ACL Injury Trivia: Famous ACL Injuries in Sports

An ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury can often spell the end of a career for some athletes. Hearing the famous "pop" of the ACL normally means the end of the season and the beginning of a long journey to recovery. However, an end of the season certainly doesn't mean the end of a career for these nine athletes. Here at MMAR Medical, we put together a quick trivia quiz of famous ACL injuries in sports. We brought together soccer knee injuries, football players with ACL injuries and basketball players who were also affected by tearing their ACL in our trivia.

See if you can guess these famous athletes' ACL injuries before you check the answers under the pictures.

NFL

1. Which Minnesota Vikings player broke the all-time record for rushing yards in a season in the NFL a year after he tore his ACL?

2. How many yards did Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles rush in the 2012 NFL season – just a year after he tore his ACL?

3. Which Patriots player, in the same year he tore his ACL, finished the 2010 season with 86 receptions for 848 yards and seven touchdowns in his total 15 games played?

NBA

1. How many months did it take Kendrick Perkins to return to basketball after rehabbing his ACL tear?

2. Which Indiana Pacers player played all 82 games the year after he tore his ACL?

3. Baron Davis was the number ____ pick in the 1999 NBA draft after he tore his ACL in that same year.

Soccer

1. After he was out for 12 months due to a torn ACL, which soccer player holds several records for Juventus, including the club’s top scorer and the club's most appearances?

2. In 2000, this soccer player missed the last two months of the season but still came out with plenty of awards, including top assist maker in the League, FWA footballer of the year and Arsenal's player of the season.

3. The following season after Michael Owen tore his ACL in the 2006 World Cup, he broke Gary Lineker's record for most ________________________ for England.

Answers

NFL

1. Adrian Peterson

2. 1,509 yards

3. Wes Welker

NBA

1. 6 months

2. Al Harrington

3. Third pick

Soccer

1. Alessandro Del Piero

2. Most Goals in Competitive Internationals

3. Third pick

ACL injuries are painful and disruptive, but they don’t always have to mean ending your career. Use these nine athletes as inspiration for your recovery period and you’ll be back on the field or the court in no time. For more information on ACL injuries and more visit our website MMAR Medical.

How Yoga Benefits Athletes & the Everyman

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Product Spotlight: Freedom Spinal LSO Back Brace

When you suffer from back pain, finding effective treatment is more than a relief—it can completely change your lifestyle. The Freedom Spinal Lumbar Sacral Orthotic (LSO) is named for the freedom that comes with back pain relief, and it is also one of the few LSOs that truly allows for an active lifestyle while wearing the device.

The Freedom Spinal LSO is designed to treat back pain related to spondylosis, chronic lumbar instability, post-operative rehabilitation, degenerative disc disease, chronic back pain, spinal stenosis, herniated lumbar discs, and more through relieving the load on your lumbar discs.

How does the Freedom LSO work?

The Freedom LSO relieves the load your body puts on your lumbar discs by lifting and compressing your anterior weight. The LSO features two straps that are tightened to improve posture and decrease pressure on your lumbar discs, relieving pain.

Three removable panels on the Freedom LSO offer varying levels of support. As you move through treatment, these panels can be removed so that you can gradually improve your lumbar strength according to your treatment regimen.

The low-profile design of the device gives you a wide range of motion so that you can continue your active lifestyle. In fact, it's recommended that you use the Freedom LSO only when you're engaging in activities that can aggravate your lumbar discs, or when you are experience pain symptoms. This allows your lumbar discs to strengthen and heal without pain when you are both active and resting.

If you have an active lifestyle and have recently discovered that your back pain is related to lumbar issues, the Freedom LSO back brace is one of the most effective braces of its kind. Talk to your doctor or order today from MMARMedical.com.

MMAR Medical is a retailer of a wide range of medical devices for patients and doctors including back braces, heating pads, lumbar traction devices, and other therapy products.

Am I Overtraining? 9 Symptoms of Overtraining & What To Do About It

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Ice vs. Heat: A Guide to Hot and Cold Therapy for Pain

Many people know that the recovery of pain or injury can be expedited by using hot and cold therapy. If a hammer catches your thumb or you get a bad bruise from a bike collision, you may have put frozen peas or a bag of ice on the injury. If your joints are achy from the flu, someone may have suggested you take a hot shower. What many people don't understand is why they ice vs. heat and in what other applications hot or cold therapy can be useful.

