February 4, 2023 • 33 mins
Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in America. It is also the oldest team sport in North America. In fact, one of the earliest accounts of lacrosse comes from a document that was written in the early 17th century, but the sport was clearly around before that time. We also know that the document recognizes the First Nations people first played it across Canada over 500 years ago. Each nation had its own version of “Stickball”, later changed to Lacrosse. “La Crosse” (The Stick), but they all played it to thank the Great Spirit — called Gichi-manidoo in Anishinaabe.
Dr. Grant Garcia discusses injuries that apply to lacrosse, and some of the signs to look for when they’re not so obvious. As he says…” he rather be safe than sorry.” Especially when it pertains to neck injuries. It’s a show that is beneficial to coaches, parents, and fellow teammates. It’s not just about the injuries, but the love of the sport. These shows are not to discourage playing sports, in fact, there are countless benefits to playing team sports, but we should be aware of some of the injuries and be prepared for them as they occur. Now get out there and play.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Well, the fastest growing sportsin America.
I know everyone's going to say pickleball, because it is right
now, an unbelievably pickleball,it is, but his Lacrosse on the
high school level at the collegelevel.
It's one of the fastest growing Sports.
In fact in the Major League level, there's now three
leagues. In fact, one of the League's
(00:25):
will be coming to Seattle if you're Seattle in August.
So check them out. If you've never seen a
professional, Lacrosse team please feel free to check them
out but lacrosse is the fastest growing sport.
It involves everything right running there's contact their
skill and unlike football and some of these other sports
almost any size player can participate.
(00:48):
So it's a great Sport and that'ssomething that we're going to
talk about today we'll talk a little bit about the sport of
Lacrosse and with the help of dr.
Grant Garcia. He's our orthopedic surgeon and
Sports Medicine specialist, check them out, Grant Garcia MD
Cam Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.com and dr.
Garcia, first off, welcome. How are you?
(01:08):
I know you're in transit becauseyou've got a million things to
do, but I appreciate your time. How are you today?
I'm doing great. Thanks for having me.
I'm just happy that we have somenice Seattle weather which as
you know, is not common around this time so everything's good
and happy to be here and thanks for having me again.
Yeah, this is bright light in the sky.
(01:28):
I'm not sure what it is. Is I think they call it the Sun
and there's these blue, this blue skies and Sun this time, of
year, it's really unusual. You know, obviously the summers
are amazing here and you know, please any fans out there that
haven't been here, please come out the west coast and check
especially check out the Summershere.
They're absolutely amazing sunsets to almost 10:00 at
(01:51):
night, but this time of year, seeing that little light in the
sky just brings me such Joy. Maybe you can hear the joy in my
voice as your, you know, alluding to You know, pretty
much the same thing that you just feeling that warmth of the
Sun. Correct.
Listen, you're an athlete. You're a dude, right?
You go out there, you run, you're lifting weights, you
(02:12):
know, you're swimming, you're skiing, you do it all, we know,
you know, dr. Garcia my my good friend Dory is
going to have a procedure with you, you know, shortly and she's
like, you know, that dudes a specimen.
I was like man, he's an athlete and she's a coach's daughter,
you know, I'll make me blush blush on this podcast.
Yeah. Listen made cheats her father is
(02:33):
one of the great coaches and thestate Out of Washington, he
trains athletes and quarterbacks.
He's worked with Drew Bledsoe. Hit, in fact, him in his
father's created, this quarterback League out there, I
mean, she she's worked on these camps, she knows, dudes, she's a
football person and she's like, you know, that dr.
Garcia minute. That's a dude.
(02:54):
I was like yeah man. I'm just you know he's he's got
it together. So anyway listen when you hear
about the sport of Lacrosse, first off, do you have any
involvement with the sport or what do you know about this?
Port of La Crosse, you know, just from your experience.
