Brandon Roy: Comeback Kid

One of the greatest things about sports is an inspirational story. Obviously, people watch sports for the actual sporting events themselves. But, there is also another magical part of the sporting world that can relate to anyone, no matter what their level of sports knowledge or actual interest is. The stories that develop with players and teams we love to love, and just as much, love to hate. These stories are the things that make names who wouldn't be so well known, such as Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin last year, valid topics of discussion in our daily lives. Seriously, think back to the last year in sports. You could not turn on ESPN or go to any sports website without seeing some mention of "Tebowing" or "Linsanity". It is moments like this that make the world of sports such an incredible world to be a part of.

Another moment may be on the horizon for us during the upcoming NBA season. After the sudden retirement of Brandon Roy before last year's NBA season, he will be lacing the sneakers back up to hit the hardwood once again during the upcoming season.

One of the absolute worst things that can happen to an athlete is injury. When you're playing sports, no matter what regulations are set in place, injuries are an inevitable element. Some injuries come and go, but others can linger and haunt an athlete for an entire career. It appeared that Roy was going to become another helpless victim on the long list of great athletes who's potential and dreams would be taken away. When dealing with injuries, one of the most cringe worthy phrases to hear is "career ending." This is the exact phrase we heard just over a year ago when it related to Brandon Roy. The doctors went as far as to say Roy "can't do this" and that he "might end up not walking." All scary thoughts for any person to hear, especially for a 27 year old. Roy went through a series of knee problems throughout his career. Without any cartilage in his knees, it is hard to believe Roy will even be making a comeback.

Brandon Roy first entered the league in the 2006 NBA Draft. Roy was fresh off his senior season with the Washington Huskies, where he lead his team to a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Besides averaging 20 points per game, Roy was bestowed with the award of Pac-10 player of the year. Going in to the draft, Roy was known for his slashing ability and great shooting. He was considered by many to be a "sure thing" in the NBA, and considered by many to be the top prospect in the draft class. With the sixth pick in the 2006 NBA Draft (My inner David Stern just came out.), the Timberwolves selected Brandon Roy. The Timberwolves would not be the destination for Roy for very long, as he was traded to Portland. The Blazers draft night in 2006 may have taken top honors for the night, not only did they add Roy to the team, but they also added LaMarcus Aldridge to the roster.

I don't think there is any doubt that Brandon Roy not only lived up to the hype, but he far exceeded it. Roy went on to average 17 points per game, along with 4 assists and 4 rebounds. These numbers were not only good enough for a place on the rookie squad of the annual Rookie/Sophomore game during All-Star weekend, they were also good enough for Roy to earn the year's NBA Rookie of the Year award. Although Roy had fantastic numbers throughout the season, it wasn't a season without injury. Roy missed 20 games early on with a left heel injury.

The next season was another excellent season for Roy. Some players have a sophomore slump, but not Brandon Roy. It was more of a "sophomore skyrocket." The reason this term is fitting is because it seemed the possibilities were endless for the young player. In the previous season, he was a member of the Rookie team during All-Star Weekend. This season, he returned to play for the sophomore team during the Rookie/Sophomore game. This wouldn't be all for Roy during the coveted weekend, as he was also chosen as an All-Star reserve for the Western Conference. For only his second season in the league, it was a great honor for Roy to be chosen by the coaches in the NBA to be apart of the Western All-Star team. Besides these accolades, Roy increased his points per game to 19 points, paired with a slight increase in the rebounds and assists categories as well.

The breakout season of Brandon Roy was bestowed upon us in the 2008-09 season. In just his third season in the NBA, Roy increased his points per game once again from 19 points, to nearly 23 points a game. The 22.6 points per game stat was enough to make Roy a top ten scorer in the NBA, coming in at number ten. An excellent comparison to show how great of a scorer Roy had become from the previous season to this one can be showcased through his 30+ points games. In the previous season, Roy only had two 30+ points games. In this season, Roy had ELEVEN of them. Not to mention, Roy delivered a 52 point game against the Phoenix Suns. Besides the stats, he also kept adding more and more accomplishments to his record. At season's end, Roy was named to the All-NBA Second Team. He was also 9th in MVP voting for the season. Impressive stats and accomplishments for a third year player in the league.

