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PCA Presents: The Impact of Injury

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Recovering from an injury is a challenge many athletes face. In this PCA Google+ Hangout, panel members discuss why youth athletes increasingly suffer injuries and the process of recovering from injuries.

Bernard Bach is a sports medicine specialist whose program works with the Chicago White Sox and Bulls. Nikhil Verma is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in knee and shoulder work. These two esteemed doctors from Midwest Orthopedics at Rush have come together to discuss and provide insight to trends, challenges and causes of injuries that athletes are facing.

According to Bach's research and experience, there are two types of injuries that have become much more abundant in today's sporting world: shoulder damage in throwing athletes, and ACL tears in female athletes. Bach describes the changes in the frequency of these types of injuries as near epidemic. With these injuries in mind, Dr. Verma adds that explanations for this include "absolute exposure", "overuse" and the trend of specialization at younger ages.

Marti Reed (@theMartiReed), former softball player for UCLA, voices her own experiences recovering from injuries. Marti broke her arm before her first season playing in college. She talks about the many challenges that came with the process of recovery and the frustration of not being able to play for her team. Marti shares how she was able to deal with the difficult recovery process, including how she overcame a feeling of ""loss of identity"" while not being able to play.

Doctors Verma and Bach end the discussion by commenting on how crucial it is for physicians to address the mental healing and coping with their injured athletes.

Panel Members:
David Jacobson (@CoachDaveJake) (Moderator), Positive Coaching Alliance
Bernard Bach, Sports Medicine Specialist
Nikhil Verma, Orthopedic Surgeon
Marti Reed, Former Softball Player for UCLA