So with history on Team Ghana's side, the US team has to dig so much more for this win. (There are six players that will be playing this weekend, that have played against the US back in 2006.)

Here are the key lineups for this spectacular matchup:

Team USA:

Goalkeeper: Tim Howard

Defenders: Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Carlos Bocanegra, Johnathan Bornstein

Midfielders: Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey

Forwards: Robbie Findley, Jozy Altidore

Team Ghana:

Goalkeeper: Richard Kingson

Defenders: Hans Sarpei, John Pantsil, John Mensah, Samuel Inkoom, Johnathan Mensah

Midfielders: Anthony Annan, Andre Ayew, Kwadwo Asamoah

Forwards: Asamoah Gyan, Kevin Prince Boateng

03-02 - NFL - Redskin Nation.. prepare for the return of Chris Cooley!

Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley broke his right ankle in a Monday-night showdown with division rival "Philadelphia Eagles". He missed the rest of the games during the 2009 season. (up to this point, he hasn't missed a game in 6 years)


Coming off of two-straight years where he has been selected to the Pro-Bowl, Chris Cooley was on pace for another stellar year. This injury comes as a serious blow to the Redskins at a very crucial point of the season. (They were 2-5 at the time, right before their bye week.) Not only does this injury hurt the offensive schema for the skins.. it also hurts Fantasy Football owners across the nation. (Chris Cooley was a top 3 rated TE at this time)


Knowing the important role that Chris Cooley plays for the team, the Redskins promptly initated an examination and a treatment process. #47 Chris Cooley went under the knife on October 28, 2009, only 2 days after he initially injured his ankle. The following x-ray shows the three screws that were used to stabilize the broken ankle. (courtesy of T.Cooley)





Ankle Injuries: (AAFP article on ankle injuries)

Prevention:

	The most preferred method is to tape the ankle before the sporting event
	It has been studied that high-top sneakers don't do a great deal of preventing ankle injuries, but the mental re-assurance that it provides is enough for athletes to buy in
	Semi-rigid orthoses may be most effective in preventing re-injury in athletes with a previous ankle injury

Table that displays more in depth information on medical procedure and recovery time:

Year:	Procedure:	Recovery Time:
Present Day Procedure	Details related to Chris Cooleys' injury: 5 punctures through the ankle to allow 3 hollow tubes through the fractured tibia were successfully done	He was suspected to be back in playing condition after only 4 weeks. Coach Zorn decided to put him on IR, forcing him to use the rest of the season to recover.

03-01 - NBA - Larry Bird - the legacy should've continued.

This entry will focus on Hall-of-Famer, Larry Bird, who could've achieved so much more with his career, but was abruptly cut short due to nagging and painful injuries.

Larry Joe Bird is credited with being one of the best shooters in the history of the NBA. He was named ROOKIE of the YEAR, beating out another all-time great, Earvin Magic Johnson. That same year he also achieved another feat by making it on the NBA Eastern Conference All-Star team. This proved to be the 1st of many All-Star achievements, as he would make the team for his entire 12-year NBA professional career. During his career, Larry Bird notched 3 NBA championship titles all with the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, due to a herniated disc, he would be seen taking more time on the bench and eventually being forced into retirement.

Herniated Disc: (WebMD Article)

What is a herniated disc?

The bones (vertebrae) that form the spine in your back are cushioned by small, spongy discs. When these discs are healthy, they act as shock absorbers for the spine and keep the spine flexible. But when a disc is damaged, it may bulge or break open. This is called a herniated disc. It may also be called a slipped or ruptured disc.

Causes & Symptoms

Most types of herniated discs are caused by:

• Wear and tear on your spinal region. (As you age, the discs in your spinal cord tend to dry out and are not as flexible any longer)


• Certain injuries to the spine may cause ruptures of the disc, causing the gel like material to leak and not provide a cushioned support.

Table that displays more in depth information on medical procedure and recovery time:

Year:	Procedure:	Recovery Time:
Present Day Procedure	MICRODISCECTOMIES = the removal of just the injured part of the spinal disc, are becoming less invasive and better at alleviating the pain of pinched nerves. Doctors are also testing ceramic and metal-allow prostetic discs to replace and even enhance the cushioning that is lost through age and overuse.	Recovery time has been greatly reduced. From a few months to a year for more serious injuries.
Vintage Medical Procedure	Full or partial removal of the disc or vertebral bone	Six months to Career-Ending

02-03 - NFL - Torn ACLs are the DEVIL!