Although Roy was on the rise in the 08-09 season, it was also the awakening of his knee problems. At the beginning of this season, Roy underwent a 20 minute surgery to remove a piece of cartilage from his knee that was causing irritation. The doctor described the knee problems with, "He's just got a basketball player's knee." This was not the first time that Roy had underwent surgery, though. In 2001, surgery was performed on his left knee while he was in high school. Just three years later in 2004, Roy had another knee surgery on his other knee during his Junior season at Washington. After the surgery in 2008, it was hopeful that Roy would be perfectly fine and go on to be the face of the Portland Trail Blazers for years to come. Sadly, it was just wishful thinking.

Before the 2009-10 season began, Roy was signed to a five-year contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers. Speaking money, Roy was only earning $4 million dollars in the last year of his rookie contract. In the first year of his newly extended contract, Roy would be making $14 million dollars. A pretty solid jump financially for a 25 year old. Roy had an average of 21 points per game and was showing no signs of slowing down. But, in April just before the playoffs, Roy had to have surgery once again on his right knee. The injury was expected to cause him to miss the entire first round of the playoffs, but Roy returned 8 days later to play in game four of the Blazers' first round series against the Phoenix Suns. Roy didn't have much scoring input in the last 3 games of the series he played, scoring just 10, 5, and 14 points respectively. The Blazers' were eliminated from the postseason in six games.

The 2010-11 season began, and little did anyone know that it was soon to be the last season before Roy's retirement. In January of 2011, Brandon Roy had to undergo another knee surgery. This time, the surgery was performed on both knees. During this season, Roy only ended up playing in 47 games and averaged 12 points per game. 12 points per game was definitely a dramatic decrease in scoring production for Roy, and it was obvious that the knee problems were becoming an issue for him. The 2011 postseason was a rough one for Roy. He played limited minutes in the first round series against the Dallas Mavericks, and even had to fight off tears. Roy said himself "There was a point in the first half, and I was thinking 'You better not cry.' I mean, serious. I mean, there was a moment where I felt really sorry for myself. Then I was like, nah, you can't be sorry for yourself. I'm a grown man, but there was a moment there that I felt sorry for myself. Especially when I think I can still help."

All of the knee injuries culminated to the unfathomable. The retirement of Brandon Roy just after five seasons in the NBA. Roy had the following to say after announcing his retirement.

"This is a very difficult and painful day. I love the game, I love the Portland Trail Blazers and I love our fans, but after consulting with my doctors, I will seek a determination that I've suffered a career ending injury, pursuant to the rules of the collective bargaining agreement.

"My family and health are most important to me and in the end this decision was about them and my quality of life. I want to thank Paul Allen, Larry Miller, Coach McMillan, the entire Trail Blazers organization and our fans for all of their love and support during my time in Portland. It was a great ride."

Fast forward to present day, and Brandon Roy will be making his return to the NBA.

"After a few months of sitting out, I decided, 'Hey, I don't want to stop playing basketball,' " Roy said Tuesday at a news conference at Target Center after signing a two-year, $10.4 million contract. "I wanted to continue going forward. It was never a situation where I said, 'I'm done forever.' It's just more of a pause."

The question I'm sure many people are asking is, what is going to allow Brandon Roy to return? He has had six different knee surgeries throughout his basketball career. Roy had a procedure performed by the name of platelet-rich plasma therapy. While it is medically unproven, it is a procedure that Kobe Bryant has had performed in the past. A simple explanation of platelet-rich plasma therapy is the injection of your own blood into the body to help the joints.

"I'm not saying I'm Kobe Bryant, but my body felt really good. I've been working out ever since, and there hasn't been any swelling. I'm excited I got it done," Roy said.

The season is only weeks away. One of the things I will be watching the most is the play and production of Brandon Roy. Will he be back to his old ways, scoring 20 points a game? Or, will the knee problems be too much for him? The inspirational story is something that sports will always have. Hopefully, the Brandon Roy return will become one. A man who has undergone multiple knee surgeries returning to the NBA in top-notch form, what could be better than that? It will seem kind of like a homecoming for Timberwolves fans, as Roy was originally drafted by the team. It will also be a homecoming for Roy, though. A homecoming to the basketball court, and that could be the best homecoming of all.

3 Steps to Improve Knee Range of Motion After ACL Surgery

Restoring the range of motion after ACL reconstruction is very important to a successful ACL surgery recovery. The best way to get your range of motion back after surgery is to do a few things very diligently ice(RICE), rehab exercises and don't rest with a pillow under your knee.These three steps to improved range of motion after ACL reconstruction are broken down below.

