Category: Athlete
Did you know bone health affects metabolism, memory, and muscle?
Many of us sang the skeleton song as children. It was a fun way to learn the major parts of the body. But, it didn’t tell us the whole story.
Our skeletal system does much more than support our muscles and connect our joints. It plays a role in metabolism, memory, and muscle health.
If you’re like most people, when you think of bones, you picture dried bones whitened by the sun. But your bone tissue is alive, active, and in a constant state of change. When new bone forms, the osteoblasts, specialized bone cells that reproduce and […]
Preventing hockey injuries from head to toe
Three periods of blades, sticks, and pucks
traveling across the ice at high speed.
It’s exciting. It’s physical. It’s hockey.
Hockey is not just a contact sport; it is a collision sport. Players race forward and backward on the ice, digging sharpened skates in the ice to execute abrupt stops and direction changes. Players take shots, fake shots, and block shots while skating swiftly down the ice toward the goal.
With one eye on the puck and the other on the goal, it is no wonder that players are injured by swinging sticks, flying pucks, or collisions with other […]
Girls are breaking the golfing myth
Today’s girls are smashing the myth that golf stands for Gentleman’s Only Ladies Forbidden.
According to the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the United States Golf Association (USGA), girls under 18 are the fastest-growing segment of the golfing population.
Girls Golf, a non-profit foundation, was created to educate, engage, empower, and enrich girls who are between the ages of 6 and 17 while providing exercise and teaching them how to play golf in an all-girl environment. In 2010, 4,500 girls were enrolled in Girls Golf instructional programs. In 2016, the number swung to 60,000 participants […]
Meet Shauna L. Christopherson, APNP, FNP
Shauna Christopherson is an advanced practice nurse prescriber who is board certified as a family practice nurse practitioner. Shauna provides general orthopedic care to people of all ages. She has a special interest in sports-related injuries, fracture management and the treatment of acute back pain.
Christopherson provides Walk-In Care Services in Wausau
Shauna, along with other providers, staff Bone & Joint’s Walk-In Care Center. She cares for people who have non-emergency injuries or illnesses such as:
● Broken Bones
● Cuts and Scrapes
● Dislocations of Fingers and Toes
● Foot and Ankle Injuries
● Muscle Strains
● Muscle Sprains
● Painful Joints
● […]
Meet C. Kevin Martin, PA-C
Kevin Martin, PA-C, is a board-certified physician assistant who provides general orthopedic care to patients of all ages. He has a special interest in sports medicine and treating sports-related injuries.
Martin earned an Associate of Science degree in respiratory therapy at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in human biology and his Master of Medical Science degree at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Meet Benjamin Hackett, MD
Benjamin J. Hackett, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship trained orthopedic spine surgeon at Bone & Joint.
He treats adults of all ages who suffer from arthritis, disc disease, bone spurs, and spinal-nerve-related problems. Dr. Hackett has a special interest in pain management and minimally invasive surgery.
Dr. Hackett has been treating patients at Bone & Joint since 2007. He believes it is important for patients to understand their conditions and options for treatment. Dr. Hackett works with his patients to exhaust the non-surgical treatment options before suggesting a surgical remedy.
Dr. Hackett earned his medical degree at the […]
To body check or not to body check? That’s the question circling many youth hockey teams.
Parents watch anxiously from the cold bleachers of the hockey rink as two players fight for the puck.
Grainger gains control for a few seconds. Then, Simmons body checks him. Grainger goes down hard. A crescendo of opposing cheers rattles the iron rafters.
Grainger’s mom watches in dismay as the medics help her son off the ice. It was a hard hit. She worries about her son’s injuries as she steps down the bleachers on her way to the locker room.
Hockey, by design, is a physical sport. With the recent concerns about concussions and other serious injuries, […]
Keep your hamstrings strong for pain-free movement
Your hamstrings are not the strongest muscles in your legs, but they play a major role in your ability to move. As a result, hamstring injuries have sidelined more than one professional athlete for an entire season.
So, what are hamstrings?
Your hamstrings are actually a group of three muscles located on the back of your leg. This trio, which includes the semitendinosus, semimembranosus and the biceps femoris muscles, run from the top of your thigh to your knee joint. They play a part in posture, pelvic positioning, knee support and leg movement.
How do hamstring injuries occur?
When […]
Orthopedic Health For the Older Athlete
Each of us, as we age, begin to notice certain changes in our abilities to compete in athletic activities – or the speed at which our bodies recover from demanding physical activity. The body naturally becomes weaker as we age; reaction time becomes slower and bone and muscle mass begin to diminish.
It is important to stay active at every stage of life, but doing so may mean certain adaptations are in order to prevent tissue damage and pain.
Adjusting your workout to prevent orthopedic injury include:
- Stay hydrated while you work out.
- Reduce the intensity, but not the intent, of your workout. Set a […]
Is your child at risk for a stress fracture?
Yes, if your child plays hard and is very active.
What are stress fractures?
Stress fractures are hairline cracks in the bone caused by forceful, repetitive movements. More than 50 percent of these micro-traumas occur in the feet, legs or hips.
Physical stress is important for your child’s muscle and skeletal growth. But when, young people practice long hours, train on hard surfaces, or rush their training program, they can overwork their muscles and connective tissues to the point of fatigue. Tired and stretched soft tissues cannot protect the bones from the repetitive impact, leading to stress fractures.
Sports medicine […]
