Leaders in Sports Medicine - Decatur

www.DecaturOrthopaedic.com
DECATUR ORTHOPAEDIC CLINIC
Leaders in Sports Medicine
Decatur Orthopaedic Clinic
Surgeons Receive Sports
Medicine Certification
In January 2008, the American Board of
Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) awarded
R. Stacy Tapscott, M.D.; J. Randall
Riehl, M.D.; and R. Scott Sharp, M.D.
(pictured left to right) the Subspecialty
Certificate in Orthopaedic Sports
Medicine. The DOC physicians are
three of four North Alabama orthopaedic
surgeons to receive this certification.
According to the ABOS, only ten
additional orthopaedists across the
State of Alabama received the
subspecialty certification. To search
and view each physician’s certifications,
visit www.abos.org then click on “Find
a Board Certified Orthopaedic
Surgeon” and look for “Orthopaedic
Sports Medicine.”
The American Board of Orthopaedic
Surgery (ABOS) administered the first
sports medicine subspecialty exam in
November 2007. The Subspecialty
Certificate in Orthopaedic Sports
Medicine is intended for orthopaedic
surgeons who have demonstrated
qualifications beyond those expected
of other orthopaedic surgeons by virtue
of additional education, a practice
characterized by a majority of cases
in orthopaedic sports medicine and
contributions to this field of medicine.
All three DOC physicians qualified to
sit for the first exam offered. They were
required to submit their patient case lists
of sports medicine operative and nonoperative procedures. Sports Medicine
procedures are those that treat
injuries or conditions that are related
to or interfere with exercise, sports
participation or an active physical
lifestyle. Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
physicians are proficient in conditioning,
training and fitness as it relates
to athletic performance. They are
skilled in “on the field” evaluation and
management of sports injuries, offering
treatment options for injury repair
both surgical and non-surgical. These
specialists understand the techniques
of rehabilitation that enable athletes
to return to play as quickly and safely
as possible. They are knowledgeable
in the use of athletic equipment and
orthopaedic devices to prevent or
manage injuries.
DOC’s Sports Medicine team of Drs.
Riehl, Sharp, Tapscott – together with
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
physician Russell L. Ellis, M.D.– serve
as team physicians for area high
school athletic programs and Calhoun
Community College. They provide
free physical evaluations required
by the Alabama High School Athletic
Association for sports participation and
present in-service training for coaches
and physical education instructors.
Preventing Injuries…
Often injuries occur in the spring when
people begin new exercise programs
and push their bodies too far. Whether
you are moving from a sedentary lifestyle
to beginning a fitness program or you
are a skilled athlete striving for a more
competitive level, moderation is the key.
Safe fitness programs should start slowly
and gradually build speed, force and
intensity to avoid overuse and traumatic
injuries.
Here are some safe exercise guidelines
to keep you in motion…..
• Use Proper Equipment. Utilize
sport specific equipment; head and
body protection is readily available
in most athletic retail stores. Replace
athletic shoes as they wear out.
• Warm Up. Warm up to prepare to
exercise, even before stretching.
Warming up increases your heart rate
and blood flow and loosens up other
muscles, tendons, and joints.
• Stretch. Begin stretches slowly until
reaching a point of muscle tension. Inhale
slowly as you stretch and exhale as you
release. Never stretch to the point of pain
and never bounce a muscle that is fully
stretched.
• Drink Water. Drink water to prevent
dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat
stroke. Have a drink of water every 20
minutes or so while you exercise.
• Cool Down. Make cooling down the final
phase of your exercise routine. Slow your
motions and lessen the intensity of your
movements for at least 10 minutes before
you stop completely.
• Rest. Schedule days off from exercise
and rest when tired. Fatigue, soreness
and pain are good reasons to take a
break from your workout.
1103 Sixteenth Avenue, S.E. | Decatur, Alabama 35601 | 256.350.0362
In the News...
Dabney Y. Hofammann, M.D, is serving
on the national level as President-Elect for
the Clinical Orthopaedic Society (COS).
Established in 1912, the COS is the oldest
led society that assembles for orthopaedic
surgeons to share case studies and to
present new innovative techniques or
procedures in clinical orthopaedics.
Dr. Hofammann is fellowship trained in
adult joint reconstruction.
MRI/PT Corner
DOC offers an on-site state-of-theart Open MRI facility with same-day
scheduling to speed the diagnostic
process and to start a treatment plan
without delay.
Also on campus is a fully equipped
physical therapy facility. DOC physicians
work closely with managing therapist
Patrick Swinea, PT, and Brian Robertson,
MSPT, OCS, to remain directly involved in
their patients’ recovery.
DOC is proud to announce that Brian
received certification as a clinical specialist
in orthopaedic physical therapy from the
American Physical Therapy Association.
Certification is awarded to candidates
who complete a rigorous written exam,
demonstrate specialized knowledge
and advanced clinical proficiency in
orthopaedics. Brian joins 35 other physical
therapists across Alabama who have
received this certification.
Online Resource
Center
DOC Participates
in National
Surgical Quality
Improvement
Program
A highly visible and important issue facing
the medical profession and healthcare
today is the quality of care provided to
patients. Numerous providers, payors
and private industry are investing large
resources in efforts to measure, report
and improve patient care.
DOC surgeons are participating in the
National Surgical Quality Improvement
Program (NSQIP) sponsored by Decatur
General Hospital. Decatur General is
one of two hospitals in Alabama that
volunteered to enroll in this surgical quality
outcome reporting program; UAB is the
other. The American College of Surgeons
is confident that the NSQIP is one of the
best ways to benchmark and improve
surgical care.
Surgical cases are randomly selected.
A nurse reviewer contacts patients to
evaluate their post-operative condition
by asking if they have experienced
complications or had a relief of symptoms,
if they are able to return to work or play,
and to gather information on other issues
in order to determine each patient’s
satisfaction with the care received.
This data will be subjected to statistical
analysis by the Colorado Health Outcomes
and returned bi-annually to Decatur
General for review and utilization in quality
improvement.
Exercises for
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar Fasciitis is a painful
inflammation in the bottom of the
foot between the heel and the
base of the toes. You may begin
exercising the muscles of your foot
right away by gently stretching
them as follows:
• Sit with your legs crossed so
that the ankle of your injured
foot rests on the opposite knee.
• With your hand, stretch the arch
of the foot by pulling your toes
(all five at once) back toward
your knee, using your other hand
to make sure that the arch is
stretched right. Hold 10 seconds,
then release; repeat 5 to 10 times.
DOC physicians recommend
you do the exercises at least
three times a day, especially
before taking your first step in the
morning and just before you get
up after sitting awhile.
Visit www.decaturorthopaedic.com
for additional information about DOC, the
DOC physicians’ education and training,
as well as links to more orthopaedic
resources. Patient information forms also
are available for download to expedite
completion and registration prior to
appointments.