Step 1 To Improve Range of Motion After Knee Surgery - RICE

Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate....we have all heard it 1000 times and it is true that after surgery we must diligently ice our knee to remove the swelling. This swelling can accelerate how quickly we will lose muscle in our thigh and cause all other kinds of problems. But what I am writing about in this article is improving the range of motion and this is without a doubt one of the easiest ways to improve range of motion. Often after surgery the range of motion is limited by the swelling within the knee, the best way to get rid of that swelling is following the RICE principle.

Step 2 To Improve Range of Motion After Knee Surgery - Never Prop Your Knee on an Angle

Our knees hurt a lot after ACL surgery and it can be very tempting to put something under our knees and leave them on an angle. When we do this we increase the difficulty in the future of getting our knee fully extended. The solution?

Always make sure when you are resting watching TV, reading or sleeping that your knee has a light amount flexion resistance. For example if you are comfortable with your knee bent at 15 degrees you can support it at 10 degrees bent so that the pain isn't much but you are always working towards getting to 0 degrees.

Step 3 To Improve Range of Motion After Knee Surgery - Exercises

There are a few critical exercises that you must do to get your flexion and extension back. Two weeks post ACL surgery and 130 degrees of motion is possible following these exercises. The top exercises to do include.

1. Heel Slides

2. Heel Prop

3. Prone Knee Flexion

4. Bike Pendulums

5. Quad Sets

Knee Braces For Running - Support For Really Hurt, Bad, Or Just Plain Aching Knees - Pain Relief

Your Knees & Running

Your knees take the brunt of the force that comes from the impact of running. Whether you are an avid runner, or like to casually enjoy the sport, you may have experienced discomfort or pain in your knees.

1.) A Well Designed Knee Brace

Any runner is aware of the constant stress that is placed on the knees and the injuries that can keep you from your favorite pastime. As a result, you may be looking right now for a way to address your pain so that you can continue on with running. A well designed knee brace can help support your knee while running and can help greatly reduce your knee pain. These supports do not have to be astronomically priced, and can be the answer that you are looking for.

Runners have unique needs when it comes to knee braces. Not only does the brace need to be low profile, but it also needs to address common knee issues. Our advice is that you should not just focus on the sport of running, although this is important. We suggest that you should think about your knee injury first, and second comes the sport of running. (After speaking with your physician, you will know what your knee injury level is)

2.) A Running Knee Brace

Often times people will get confused, thinking that there is just one kind of running knee brace, when in actuality there are many that primarily focus on the severity of your knee pain or knee injury. Usually, runners will complain of pain from a form of arthritis, meniscus, or ligament injury.

For example, osteoarthritis can prevent your knee from being in proper alignment. The pain from this malalignment can be especially noticeable when you run. OA (osteoarthritis) knee supports can help this issue by maintaining proper knee alignment.

3.) Injury Types

Meniscus injuries are also common problems for runners, as well as injuring your ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), or MCL (Medial collateral ligament). Injuring your ACL, MCL, or meniscus can be very painful, and usually requires a good running knee brace to help promote healing. Most likely, if you have one of these knee injuries, you will need a knee brace that has a hinge, as well as medial and lateral uprights. These will help prevent excessive side to side movements that can be painful. A well designed knee support can help prevent any future damage or tearing from occurring as well.

4.) Custom vs. Non-custom Bracing

Non-custom knee braces for running can provide exceptional support as well. Sometimes people think that the only knee brace that will serve them is a custom one. We are here to tell you that this is not always the case. Usually, the only time you will need a custom knee brace is if you do not have normal knee anatomy. This is usually not a problem for most people. The biggest difference between custom and non-custom knee braces is usually the price. Non-custom supports can serve you well without costing you an arm and a leg (ie. you can several hundred dollars with non custom knee braces).

Degenerative Joint Disease Causes and Home Treatments

The degenerative joint disease causes are typically wear and tear injuries that occur over time. In fact, advanced age is a major risk factor of degenerative joint disease and it is rare for anyone over the age of 70 to be unaffected in some way by this progressive disorder. However, treatments are available that can help decrease the pain and stiffness associated with degenerative joint disease.

Degenerative Joint Disease Causes

Though degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis, can come on as a consequence of everyday life, its onset can be sped up by certain factors.

• Trauma due to sports


• Trauma from work-related activities or injuries


• Repetitive motions of a joint for a long time


• Infection in a joint


• Excess weight, which puts pressure on the weight bearing joints.

Degenerative joint disease is common in the weight bearing joints (spine, hips, knees, ankles, feet, and toes) but can also occur in the non-weight bearing joints (shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers).