Cold Therapy for Pain

Cold should be applied when you wish to reduce swelling or a strong pain on an acute injury. The reason behind the swelling of any injury is too much blood is flowing to that spot. Cold is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it causes your blood vessels to narrow. The narrowed blood vessels make it so that blood cannot flow, restricting internal bleeding and reducing the swelling. Using cold therapy for pain relief is also effective because it slows the release of chemicals that cause the pain and inflammation. The cold further reduces the ability of the nerve endings to impulse decreasing the pain you are suffering.

When should I ice an injury?

• When your doctor or physical therapist advises you to do so.
• For the immediate treatment of acute sport injuries.
• For overuse injuries or chronic pain. For example, a runner might apply cold to an achy knee AFTER a run.
• Injuries that demonstrate swelling or inflammation.
• In post-operative instances when explicitly advised by your doctor to do so.

When should cold therapy NOT be applied?

• On an open wound.
• Before intense physical activity as it may increase the likelihood of further injury.
• If you suffer from Cold Hypersensitivity, including Cold Urticaria (Hives that are aggravated when cold), Cold Erythema (a rash that arises when cold) and Cold Hemoglobinuria (where red blood cells break down as the result of cold temperatures).
• If you have been diagnosed with Raynauds Phenomenon as exposure to cold may aggravate symptoms.

One way to ice an injury is to use an ice pack or ice wrapped in a thin towel and apply it on the affected area for 10-15 minutes at a time. It is unwise to apply ice directly to the wound or sore, as this can cause frostbite to your skin cells. After applying the cold therapy for 10-15 minutes, let your skin return to a normal temperature and reapply the cold. You should do this multiple times a day for no longer than 3 days. One way to get the best results from cold therapy is to use a cold therapy unit or cold therapy wraps.

Hot Therapy for Pain

Heat is a vasodilatation and causes blood vessels to expand increasing blood flow and circulation to particular areas. This is why it is not advised to apply heat to a swollen or recent injury, as this will likely cause swelling to increase. In the ice vs. vs. heat debate, heat is best when used for a chronic pain. Heat can be used for stiff or sore muscles that have not necessarily been injured, but experience pain regularly. Another opportune time for using heat therapy is for stiff joints caused by arthritis, old age, or cold weather. When administered correctly, heat also relaxes muscle and joint tensions. Many athletes use heat therapy for problem areas before a workout as the heat increases joint tissue elasticity and stimulates blood flow.

When is heat therapy a better option than cold therapy?

• Chronic injuries or pains that do not feature inflammation or swelling. In some instances, an athlete might use heat on a problem muscle area BEFORE exercising.
• To relieve muscle or joint pain that does not feature significant swelling.
• On tight muscles or muscle spasms.

You can administer heat several ways. The easiest is using a moist heat pad. This can be applied directly to the area and should be left on no more than 20 minutes at a time. Be mindful not to burn your skin or leave a heat pad on too long or while sleeping.

Using a Combination of Hot and Cold Therapy for Pain

Treating injuries isn't always a question of ice vs. heat, however. A great way to alleviate pain is to alter hot and cold treatment. This should be done once swelling has stopped, usually 2 days after the injury. Combing hot and cold therapy works together to move blood out of the affected area. This should not be done for the whole body, but rather it should be used on the extremities or isolated areas.

It is important to start and end every session with cold therapy. Each period of hot and cold treatment should last 3-5 minutes. Generally 3 periods of cold and 2 periods of heat are administered in an alternating fashion. The entire treatment should last between 15-25 minutes. You should not apply hot and cold therapy more than once a day, but it can be done for as long as necessary. It is important to use particular care when administering heat as to prevent burning of the skin. Hot and cold therapy systems are a common and simple way to self-administer the therapy.

About MMAR Medical: MMAR Medical Group Inc. is a premier supplier of high quality medical products including a wide selection of cold and hot therapy systems, and injury solutions including braces and wraps.

