May 2007 E-News
Learn more about how our health and fitness services can help you recover from injury or pain, as well as, feel better. Surf the web site and discover our physical therapy, personal fitness training, massage therapy, and corporate wellness programs.
www.summithealthsystems.com
Dan Lorenz
Dan Lorenz brings an extensive background in sports and orthopedic physical therapy unique to not only Summit Rehabilitation and Wellness, but also to the Kansas City Metro area. Dan has several years of experience with high school athletes, Division I athletes, Olympians, and professional baseball and football players. Dan joined the Summit team in early 2007 as the Director of Physical Therapy after serving as a physical therapist and assistant athletic trainer for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2005-07. Prior to joining the Chiefs, he completed American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) credentialed Sports and Orthopedic Physical Therapy Fellowship at Duke University in Durham, NC. While at Duke, he gained invaluable experience rehabilitating complex diagnoses of the knee and shoulder in both the general population and Duke University men’s and women’s athletes. The prestigious Duke Sports Medicine program is consistently one of the nation’s “Top Ten” in Orthopedics in U.S. News and World Report. In July of 2004, he had the privilege of serving as a volunteer physical therapist and athletic trainer at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO for the 2004 Athens Summer Olympians. In the summer of 1997, he completed an internship with the Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball team.
From 2001-04, Dan practiced at ATI Physical Therapy in Naperville, IL as an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist, treating a multitude of general orthopedic, workers’ compensation, and sports diagnoses. Additionally, he did sports performance training in ATI’s state-of-the-art sports performance facility and performed pitching analyses for youth and high school pitchers.
Beyond his clinical experiences, Dan has made presentations at both the local and state levels on strength training for young athletes, ACL injury prevention, patellofemoral pain syndrome, low back pain and rehabilitation, and rehabilitation of the overhead athlete’s shoulder. Not only that, but he also presented at the Kansas Physical Therapy Association’s Spring Conference in 2007 on lower extremity injuries in the athlete. Dan has co-authored a chapter in a clinical sports medicine textbook on posterolateral corner knee injuries, as well as writing a chapter for a home study course on the prevention of head, face, and mouth injuries for the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the APTA. He has published articles in the Strength and Conditioning Journal, Advance for Physical Therapists, and a case study for the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS). Because of his immense passion for athletics, Dan’s research and clinical interests are on the prevention and rehabilitation of ACL injuries, rehabilitation of multiple ligament knee injuries, rehabilitation of knee cartilage restoration procedures, and shoulder injuries to the overhead/throwing athlete. The biomechanics of pitching and educating young athletes and parents on strength/weight training and conditioning is also of keen interest.
Dan has been a licensed physical therapist (PT) since 2001, a licensed athletic trainer (ATC) since 1999, and a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) since 2000.
Originally from Plainfield, IL, Dan earned a B.S. in Health Sciences with an Emphasis in Athletic Training from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI in 1999. He then earned his M.S. in Physical Therapy from GVSU in 2001. He currently resides in Olathe, KS and is working towards completing a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree and Manual Therapy Certification. In his free time, he enjoys playing several recreational sports, exercising, and being involved as a “Big Brother” with Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Kansas City.
Sports Performance Training is beneficial for individuals’ age 8 years old and above, who are seeking to improve their skills in a fun and energetic atmosphere. Whether you participate in soccer, baseball, basketball, football, golf, softball, tennis, track, volleyball, skiing, ice skating or any other sport, you will see positive results in your athletic performance and durability. Knowledge is power and we will focus on education with athletes and their parents.
Training is best performed at regular intervals, in controlled segments, and with proper recovery. Our focus is on proper sport specific technique, movement patterns, and energy pathway system development.
Summit Rehab’s Sports Performance Training program can be customized to fit the needs of our clients.
Group Training - One-on-One Training - Team and Club Training
You can expect improvements in:
• Self-Confidence
• Speed and Agility
• Running Mechanics
• Initial Movement Response (first step)
• Explosive Power and Strength
• Acceleration and Deceleration
• Efficiency in multi-directional movement
• Vertical Jump
• Stamina and Endurance
• Balance and Body Control (Core Strength)
• Conditioning and the ability to FINISH!!!
Knee Pain in the Active Lifestyle
\ Here’s a typical scenario that physical therapists see in the clinic and something that may be familiar to you – knee pain. Some people describe knee pain only when sitting too long, like in a movie or a during/after a long road trip. Others complain of knee pain when going downstairs. Then, there are others that only have pain when squatting, lunging, or doing the leg press at the gym. Maybe you hear a “crunching/grinding” or “Rice Krispies” in your knee when doing any/all of the above activities. Sound familiar? If so, maybe Summit Rehabilitation and Wellness can help you.When dealing with knee pain, one can think of your kneecap (patella) as a person with “Middle Child Syndrome.” You know – usually never truly at fault but typically forced to accept full responsibility for the problem. Some of our bodies are made in a way that doesn’t put the patella in the best alignment, like if you have wide hips or if your patella has a tilt or rotation to it. So, the “middle child” is somewhat to blame, but not completely however. Put another way, think of the leg as the “track” and the patella as the “train.” The train moves in the track, so if there are track issues, then the train will not work properly. Ultimately, the hip muscle strength and flexibility and your foot alignment control the “track.” Hopefully, the point is becoming more clear – if you are having knee pain, the problem is likely not in the knee itself.
In order to address knee pain, the best way is to look at your whole body, starting with the foot. If you are flat footed, you may benefit from an over-the-counter orthotic or in some cases, a custom-made one. Flat feet create a “bad track” at the foot, which translates to problems at the knee.
To assess your hip strength, perform a “self-evaluation.” Try performing a single leg squat in front of the mirror. Do you see your knee collapse inward at an angle (bad track)? If so, that is a hip strength problem. Your hip, knee, and ankle should be in a straight line. Your hip muscles are therefore ineffective in controlling the hip. Do you lose your balance and wobble a bit? If so, that too is a hip and “core” strength issue.
Maybe flexibility is the culprit. When you do a squat, do your feet turn out as you descend? If so, you have tight calves which can cause knee pain. When you squat, do you reach a point and bend over a little far? If so, your hip flexors are tight. Are your hamstrings tight? If so, that will cause more compression in the front of the knee as the quadriceps muscles try to overpower the hamstrings. If the quads have to work harder, because they attach to the patella, they will compress it into the “track” a little harder (hence that “Rice Krispy” feeling!)
As you can see, many potential causes exist for the development of knee pain. If any of these things sound like it could be something you are dealing, visit a physical therapist at Summit Rehabilitation to help you achieve your goals and resume your active lifestyle.
-article by Dan Lorenz MS, PT, ATC/L, CSCS
Quiz Question:
(If answered correctly you will be included in a drawing for a free one hour massage)Tight hamstrings can cause knee pain:
True
False
Answer Here
Fitness Tip:
To get a cardiovascular workout and also add strength to leg muscles, try climbing stairs. You can do this anywhere; at home, at school , at the office, at your apartment building, at the mall, basically anywhere there are stairs. You can try climbing two steps at a time to build quadriceps muscles( thigh muscles) and the gluteus ( butt). Going down the steps will help build strength in the quadriceps and to a smaller extent the hamstrings