If you wake in the morning with stiffness, which goes away after moving for about 30 minutes, you likely have osteoarthritis. This is a classic sign of the disorder as is pain in the joints that is aggravated by exercise and relieved by rest.

Degenerative Joint Disease Home Treatments

You will not be able to completely cure degenerative joint disease but you can treat the symptoms and lessen the pain and stiffness. Below I have listed some common home remedies for degenerative joint disease:

• OTC (over-the-counter) drugs like acetaminophen (Tylenol) are the first remedy tried by most osteoarthritis sufferers. Aspirin will have similar pain-relieving effects but may be harder on your stomach


• NSAIDS (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen and naproxen can provide some relieve from pain and are commonly thought of as a step up from Tylenol or Aspirin. Talk with your doctor if you feel a need for regular use of these pain relievers.


• OTC glucosamine and condroitin formulas have mixed results but some claim good results with their regular use.


• There are a number of pain-relieving lotions and creams. Try Capsaicin (Zostrix), this may feel unusual at first but has proven to be helpful for the temporary relief of degenerative joint disease.


• Hot or cold packs may provide temporary relieve. Hot packs can warm the joint and aid in pain-free movement. Cold packs help reduce swelling and pain that may occur following exercise.


• Allow sufficient time to rest the affected joint and if repetitive movements aggravate the symptoms, take step to change your routine.


• You do not want to avoid exercise because it helps to keep your joints mobile. However, you may need to shift your exercise routine to exercises that do not stress your joints. Swimming and water activities are non-weight bearing exercises. You can also walk instead of jog to put knees under less stress.


• Alternative treatments like acupuncture and massage may provide you with relief.

What to Expect If Your Knee Joint Pain Does Not Go Away Easily

If you are even moderately physically active, then you must have, at some point in your life, experienced knee joint pain. If the discomfort doesn't go away in a few days of routine home care and relaxation, do you have to go and seek professional medical advice? Here is when it is best to see a doctor:

If, as a consequence of injury, your knee has swollen up virtually immediately;
if it looks as if the bones are deformed;
in the event you can no longer bear weight (i.e., get up comfortably);
when you've got insufferable ache;
if you happen to have lost sensation below the injury site;
if the foot and ankle have turned cold;
or in case your knee area is red and warm and there's an accompanying fever along with the injury.

Normally, knee joint pain can be resolved at home by rest, applying ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). If different symptoms, such as recurrent ache and swelling, persist, then medical care is probably in order.

How Knee Injuries Are Diagnosed

Should you decide to seek medical help, you will first be given questions to complete a medical history. Naturally, the physician will wish to know the main points concerning the injury, such as when, where, how it happened, to find out what structures in the knee are perhaps damaged. If the injury is due to a direct blow, then a fracture or contusion (bruise) might be the issue. If it was a twisting injury, then a cartilage or meniscus tear could be the reason for the pain. What else might have placed stress on the knee and to potentially trigger a tear in the ligament?

Be ready to answer other inquiries to further assist with the diagnosis. For example, was swelling present, and did it happen instantly or did you first notice it hours later? Were you able to stand and walk immediately after the damage? Is there discomfort in different areas, such as the ankle or hip? Does it damage especially bad when going up or down steps?

The physician will then examine the knee, first to make certain every part is where it belongs. If the kneecap is fractured or the patellar tendon is injured, the kneecap can slide out of position. The physician can easily check to see if the kneecap is sliding to the outside or lateral part of the knee; if that is the case, then the patellar tendon is dislocated. If the knee is held slightly flexed, then there may be fluid within the joint space, since joint space is maximal at 15 degrees of flexion.

Feeling the knee, referred to as palpation, comes next. The physician can correlate the particular location of the ache to the underlying structures like ligaments or muscle-insertion points. Palpation over the space between the bones within the front part of the knee, often called the joint line, could be associated to fluid or tenderness resulting from a meniscus injury. The doctor might examine the uninjured knee to the injured one by exerting stress on the unhurt knee to see how loose or tight the normal ligaments are.

X-rays of the knee may be advisable to make certain there are not any broken bones, but if no direct blow to the area has precipitated the knee joint ache, then plain X-rays or imaging of the knee via an MRI might wait till another time.

Post Operation Assistance Is Available For Any Band Over Bypass Surgery Is Available

While any weight loss operation will help you lose great amounts of weight, it is still important for one to take care of their health and make sure they still have proper nutritional intake. While many patients may have the proper knowledge to care for their bodies and eat the proper foods so healthy weight loss is properly maintained, there are many who are not sure what should be done. There are many specialists and groups ready to help in these situations who can properly guide the patient in making healthy choices. These groups will also provide support to help people get on the path to a better, healthier lifestyle.