World Cup Round Up: Four Players to Watch in 2014

This year, 32 national soccer teams will compete for the 2014 World Cup in front of some of the most avid soccer fans in the world throughout Brazil. The amount of individual talent on each team is fantastic and will be the key deciding factor in many games in the upcoming tournament. Look out for these players to be making an impact in big games this year.

Jozy Altidore

As one of the younger members of the US National Team, we're looking for Altidore to add energy into a team of veterans. Altidore had a career high 8 goals (including one hat trick) in international play last year, and if he can bring that momentum into the World Cup, the US could possibly make it through the group of death. The USA opens against Ghana, which on paper, is the least challenging of the group. This should give Jozy the opportunity to find his rhythm.

Lionel Messi

Messi is a goal scoring machine and captain of the Argentina national team. To beat Argentina, you have to stop Messi, and you can be sure to see every team employ their best defensive players and tactics to minimize his impact. Still, Messi is known for his incredible dribbling and ability to penetrate defenses, so the world will be sure to see some spectacular play out of him.

Manuel Neuer

Neuer is one the most (if not the most) talented goalkeepers in soccer today and will pose a challenging last line of defense to anyone that has to face him. Germany is a favorite for many in this year's tournament, provided they don’t have any slip-ups in their challenging group stage, and Neuer is a crucial piece to their squad.

Neymar

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is the standout offensive player on Brazil, and it’s difficult to say he won't be the most watched player in the 2014 World Cup. As a star player on the host country’s national team, he will have enormous pressure on his shoulders but as a member of FC Barcelona, it's nothing he's not used to. It will be difficult to face a player of his caliber on his home turf with the entire country behind him.

MMAR Medical provides injury solutions for a variety of sports including soccer braces for supporting knees and ankles during the game. Visit our store for our complete selection.

4 Knee Strengthening Exercises for Wakeboarding

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How to Encourage Your Kid to Stick with a Sport

For kids growing up these days there’s a countless number of activities and sports available for them to participate in. After school programs and organized sports are beneficial to the youth as it gives them an opportunity to develop a skill or interest in a hobby or sport, helps build self-confidence and instills values such as teamwork and determination. But in today’s uber-competitive environment, athletes as young as 13 years old are receiving college commitments and joining travel teams that force kids to focus on a single sport in hopes of receiving a college scholarship or going pro. 

Let’s face it, the chances of your child becoming the next Lionel Messi or Lebron James is very small. Pressuring your kid into continuing a sport they do not enjoy is not always best but you don’t want your kid to become a lifelong quitter. Below we highlight two major reasons kids often want to quit a sport and suggest reasons for them to stick with it throughout the season.

“I can’t do it. I stink!”

One of the most common reasons a child to wants to stop a sport is they feel they lack the skill required to excel or contribute to the team. It’s never fun to be the last player picked for a game or have difficulty understanding the sport’s concept. Parents, if your kid is having a hard time learning the game or improving, it’s important to practice empathy.

Instead of challenging your kid, let them know not everything is mastered on the first try and, with hard work and determination, they will improve. Rather than focusing on the stats or minutes played, ask what they like about the sport and share a personal story about when you yourself had difficulty with a particular task.

Did your child meet new friends or learn the values of teamwork as a member of the sports team? Focusing on the positives can help kids see the benefits of participation they otherwise may have overlooked.

Pressure to Perform

If you’re a parent who believes your kid will become a professional athlete we caution you about the dangers of placing undue pressure on your child. Participation in youth athletics can do so much good and teach your child lifelong lessons but parents often fail to realize their own egos can get in the way of this.

Avoid being one of those “sideline yellers”, openly questioning the coach or players. Even if you don’t realize it, you are placing pressure on your kid and their team, which can turn a fun afternoon game into a seemingly life-or-death contest. Take a deep breath and remember it’s all just a game!

Most Common Tennis Injuries

Tennis is a demanding sport. Between constant pivoting, explosive sprinting, and quick side stepping, few other sports require the same level of agility as tennis. Now consider the intense focus and coordination needed to return serves at 100+ mile per hour while maintaining that agility.

Unfortunately achieving these physical feats also means tennis players are prone to certain injuries. The most common tennis injuries include injuries to the lower extremities, but of course “tennis elbow” was also given its name for a reason. Read on for the most common tennis injuries to look out for.

