Tom Sather Ph.D., SRO Physical Therapist
SRO is very concerned with preventative measures. Most young athletes and collegiate athletes are unaware of the exercises that could potentially save them from a painful and long orthopaedic injury.
Santa Rosa, CA (PRWEB) October 30, 2013
Ankle sprains affect American athletes with an estimated 25,000 happening every day, nationwide. This type of injury varies in severity but accounts for almost half of all sports related injuries - preventing athletes from enjoying the sports they love, and in some cases jeopardizing athletic careers. At Santa Rosa Orthopaedics (SRO), Tom Sather Ph.D., a physical therapist with more than 35 years of experience in sports medicine, emphasizes preventative measures such as cross-training and off season conditioning. This type of preventative training helps to ensure that muscles are strengthened and conditioned for impact while improving overall agility. Ankle sprains tend to reoccur over time and when they do, the injury itself can significantly increase in severity. When left untreated these types of injuries often result in surgery, requiring long recovery periods.
“SRO is very concerned with preventative measures,” Sather says. “Most young athletes and collegiate athletes are unaware of the exercises that could potentially save them from a painful and long orthopaedic injury.”
SRO also offers various preventative programs and assistance for female athletes, including SportsMetrics, a knee injury prevention program designed specifically for female athletes. One in 10 college-level female athletes sustain a serious knee injury compared to male counterparts in game sport. Most female athletes sustain non-contact injuries such as cutting and jumping. The Sports Metrics program educates female athletes to improve the way she lands, jumps and moves in order to avoid future injuries.
Dr. Schakel and Sather may also recommend custom orthotics or foot inserts and braces for foot and ankle injury prevention. Ankle sprains can sometimes be avoided with balance and agility training. SRO utilizes ‘Foot Maxx’, a high-tech device that identifies abnormalities in the mechanics of walking that can contribute to foot and ankle pain. Sather and his team are able to analyze the patient data from the program and create a customized prescriptive orthotic unique to the athlete that can improve balance and stability and prevent further foot and ankle dysfunction.
“Prevention is something all athletes, their trainers and coaches should be concerned with. Although not always avoidable, it is important to have all the right programs and care especially for young female athletes who are susceptible to greater and more frequent orthopaedic injuries,” Sathers explains.
When injury is unavoidable, SRO’s elite team of orthopaedic surgeons is able to work closely with physical trainers, providing patients with an unmatched comprehensive surgical and rehabilitation program. Dr. Mark Schakel, an orthopaedic surgeon at SRO, is the only fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon in Northern California. Dr. Schakel completed his fellowship in foot and ankle surgery alongside Dr. Roger Mann, a world-renowned orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon. Dr. Schakel is published in numerous medical publications and has taught several courses in his field. At SRO, Dr. Schakel specializes in problems of the foot and ankle as well as sports medicine injuries. He works alongside Tom Sathers to develop specialized care programs for athletes and active patients.
“Our facility combines orthopaedic surgical care and physical therapy under one roof, which opens speedy communication and guarantees an increase in our patients’ successful recovery,” states Dr. Schakel.
Dr. Schakel is the director of The Foot & Ankle Program at SRO where he treats problems of the foot, ankle and knee. Dr. Schakel also heads the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital’s Foot and Ankle Trauma Service. His expertise extends into reconstructive, traumatic, sports-related and congenital problems.
“Dr. Schakel is a great orthopaedic surgeon and whose surgical skills allow for optimal rehabilitation, function and recovery,” Sather said. “We make a great team and share the passion for our patients and their return back to an active lifestyle.”
SRO and its team work closely with Sonoma State University and Empire Volleyball athletes and various athletic organizations throughout Sonoma County. Dr. Schakel and Sather stress the necessity for orthopaedic expertise when it comes to middle, high school and collegiate athletes. The SRO team believes that in order to maximize physical performance and prevent serious injury, education and training need to be emphasized more in schools and collegiate organizations.
The SRO Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center provides physical and occupational therapy services in a 10,000 square foot, Stony Circle facility. This advanced facility is complete with:
- hand care therapy
- exercise equipment
- rehabilitation center
- MRI
- X-Ray
- state-of-the-art doctor/patient rooms
- custom orthotics program called Foot Maxx and Sports Metrics
- revolutionary prevention program for female athletes
The SRO Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center also hosts a weekly Sports Injury Screening Clinic that provides screening for middle school, high school and college athletes who are involved in organized, sanctioned team sports and have sustained a recent athletic orthopaedic injury. The SRO Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center is able to provide all of its patients with a team of experienced orthopaedic surgeons specializing in all orthopaedic injuries and sports medicine, physical therapists and occupational therapists.
At SRO, Dr. Schakel and Tom Sather Ph.D. are part of a collaborative team of nine multi-specialist orthopedic surgeons and experienced physical and occupational therapists. In its efforts to bring the best outcomes to patients, SRO has set the model for exceptional orthopedic and rehabilitative care for more than 60 years.
SRO offers patient’s in-house diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, sports injury prevention, as well as advanced surgical treatments in joint replacement, sports medicine, trauma care, hand, foot, ankle and general orthopedic surgery. For more information on Dr. Mark Schakel or Tom Sather Ph.D. and the other SRO surgeons and physical therapists, visit http://www.srortho.com.