Many bariatric groups have nutritional specialists dedicated to meeting patients after the operation. They will meet with the patient in order to go over their new diet and customize it according to the individual needs of a patient. This way, the patient will be able to continue losing weight in a healthy manner and won't have to be concerned with any malnutrition. This is not always a simple task however and there are many groups dedicated to helping give support to these individuals so they can to a healthier website faster. It is always good to be reminded that there are others in the same situation that can help in times of need.

So while Band over bypass procedures will help lose vast amounts of weight, it is only the beginning. With proper diet and fitness, any patient after the procedure will be able to enjoy their lives in a happier and healthier manner.

Glutathione (Glutathione) Antioxidant and Osteoarthritis

This article on osteoarthritis is for information only. There are many causes of joint inflammation and you should consult with your physician for diagnosis and treatment.

Osteoarthritis (OA) or degenerative joint disease or is the most common form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs over time from wear and tear on the cartilage (cushion) of the joints. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body, though it most commonly affects joints in your hands, hips, knees and spine. Osteoarthritis typically affects just one joint, though in some cases, such as with finger arthritis, several joints can be affected.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis but osteoarthritis treatments can relieve pain and help you remain active. Taking steps to actively manage your osteoarthritis may help you gain control over your osteoarthritis pain

According to the Center for Disease control osteoarthritis affects 13.9% of adults aged 25 and older and 33.6% (12.4 million) of those 65 and older. An estimated 26.9 million United States adults in 2005 up from 21 million in 1990 (believed to be conservative estimate).

Osteoarthritis symptoms most commonly affect the hands, hips, knees and spine. Unless you've been injured or placed unusual stress on a joint, it's uncommon for osteoarthritis symptoms to affect your jaw, shoulder, elbows, wrists or ankles.

It isn't clear what causes osteoarthritis in most cases. Researchers suspect that it's a combination of factors, including being overweight, the aging process, joint injury or stress, heredity, and muscle weakness

Osteoarthritis symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time. Signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

- Pain in a joint during or after use, or after a period of inactivity

- Tenderness in the joint when you apply light pressure

- Stiffness in a joint, that may be most noticeable when you wake up in the morning or after a period of inactivity

- Loss of flexibility may make it difficult to use the joint

- Grating sensation when you use the joint

- Bone spurs, which appear as hard lumps, may form around the affected joint

- Swelling in some cases

Regan and colleagues in the 2008 Journal of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage showed us that joint fluid from patients with osteoarthritis was characterized by significantly decreased superoxide dismutase levels and significant decreases in glutathione compared to the reference group of knee joints with pain or sub acute injury but macroscopically intact cartilage.

Afonso and colleagues in the 2007 Journal of Joint Bone Spine discussed the role of superoxide dismutase in preventing the formation of aggressive free radicals that play a role in joint inflammation.

Kalpakcioglu and colleagues in the 2008 Journal of Clinical Rheumatology reviewed the interaction of antioxidants against free radicals in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. There was evidence that antioxidants: glutathione reductase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and glucose-6-phopshate destroy these free radicals.

More studies are available online; search "glutathione and osteoarthritis" in PubMed.

Traditional treatment involves use of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)

and Tylenol to relieve pain and inflammation. This is certainly reasonable in the acute phase. Rest, bracing and crutches/walker may be necessary to rest the joint to allow the inflamed tissues to heal. As the inflammation calms down begin joint motion and strength exercises as soon as possible to prevent debilitation.

A weight loss program is critical to the long term health of your joints and your body if you are overweight. As little as ten pounds can make a difference. Weight loss strategies can be found in my blog; askdrvic.com. There are many low impact activities that can help you burn calories as well. Check with your doctor before you start an exercise program.

There are many glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements on the market. The scientific literature has mixed reviews on their effectiveness. I tell my patients to try it for a month or two and see if it makes a difference.

The scientific research showed me the importance of antioxidants glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase in osteoarthritis. I researched products and chose Max GXL, a glutathione accelerator and Max N-fuze which contains the balance of the antioxidants. It made sense to use products which worked at the cellular level to fight the free radicals that threaten our bodies.

The pharmaceutical companies will not take care of you. The government will not be able to take care of you. Why not take steps NOW to take care of yourself so that you can live a long, healthy AND productive life?

I wish you health and prosperity.