1. Tennis Elbow

Many studies have been performed to determine the rates of various injuries among tennis players and upper extremity injuries are always cited as one of the most common injuries. Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is the inflammation of the lateral epicondyle tendon in the elbow and occurs from overuse of the joint. Despite tennis elbow’s name, it is relatively uncommon among tennis players who use proper form in their swing, but it’s something that beginners should be aware of so that they can prevent it, as it can become chronic.

2. Rotator Cuff Tendinitis

Similar to tennis elbow, rotator cuff tendonitis forms through the overuse of the joint resulting in inflammation. Serving is often the culprit when it comes to rotator cuff tendonitis, since an overhead racket swing requires more shoulder power than a standard tennis swing. This is also typically a flaw in technique, which can be resolved through proper coaching.

3. Ankle Sprain

The quick pivoting required for playing tennis doesn’t come without the occasional price. Ankle sprains are a very common injury among tennis players. When the ankle is sprained, ligaments in the ankle are torn or partially torn. There are varying degrees of ankle sprains with most requiring only rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE). More serious injuries may require a walking boot or crutches for a couple weeks if it’s too painful to walk on. A high ankle sprain is more serious and usually requires these extra steps.

4. Knee Tendonitis

Serving a tennis ball is a demanding action, with the fastest serve of all time clocking in at 163.7 MPH by Samuel Groth. A lot of serving power is generated in the legs and this can put considerable stress on the knees when jumping during a serve, particularly on the patella, or knee cap. This is another injury that’s best treated with RICE, and can also be prevented with knee strengthening exercises.

Even though these are the most common injuries found in tennis, tennis players, like any athlete, are subject to any type of injury on the court including fractures, ACL tears, back sprains and more. It’s always important to warm up properly and use proper technique to prevent injuries from occurring.

MMAR Medical carries a wide selection of tennis braces for patella injuries, tennis elbow complications, ankle sprains and more. Visit our store or contact us to learn more about our sports injury solutions.

What To Eat Before & After Swim Meets

Preparations for the season’s biggest swim meet begins many months before you hit the pool on competition day but failing to properly fuel your body in the days leading up to race day can wreak havoc on your performance.  The success of a swim season usually hinges on your performance at one championship meet; perform at your peak and know you did your best time by fueling your body with the right foods before, during and after a swim meet.

Before the Meet

The foods you consume the day before an event is the fuel your body will use on race day. Avoid junk foods and foods high in sugar like desserts, sodas and candy.  The day before a meet, eat meals that have a high carbohydrate and protein content. Foods like pasta, breads, pretzels, potatoes, vegetables, rice, and corn all contain complex carbs that will stick with  you on race day. Eat a complete meal but do not overeat. Eat familiar foods your body is used to digesting. Some spicy foods will make people bloated and gassy; stay away from beans and curries unless you usually eat them. Remember to get a good night’s sleep before race day and stay hydrated.

Race Day Diet Tips

When you wake up on race day your stomach may be full of butterflies as you anticipate the race. Eating a light, well-rounded breakfast is a must on race day -even if you are not hungry. Breakfast items that can be easily digested into energy are a must and include: fruit, toast, cereal with milk, oatmeal, Greek yogurt and protein shakes. Stay away from simple sugars as their energy will not sustain you during your races.

Even the shortest swim meets take several hours to finish so it’s best to pack snacks to eat between your races. Again, stick to foods with complex carbs and protein. Nutrition bars, nuts, fruits, deli meats, cheese sticks and sport drinks will help to replenish your energy stores as you recover from race to race. You never want to swim on an empty stomach or a completely full stomach. Experiment with different healthy snack foods to find the ones that you like eating pre-race that don’t weigh you down.

Recovering After the Meet

When you are finished racing and hopefully have posted a personal best time, you need to consume food to help muscles recover. Soon after the meet has finished, replenish your body with water, protein and high carbohydrate foods. A peanut butter sandwich is perfect.  Even though you can’t see it in the pool, high temperatures, humidity and strenuous activity all cause your body to lose water through sweating, yes, even swimmers! Drink plenty of fluids to rehydrate.

Swimmers are known for strenuous training regimens required to perform at their personal peak. Don’t throw away months of hard work by being oblivious to proper swim meet nutrition. By putting the right fuel in your body you can achieve your season’s goals!