Ray Emery’s hockey career was hanging in the balance when diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the hip last March. An MRI done to evaluate some nagging groin and hip pain revealed the condition. His season was definitely over, and had this occurred 10-15 years ago, his career could very well have been over. He made the decision to have surgery that promised everyday function of his hip, “The success is kind of considered being mobile, not playing professional sports,” he said at the time. Avascular necrosis (AVN), also called osteonecrosis, can affect any bone in the body and can be a …
RICE & MICE: Stick to hockey, Mr. Recchi
Almost 3 weeks later and I still can’t watch the replay of Boston Bruins’ captain Zdeno Chara’s check on Montreal Canadiens’ forward Max Pacioretty without holding my breath. It was a violent hit and one that will stay fresh in my memory for a while. Pacioretty lost consciousness on impact and in the few seconds that he lay motionless on the ice after impact, I’m sure a few thousand fans (at least) were hoping that they didn’t just see a man die on the ice. Medical personnel were efficient and careful as they immobilized his neck and secured him to the backboard …
RICE & MICE: Hand fractures
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman, Chris Pronger was originally sidelined with some swelling in his hand after being hit by a puck on February 24, 2011 in a game against the New York Islanders. After x-rays failed to show a fracture, he returned to play after missing one game only to hit that same hand against the boards in a game on March 8, 2011 against the Edmonton Oilers. They are not sure if the break was initially caused by being hit with the puck in February, or if the fracture happened in the game against the Oilers, but a CT scan …
RICE & MICE: Five for fighting and 6-8 weeks with a high ankle sprain
First overall selection in the 2010 entry draft and Edmonton Oilers’ star rookie, Taylor Hall, saw his season come to an end much earlier than the rest of his NHL counterparts. It isn’t over because of a dismal season that saw the Oilers miss the playoffs. Hall is out for the remainder of the season with a high ankle sprain. He wasn’t battling along the boards or crashing the net when he was injured. Hall was injured while falling awkwardly in a fight with the Blue Jackets’ Derek Dorsett. Reactions to Hall’s injury have ranged from applauding the young talent …
RICE & MICE: Is it really the Flu?
“A team without energy, if the physical part is there, the mental part goes, and there was just nothing yesterday. I think we were drained. To get a day off, even though it’s under the toughest of circumstances and a tough loss like that, I really feel that the benefits will be seen on Tuesday by not having to mentally and physically come in to the rink.” The comments above are those of Peter Laviolette when asked about his decision to give his team the day off following their 7-0 defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers. He …
RICE & MICE: Shoulder instability
Oskars Bartulis suffered a shoulder injury in last Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Phoenix Coyotes after a late hit when, then Coyotes forward, Scottie Upshall sent Bartulis head and shoulder first into the boards. Bartulis left the game and did not return. The next injury update on Bartulis left many fans scratching their heads when they heard that he was out indefinitely with left shoulder “instability” and would likely need surgery. What’s up with that, you ask? The shoulder is an awesome joint. It is blessed with incredible range of motion to allow you to raise it above your head, …
RICE & MICE: Groin Strain
A groin injury could mean a variety of different injuries to a hockey player and at times it seems the groin is a “catch all” for reasons a player may be kept out of the lineup. A groin strain or groin pull is one of the most common and least severe injuries that can occur at the groin. Part of the reason for such a variety of injuries to the groin is the wide variety of structures that comprise the groin. The groin consists of the area where the abdomen meets the legs, the inner thigh, the pubic area including …
RICE & MICE: Achilles tendon rupture
In Greek mythology, the legend of Achilles says he was dipped into the river Styx by his mother, Thetis, in order to make him invulnerable. However, she had to hold onto his heel in order to dip him in the water, thus missing a spot. The only way Achilles could be killed was by injury to his heel. The Achilles tendon is the strongest and thickest tendon in the body and can withstand large forces, yet it’s one of the most frequently ruptured tendons. Rupturing an Achilles tendon is a very serious injury that takes months to rehabilitate. Athletes who …
RICE & MICE: Blood clots, DVTs and PEs, oh my!
Anytime a highly conditioned athlete complains about shortness of breath after a normal “routine” workout there are eyebrows raised in the training room and action is taken. Less than 2 weeks ago the Colorado Avalanche announced that Tomas Fleischmann will be on the shelf for the remainder of the 2010-2011 season after blood clots, or pulmonary emboli, were discovered in both lungs. A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms most commonly in the lower leg, though it can also occur in the upper extremities. A DVT can pose risk to the affected limb, but …
RICE & MICE: Chronic Ankle Instability
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you have probably heard about the 2011 version of “Peter Forsberg’s Comeback to the NHL.” For the better part of the last decade there have been whispers and rumors about a possible comeback for Forsberg at least once in each NHL season. Mentioning Forsberg’s name may prompt any combination three reactions from hockey fans: they love him, they hate him or they complain about the number of injuries that have plagued his career in the NHL. We are now in a point of the 2010-2011 season where people are once again speculating that …