Youth athletes are once again taking to the field – signaling the approach of spring and inevitably throwing and pitching arm injuries. To help combat the growing problem of these kinds of injuries, Dr. Peter Gambacorta, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) specializing in sports medicine at Northtowns Orthopedics, along with Steven Gonser, a physical therapist at Buffalo Rehab Group, presented a lecture called “ThrowSmart: Protecting the Arm of Throwing Athletes” on Thursday, March 7th. The event was held at the Williamsville YMCA and nearly two dozen parents, coaches, certified athletic trainers, and youth athletes were in attendance.
According to Dr. Gambacorta, each year, more than 3.5 million children ages 14 and under receive medical treatment for sports-related injuries. And unfortunately, when injuries do occur, players can be out for the season; some may even require surgery or sustain permanent damage. The good news, though, is that 50% of youth sports injuries are preventable.
During the talk, Dr. Gambacorta discussed trends and statistics about throwing arm injury types (including little league shoulder, little league elbow, labral tears, rotator cuff injuries, apophyseal injuries, and ulnar collateral ligament tears), along with the differences between injuries in youth and adult athletes. “A child athlete is not a small adult athlete,” he said. “Their bodies are different and such are subject to different types of injuries.”
Dr. Gambacorta also provided information about pitch counts and types of pitches to be thrown at what age, along with other sports injury prevention tips.
Dr. Peter Gambacorta meets with Janet Snyder on January 26th, 2013 to discuss hip pain and advanced treatment options on WGRZ News Channel 2, WNY Living.
Congratulations to Dr. Peter Gambacorta, Medical Director of the Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine at the Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo on his recent paper published in the Journal of American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery. The paper titled Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in the Skeletally Immature Athlete: Diagnosis and Management was the feature article for this months journal.
For more information or to schedule an appointment call (716) 636 -1470
I love the Buffalo news health articles, and the one today on arthritis and joint exercise (1/15/13) is one of their best yet. There are several types of arthritis, and not all treatments medical or exercise are for everyone, but there are soooo many options now that there is something for almost everyone, you just have to be willing, and start with the right people and program for strength, balance, pain relief, mobility independence. Before you start talk to your doctor or therapist or trainer etc, to be sure that what you start will not cause more problems than help. A lot of us (yes US) do too much too soon, causing problems and setting us up for disappointment and we quit in pain. But done right with the rignt program you may do a lot better in day to day activity. Even at home in Buffalo, Sit and Be Fit (on at 5:30 AM on WNED) is an easy do what you can program, and the first step for many. Tai Chi, Yoga, pool (not necessarily swimming or deep water), or something more involved may be your way to getting and keeping your health and independence. Use it or Lose it!
Check out your local newsstands to purchase the January 2013 Buffalo Spree Magazine and turn to page 77 to read Donna Hoke’s article “The long way home: Dr. Kevin Lanighan”.
Read on for more information about
Northtowns Orthopedics, P.C.’s own Dr. Kevin Lanighan
The Buffalo Boomerang: Buffalo Brings this Johns Hopkins Graduate Home
Kevin Lanighan, M.D. is a Lockport native whom discovered his love for helping others while obtaining his Eagle Scout. His passion for athletics, earned him a Cross-Country and Track Scholarship to Niagara University. Dr. Lanighan then went on to pursue medicine at Johns Hopkins Medical School, where he would later complete his residency after a surgical internship at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, time spent as a ship physician for a US Navy Helicopter Carrier, and staff orthopedic surgeon at Charleston Naval Hospital. Kevin Lanighan M.D. then completed his Fellowship at Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore.
In 1996, Dr. Lanighan returned to the greater Western New York area with his wife and three children and practices at Northtowns Orthopedics, P.C. located in East Amherst. Dr. Lanighan works closely with his two highly skilled PhysiciansAssistant’sBeth Gillezeau, PA-C, and Lori Gmerek, PA-C in caring for conditions of the hand and arm. While he enjoys caring for all conditions of the hand and upper extremity, Dr. Lanighan cites his most gratifying surgeries to perform are carpal tunnel releases, wrist fractures, and surgery for thumb arthritis.
Dr. Lanighan is a hand and upper extremity surgeon whom works out of Northtowns Orthopedics, P.C.’s Transit Road location 8750 Transit Road, Suite 105, in East Amherst, NY 14051. Call 716-636-1470 to make an appointment.
