Archived Detroit Free Press/Knight Ridder Columns

Volleyball players have a high rate of injury
December 14, 2000

VOLLEYBALL IS BECOMING AN increasingly popular and competitive sport. The success of the men and women's teams in the past Olympics and the coverage of volleyball on second-tier sports networks demonstrate that the level of play and interest nationwide is increasing...

New hip makes Doctor feel like a man
November 7, 2000

ON MAY 26, A MAJOR CHANGE FOR THE better occurred in my life. I underwent a total hip replacement at age 44. The procedure was not the result of an accident. It did not come from injuries from contact sports such as football or hockey, but rather from years...

Muscle tone, flexibility will keep you swinging
August 1, 2000

IN THE PAST 30 YEARS, FEW SPORTS have continued to grow like golf. Nearly 30 million play the game regularly, despite crowded links and long waits for tee times. Along with the game's growth comes an ever-increasing number of injuries.

How to skate around serious hockey injuries
April 18, 2000

THE DETROIT RED WINGS ARE BEGINNING the march toward a third Stanley Cup in 4 years. If you're a recreational or weekend player who loves the high-speed, heavy contact sport of hockey, you know it has its own set of medical problems and injuries.

THE BASKETBALL seasons -- professional, college, high school and amateur -- are at or beyond the halfway point, and the injuries are mounting.

No longer is natural ability or the mastery of physical skills adequate for an athlete -- at any level -- to be successful.

In the past, the medical treatment of athletes with disabilities emphasized the biological, physical and psychological impediments that, in turn, accentuated a passive approach to exercise. In contrast, the new model stresses that those with disabilities are simply different and not unequal to able-bodied athletes.

With the ever-increasing interest in exercise, it is not surprising that more women want to maintain their peak levels of conditioning during pregnancy. Within the past 10 years, a substantial amount of research has concluded that it is safe to exercise during pregnancy with reasonable guidelines.