Well, first off, you know, a lacrosse is a big deal and
Mercer Island, we have pretty good lacrosse team and then
(03:17):
places that I've gone, you know,Brown and some place on the East
Coast, where lacrosse is everything, you know, it's in
some of these schools on the East Coast, you know, Johns
Hopkins, Princeton You Name It. Lacrosse is is the thing and
people, there are really really good and they do a lot of, you
know, that's their big thing. So it's something that, you
know, I really, I know, experienced a lot of it and I've
(03:39):
seen also a lot of Beets are onepoint I think during my
residency training with opportunity to take care of some
of the major league teams up in New York and it's impressive.
Those guys, you know how fast they throw the or user stick to
throw the ball and the type of movement in the running.
I have to do. I mean it's really an all sport,
(04:00):
you know, ball skills, contact and a lot of running.
So it's a tremendous sport. I love it.
My son played four years in highschool Were originally from the
East Coast, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, east coast
lacrosse, is the sport in Springand usually, you get the
football players from the fall to go into it or you have a
(04:23):
combination of basketball. Because for defense for you, to
sit down with that, which are stick your in that basketball
stance, there's contact sport. They, you know, the boys are
wearing helmets and shoulder pads.
So just real quick, just for ouraudience to get a general
understanding, it's a full contact sport.
You know, they allow body and stick checking they mandate hard
(04:44):
shell helmets with full mass forthe boys for the girls.
If they prohibit bodychecking it's a little bit different to
game and they have a spear roll I'm not going to get into all
that will be a little too complicated but it prevents the
stick, checking To The Head And it allows the optional flexible
head gear with or without eye protection which is problematic
(05:04):
in itself. I've had different conversations
with different coaches on the men's side.
The women's side. Good friends with the
Farmingdale, High School coach and Long Island.
She's won multiple state championships.
I've talked about whether it's smart for them to put on helmets
instead of just having, you know, pretty much the glasses.
(05:25):
You know, they really don't wearthem.
I've never seen the girls are women's sports in La Crosse,
wear protective softshell helmet.
They usually don't this start right there.
What are the concerns there fromthe boys playing with a helmet
and the Girls not having a helmet even though they don't
allow that physical checking like the boys do.
But listen, you're running around with aluminum stick
(05:49):
swinging you're not supposed to but it does happen.
What are some of the concerns asa doctor when you hear the
differences when it comes to that?
I mean right then and there I mean whirring ready we'll talk
about this concussions are huge and even when you have a helmet
on, it still happens. I mean, you've seen it an NFL,
you've seen other places that hard hit with even the Top Gear,
(06:12):
you know, regulated number one, technology, it happens.
And then you have no helmet withaccidental hits, and usually The
Accidental hits of the ones thatare way worse, right?
Because you're not breaking yourneck, you're not breaking your
body, you're not as good point. You have no idea.
I mean, right. You know, usually, and, you
know, it's not intentional, they're hitting them.
But you have the exact same equipment for the most part, but
(06:35):
no protective headgear. And it's common that concussions
in both sides, and support, you know, common in men's fork and
common in women sports. It just, I just worry the fact
that if it's common in women sports and they're not
protected, I mean that's really dangerous.
And, you know, and again, I'll be happens less because there's
(06:55):
no contact. Allowed.
But it doesn't. They just takes one person to
get really hurt where it's like,is this really necessary?
Yeah, I have a stat here. Just to kind of piggyback on
what you're seeing. This was a survey that was done
over 10 years from 2008 to 2018 or going into the 19 season for
women, where there was contact with a stick or a ball.
(07:20):
So just for our audience to haveout, just to have an image, you
have a stick, you're usually cradling a ball and your In the
ball into a goal. Right?
So for the women, stick or ball contact was the most common
mechanism of the concussion accounting for seventy two point
seven percent of all concussions.
(07:42):
While that other 19.8 was more, it was for contact when you I
don't know. I feel like, you know, your
brain will explode, just thinking about it is you as a
doctor when they say 72, Seven Oma 73% of these concussion
injuries are happening because you're getting hit in the head
with a stick or a ball. I mean, does that drive you
(08:04):
nuts. Are you out there in the top of
the mountain scream and say we've got to change something or
do something? Yeah.
