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| What's New | Current Newsletter | Newsletter Archive | Newsletter Sign Up Hello to all! Yes, it's been a LONG time since you all have received any email newsletters- that's what happens when you have so much going on that you can't even get to the computer to get a newsletter distributed. Well, we have a lot to catch up on, so here we go What's NEWs: The most exciting news- our newly constructed Tamarac office location is now OPEN. We actually have been open since 4/29/02 and much effort has gone into getting all of our equipment moved from our old location and situated in our new location, hence the length of time since the last newsletter. We currently offer podiatric services Monday, Wednesday, and Friday all day, with Dr. Felton and Dr Bollo. Beginning in August, we will be offering podiatric services on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings with Dr. Bollo, with Dr. Felton taking the reins on M,W, F. Currently, our orthopaedic services are available Monday and Wednesday afternoons with Dr. Haas; in the future Dr. Haas will be expanding to yet another half day of services in this location. Our physical therapy services are available all day M,W, F, as well as Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings with our physical therapist, Jennifer Roberts. Starting July 31st, our physiatrist (physical medicine and rehabilitation), Dr. Bradley Bodner will be offering his services on Wednesday afternoons. We are excited to be in our new, larger facility in order to extend more services to the northwest Broward and southern Palm Beach county. Along with a growing patient base, our clinician base continues to grow. Our current lineup of clinicians is as follows: PODIATRY ORTHOPAEDICS PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION Matthew A. Dovie- Physician Assistant We would like to extend congratulations to Carl Heldman, ATC, MSPT, for receiving his Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern. Carl graduated on July 14, 2002. Carl has been an integral part of the success of our Sports Medicine Outreach Program, which will soon be entering its third year of existence. Speaking of which, we are excited to enter our second season of providing athletic trainer services to Weston AYFL football and our third season of providing our services to AYSO and Weston Soccer Club. Again, we reiterate to all of our readers, these services are not solely contracted to these organizations- when the soccer season starts to come into full rotation, we have a trainer on the grounds of the Weston Regional Complex or at Tequesta Park (both of which are only 5 minutes away from each other, and all of our trainers have cell phones and can be at either location within minutes to assess an on-field situation). However, our point is that if a player gets injured on the baseball field, basketball courts, hockey courts or even at the playground equipment, our certified athletic trainers are there to help. This month's newsletter is timely, as the focus on bicycling tends to jump during the Tour de France, especially considering it looks as though Lance Armstrong is going to break the record for Tour de France victories by an American. Enjoy!
There aren't many exercises other than cycling where you complete 90 repetitions per minute. And if you multiply those repetitions out to a one, two or three hour bike ride, that's a lot of repetitive motion. And a lot of potential for injury. Unlike running and other highly repetitive sports, preparing an athlete to meet the physical demands of a road race or mountain biking competition is only half the challenge. The bike and additional equipment allows the athlete to maintain a healthy body position and long-term health. Cyclists who aren't in top shape or use equipment that's "off," risk tendonitis, patellofemoral pain and other repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) of the upper and lower extremities. The Right Fit The main considerations are: Bike Frame: Obviously, cyclists should clear the top tube by 2 to 3 inches when standing over the bike. As a general rule, mountain bikes should have a smaller frame than road bikes to allow for jumping and riding on uneven, rocky terrain. Seat Positioning: Proper seat height for a rider is predominantly a function of their foot size and leg length. The seat should be positioned so that the rider's knees are flexed 22 degrees to 30 degrees with the pedal in the lowest position. Handlebar Height: The stem that holds the handlebars should be set slightly lower than the nose of the saddle, based on the rider's needs and the event he'll be competing in. Cyclists should be assessed while they're using bike shoes, pedals, saddles and other accessories that could affect positioning on the bike. You also need to have clients out on the road riding because the riding done on a stationary bike isn't what is encountered on the road or trail, working up hills or into a headwind. As important as a proper fit is, however, cyclists who aren't in riding shape and those who use bad riding technique still run a risk of injury. For example, one client may present with complaints of knee pain that he thought were the result of poor cleat alignment. After watching this patient ride on a training stand, however, the knee pain was traced back to an ankle injury that was suffered during a mountain bike race. Because of a severe sprain that this patient didn't treat, he had tightness in the subtalar joint that caused an abnormal foot position on the pedal. With some mobilization, a custom-molded orthotic and specific stretching activities we were able to treat the patient better than if we immediately started adjusting the bike. Clinicians conducting a cycling evaluation take a thorough history and put patients through many of the same functional tests used in other settings; for example, watching the patient walk, squat, balance and transfer from sitting to standing, and checking for signs of scoliosis or other structural dysfunction. Areas that are particularly relevant to cycling include hip flexibility and motion in all planes (flexion, extension, abduction and external rotation), lumbopelvic orientation and motion, and ankle dorsiflexion and ROM. There's usually less stress on head, neck, wrist and arms, so we're looking more at stability from the spine through the shoulder girdle. If the rider needs to get into an aerodynamic position for a triathlon or a time trial trunk flexibility and stability become more of an issue than if they're sitting upright on a mountain bike or going for a casual ride. It is a wise idea to have a full biomechanical exam of the body if you are suffering from chronic pain related to cycling activities. Often, this is a cross-discipline situation- it may require the teamwork of an orthopaedic surgeon, a foot and ankle specialist, and a physical therapist to help you regain your pre-injury cycling level. An exercise or stretching program may be necessary to regain muscular balance or to help you maintain proper posture while on your bicycle. Custom Molded Orthotics may be necessary to provide the proper foundational support for the body while on the bike. It is also a very wise idea to visit a bike shop that is Fit Kit Certified (www://bikefitkit.com). This will ensure that you have the proper fit on your bike, no matter what riding position you utilize. This article can also be viewed at Enjoy Your Summer! The Physicians and Staff of
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