Dr. Ratliff is an Orthopedic Surgeon with specialty in Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery. A general partner of Northtowns Orthopedics, P.C., his practice focuses on the management of musculoskeletal and neurovascular conditions of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, and fingers in adults, children, and infants. David Ratliff, MD also frequently treats fractures and injuries such as distal radius fractures, humerus fractures, finger fractures, and other various fractures and problems relating to the finger, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm / bicep / triceps area, and shoulder.
Call 716-636-1470 and ask our scheduling department to make an appointment with Dr. Ratliff today!
Special thanks to award winning Matthew Lorentz of IDLE Entertainment for his amazing videography services, as well as City Under Siege for the original music.
Dr. Peter Gambacorta is the team physician for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. He will be providing speciality orthopedic care for the Junior Sabres teams on and off the ice this season.
Dr. Peter Gambacorta of Northtowns Orthopedics and Women’s and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, Department of Sports Medicine, sits down with Janet Snyder to discuss the growing trend of sports injuries found in younger athletes. Dr. Gambacorta explains that early detection is key in identifying traumatic sports injuries and overuse injuries.
Traumatic Sports Injuries
Associated with a specific event or injury. These are acute injuries
Overuse Injury
Occurs with athletic activiities when rest periods are not taken and continued repetition leads to damage (microtrauma) to bones, growth plates, ligaments, tendons or muscles.
Frequently asked questions from parents about detecting sports injuries and overuse injuries
What warrants a visit to the doctor?
When should I take my child to the doctor?
What signs should I look for in my child before taking them to a doctor?
Dr. Gambacorta recommends parents ask themselves the following:
Did the pain begin after an injury?
Is your child complaining about pain regularly?
Are they walking with a limp? Or feeling pain when doing a certain activities?
Is the pain bothering them with their daily activities?
If the answer to these questions is yes then a visit to a physician may be warranted. Remember that pain is the bodies way of tell us there is something wrong. The old saying of “No Pain No Gain” does not apply to the young athlete.
“Is my child playing too many games?”
Many children are playing a single sport year round. Often times the athletes are playing on several teams at one time and are not taking time to rest. This combination can lead to overuse injuries. As always, education is the key in preventing and identifying an overuse injury.
Where can parents and coaches go to learn about if their children or young athletes are suffering from overuse sports injuries?
Physicians such as Dr. Gambacorta and his partners at Northtowns Orthopedics, P.C. are a great resource for information. Dr. Gambacorta explains:
“We as doctors have a responsibility to not only treat the child and the injury itself, whether it be a surgical or non-surgical treatment, but to also educate the patient and the family- which is key.”
A resource highly recommended for information about preventing sports related injuries is: STOPsportsinjuries.org
The STOP sports injuries campaign is a collaborative effort Orthopedic surgeons, Physical therapists and Atheltic trainers uniting to educate athletes, coaches and parents about injuries and how to prevent them from occuring.
To book an appointment with Dr. Peter Gambacorta or to learn more about your child’s potential injury- Call 716-636-1470, The staff at Northtowns Orthopedics will be happy to assist you and your young athlete with professional grade care.
Dr. Peter Gambacorta is an orthopedic surgeon with Northtowns Orthopedics, P.C. specializing in adolescent sports medicine.
Dr. Peter Gambacorta speaks to Janet Snyder on News Channel 2′s WGRZ’s Healthy Zone about Pediatric & Adolescent Sports Medicine. Dr. Gambacorta discusses his affiliation with Women’s and Children’s Hospital and pediatric and adolescent sports injuries and injury prevention strategies. Dr. Gambacorta is an orthopedic surgeon with sports medicine training at Northtowns Orthopedics with locations in East Amherst, Williamsville, and Kenmore. Call 716-636-1470 to make an appointment.
See the below screen captions for more tips for Injury Prevention from Dr. Peter Gambacorta
Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Peter Gambacorta provides tips for athletes
Dr. Gambacorta’s Injury Prevention Tips:
- Use and Maintain Proper Equipment
60% of injuries occur during practice when equipment is not always worn appropriately.
- Encourage athletes to speak with trainer, coach, or physician if they are experiencing any pain
Tips from Dr. Gambacorta of Northtowns Orthopedics for prevention of sport related injuries
Dr. Gambacorta’s Injury Prevention Tips Continued:
- Have a pre-season physical exam
- Take time to do a warm up and cool down routine
- Follow a Strength Training Routine
