Once again, the pups pulled me out of bed this morning at an ungodly hour, but hey...who cares? I have two weeks off....Sweeet!
How is the big guy? He finished exams yesterday. He shared that he earned an "A" in a class. Not sure which one, but this should get his name off the Wall of Shame that the Czar has in the locker room. Forgot what the Wall of Shame is? Well, it seems that to motivate his players academically, the Czar broke the federal law (FERPA...PA stands for "privacy act') and inscribed the guys with the lower grade point averages on the board in the locker room. The gpas have been there all semester. His name will be removed after he hits his target. Notice to the Czar...no kid wants to see their name there. Not every guy is an A student. They do what they have to do to get by....after all, the team does not make it easy for them with 5 am lifts, meetings, three to four hour daily practices, and an extensive travel schedule. Some are able to keep their heads above a 2.0 to stay eligible for the season. It is an incredibly stressful environment.
He has had this knot in his back for a few weeks that the trainers have been massaging. He could no longer stand the discomfort and his hand was going numb, so he took my advice and went to an acupuncturist who was also a chiropractor. Rather than having the acupuncture, the chiropractor told him that his arm is too built up by training and he is losing flexibility in his elbow. Further, he diagnosed a pinched nerve and not a 'knot'. And so.....here we go again....
The medical care and training are sub par. The athletes are suffering and they will be cut from the team if they go to another doctor for a second opinion. They have them over a barrel.
What do I do as a parent? What does he do as a player? With the medical staff (once again) treating the wrong thing, does he continue to allow them to ruin his body OR does he sneak away and find his own, more competent doctors?
You know what I think...I hate the sneaking part but if they ruin his arm, they have succeeded in ruining his career and possible livelihood. This is unacceptable. I cannot go to them, because he is a young man and must fight his own battles, but I am seething that an elite division 1 school hires such inept practitioners. Here are people who are supposed to stay up on the evidence and trends in sports medicine and training, yet they continue to use outdated modalities and insist that they are right.
To me, this means that they are not prepared to care for anyone including a puppy. (sorry twins). Any doctor or trainer who does not ascribe to best practice models supported by evidence and research is committing malpractice. Yes, I said malpractice.
A professional is a person who understands research, attends continuing education, and reads their journals. They look at statistics and change their practice based upon what has been purported to be effective. To be so rigid and narrow minded and not alter their practice indicates that the wrong people are in these positions of power.
And so, I made an appointment with my acupuncturist, Mr Zen for Friday. Mr Zen is the most amazing guy. He has helped my sinuses, elbow, and left knee. He took care of my stress on Monday as well as opened my nasal passages. Frankly, I would not have believed it if I had not had my experience, but I highly endorse acupuncture for most things that ail a person. Some of our physical problems are due to stress and anxiety. Mr. Zen was able to pinpoint my heightened anxiety by feeling my pulses (don't ask, but my pulses were located via my radial which is located on my wrist). After identifying stress as part of my problem, he placed a series of needles in my back and left me for 25 minutes. I almost fell asleep. Since my acupuncture and acupressure for the sinuses, I have been tired but somewhat relaxed and can breathe!.....In fact, I want to go back again and again and again....
Ooops...'nuf about me. I have to grade the papers in order to place the 'gone shopping' sign on my email.
Peace!
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