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Trainer's Take archive
Updated: Wednesday January 17, 2001 3:41 PM
A turn for the worse
They are one of the most common, most painful and sometimes most debilitating injuries in the NBA. A look at ankle sprains.
Wounded knee
Visualize a door hinge without a pin. That, essentially, is the knee. It's no wonder knee injuries are among the most prevalent injuries in the NBA.
Hurry back
Helping to get players back on the court as quickly as possible is a big part of an NBA athletic trainer's job.
Agony of the feet
Together, the feet comprise 25 percent of all of the bones in the body. Yet their role in normal postural support and biomechanics is easily taken for granted.
My aching back
Back injuries and back pain have plagued many NBA players through the years.
Back pain is a unique and often difficult-to-diagnose injury.
Give them a hand
The ability to catch, pass and shoot the ball is enhanced by a player who has "good hands." But hands and fingers are vulnerable to a variety of injuries.
An ounce of prevention
Taping, or using a brace, is an important part of preventing ankle injuries for NBA players.
Do drink the water
Dehydration can affect a person's physical strength as well as reasoning and concentration. There are many ways to prevent dehydration. The most obvious? Maintain proper fluid intake -- and do it before you start exercising.
Camping out
There is a fine line between being in condition and being overworked or over-trained. When practicing twice a day at least four times a week -- sometimes five -- the human body can break down.
In a pickle
When it comes to replacing fluids, water long has been the choice of many athletes, both professional and amateur. But now, something else has hit the athletic scene, an elixir that supposedly works wonders for dehydrated athletes. Pickle juice.
Sucking it in
There could be lots of reasons some players sometimes seem so poorly conditioned. In the NFL, a pilot study reveals that as many as 48 percent of the players could be at risk for asthma.
An Olympic-sized job
In order to make sure physical problems are minimized during the Olympics, the United States Olympic Committee has assembled a medical staff available to each of the more than 600 Olympians representing the United States.
All strung out
Check out the NFL's injury reports, almost any week of the season. One injury invariably pops up: The hamstring. It is an injury that can strike any athlete at almost any time.
Safety over comfort
With all the talk about concussions in the NFL, a lot of focus is turning to the importance of a good helmet. Safety is, of course, the No. 1 priority. But a comfortable fit is not far behind.
Imaging injuries
Physicians and athletic trainers have a variety of tests to choose from when trying to determine the extent of an athlete's injury. X-rays, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computerized tomography) scans are important tests that aid in assessing injuries.
Out by a foot
For years, defenses across the NFL have had trouble slowing down Duce Staley. It took a rare foot sprain earlier this season to finally sideline the Philadelphia Eagles' star running back.
Back pain
Low back pain is one of the most common injuries in athletics. But finding the cause of it is sometimes very difficult due to the complex anatomy of the lower back.
The psychology of injury
The physical problems a player faces often get all the focus. But the factor that rarely enters the minds of those watching the game is the psychological effects of that injury on the athlete.
Get moving!
It's late November and all we have to show for this year is a bigger mid-section, less muscle tone and some lost strength. Well, we can prevent this from happening next year. We can learn from our mistakes.
Measuring performance
Evaluating how well an athlete's body performs has become one of the most important ways of getting an athlete to improve on-field performance.
Shouldering the load
Impingement is a catch-all word for a shoulder injury, much like "shin splints" is for the lower leg. To understand impingement, you need to understand the anatomy of the shoulder.
Head games
Concussions are a serious matter anytime, anywhere, and they've been serious enough in the NFL to end the careers of some of the game's best players.
Spearing
A "spear," according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is a weapon consisting of a long shaft with a sharply pointed head. In football terms, that's the human body with a helmet.
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