If things couldn't get any better for the Washington Redskins, one of their key division rivals, the New York Giants, received gut-wrenching news today. Their stud "kick-returner" and "wide-receiver" Domenik Hixon, will be out with a season-ending knee injury. (torn ACL) All of this happened during their 1st week of team practices. NY Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, didn't really expect the young star to have this serious of an injury. He was even able to walk off of the field under his own strength. MRI tests later show that it was indeed a serious injury. The normal recovery time for this type of surgery is a minimum of one year.


Lets get to the nitty gritty! I'll list the medical procedure, details of the injury and previous recovery methods that were utilized in years' past.


What is an ACL? = The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is one of the most important of four strong ligaments that connect the bones of the knee joint. It functions to provide stability and to also minimize stress across the knee joints. For further details, please visit e-healthMD.com



Most ACL tears occur due to a sporting-related mishap. And about 80% of all sporting-related ACL tears happen from "non-contact" events. (i.e. jumping / landing, sudden twist or pivoting)

Some signs of an ACL tear: affected knee is unable to freely support / stabilize your body, victim distinctly feeling a "pop" inside of their knee at time of mishap and/or pain or swelling around the kneecap area.

Table that displays more in depth information on medical procedure and recovery time:

Year:	Procedure:	Recovery Time:
Present Day	The usual surgery for an ACL tear is called an ACL reconstruction. A repair of the ligament is rarely a possibility, and thus the ligament is reconstructed using another tendon or ligament to substitute for the torn ligament.	Repair, Rebuild and Renew - all of this equates to a minimum of 1 year of solid physical therapy
1995	Bernard King was the first NBA player to tear his ACL and return to near the same performance level after his 1995 surgery.	minimum of 1 year of rehab
Pre-1995	Torn-ACL's were considered career ending	Career-Ending

02-02 - World Cup 2010 - Drogba - the SOUL of the Ivory Coast team suffers an elbow injury during World Cup scrimmage

Didier Drogba was five years old when he left his home town of Côte d'Ivoire to live and train with his uncle, in a small French town called Brest. After polishing his game in various youth leagues, Didier Drogba signed a professional contract at the age of 18. (Ligue 2 club Le Mans) With a few ups and downs, he had a few stints with various teams. During 2004, Didier Drogba was signed to an unprecedented £24 million (roughly 29.4 million US dollars) contract with Chelsea Football Club, which made him the most prevalent Côte d'Ivoire soccer player in history. This union of Drogba and Chelsea F.C. seemed to benefit both parties. In 2005, he helped lead Chelsea F.C. to their first ever Premier League title and followed up the next year with another league title. With numerous championships and titles, no other accolade is as important for Drogba as being the Captain of his national team during the 2006 World Cup. (Côte d'Ivoire) He has also been credited with initiating peace in his country. After a remarkable qualifying round in the 2006 World Cup, Drogba pleaded with his fellow countrymen to lay down their arms. Subsequently his pleas were answered and a cease-fire was established after a long and arduous 5 years of Civil War. His involvement in the peace process lead to Drogba being named as one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine.

Didier Drogba rejoins his Ivory Coast teammates for yet another run in the 2010 World Cup. Unfortunately, Drogba suffered a broken arm during a World Cup warm-up match. This damaging injury dashed all hopes of him even playing in this years' World Cup competition. The initial media reports backed this presumption, but there has been other reports that state he could be back within 10 days. I will take a closer look at this injury and the surgical procedure that was done.

Friday June 4, 2010 - Didier Drogba collides with Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Japanese Defender) and suffers a broken arm

- Further medical tests show that he has a fractured ulna in his right forearm

Saturday June 5, 2010 - Drogba was admitted to the Lindenhof hospital in Berne

The following is a PRESS RELEASE, provided by the Ivory Coast National team:

Press Release

Following the fracture of the ulna which Didier Drogba suffered in the international friendly between Japan and the Ivory Coast, on June 4 in Sion, the national team captain was today, Saturday June 5, admitted to the Lindenhof hospital in Berne.

He was taken care of by Professors Ralph Hertel and Michel Gaillot, eminent specialists in their area.

The surgical operation which was necessitated by his condition was performed with success.

Professors Hertel and Gaillot, as well as the Elephants' medical staff, are confident regarding the speedy recovery of the player.

The FIF thank the sporting world and all those in the Ivory Coast, in Africa and throughout the world who have shown their support to Didier Drogba and the Ivory Coast.

There has been no definite time on when the international superstar will be eligible to return, but the medical staff has stated that they will be checking his condition on a day-to-day basis. They are hopeful that Drogba should be available in the Ivory Coasts' opening match on June 13, 2010 versus Portugal.