I mean that's a disaster. I mean, that's not that's not
good for our young girls to be playing out and having that
option and having that ability that they might get hit with a
ball. I mean those balls are not like,
we're not even. I mean, even getting hit with a
tennis ball in the head is bad, but these are, these are
(08:26):
weighted leg. Baldwin they hurt, they hurt me
to have the arms. I mean you see lacrosse players
come back with bruises all over their arms from the sticks or
from the balls themselves hanging them and then you have a
direct Blow To The Head. I mean that's no way.
It's scary. And I've had this conversation
before, you know, with other coaches and I alluded to that in
the beginning, but they're stuckin their ways and you think just
(08:51):
in general and we're going to apply it to La Crosse.
But I think in general and sports right right now.
If your baseball fan, there's a lot.
Check out and they're trying to make changes and, you know,
they're trying to do a bunch of different things and I Fells
been making changes but it's such a slow process.
Do you think? You know, whether it's
quote-unquote, the Integrity their game or changing the game
(09:11):
is you think that becomes the problem instead of realizing
that change is? Okay, if there's a benefit to it
I mean in all these Sports, we've seen changing not easy.
I mean, even when we talk about the NFL and concussions it took
You know that card skimmer that movie's name but it took, you
know, people bringing up that like these this is going to be a
(09:32):
major lawsuit. Yeah.
And CTE is real, before they changed a lot of the policies,
you know. And as we know from years ago,
players would be put back in when they had concussions and
that is completely the not the norm now.
I mean, I'm sure thing still goes up through the cracks, but,
you know, we compare everything to the highest level and I would
say that the most vicious sport out there, at least that we're
(09:54):
used to is football. Yeah.
And you know, it took NFL to 800pound gorilla it.
So it took a long time for thoserules to happen, even when
people were dying of it or having major medical problems
later on in life. And so, if that's happening, we
need to really consider like, what about our younger kids that
are more vulnerable and, you know, they're not as big and as
(10:17):
fast as some the NFL players and, you know, they're not doing
this for their living. Like, if some, if someone gets
hit me as a traumatic, brain injury and they have no support
because they're, they're just inhigh school.
Winston. And that's a big deal.
I mean, the big deal, no matter what, but it's in my opinion,
it's a bigger deal with the kid.Yeah.
And just to piggyback for our audience said that was a dr.
Bennet omalu and Will Smith portrayed him in the movie
(10:38):
concussions, but he's the one that first started noticing
these, you know, I don't know for lack of better word
discrepancies when it came to the brain and obviously that's
been something that's been kind of going on.
But that's for another show before we kind of wrap up the
concussion part of this. And it's not just to you know
illustrate that is happening with the girls.
(10:59):
Obviously happens with the boys but the boys numbers are higher
because of contact. You know, it's a contact sport.
It's shoulder pads. It's helmet.
You have the sticks you can check, you can use the stick for
contact. That's not, that's something
that you're not supposed to be doing with the with the girls
lacrosse but the boys lacrosse. It's a, it's like football
(11:21):
meets, you know, soccer / basketball with contact.
So it's a little bit all. Over the place.
But for a coach or a parent sometimes concussions are not.
It clearly has clearly diagnosedright away, right?
It's not some kid holding his head on the, on the turf right
(11:44):
away and you know, something's wrong, but sometimes they can be
effects, that might be down the road for parent or coach that to
listening. What is something that you
should look for? In your player or child that may
have had a concussion if they'reexhibiting certain symptoms that
you should say. Hey, we need to take a look at
(12:05):
this or maybe take them to a doctor.
You tell me what they should do and what they should be looking
out for. I think the obvious ones are
obviously Headache, nausea thosethings and those and blurry
vision. But those are the ones that know
parents going, nor right? Yeah, I think the big ones that
people don't think about are like, you know, your kids tired.
(12:26):
They're not Act normal, you know, play video games, and now
they're not able to concentrate.They, you know, long-term score,
the grades are not doing as well.
That's a little bit more extremebut, you know, I think the tired
one is real. You know, the one that is not
acting normal like most of us, you know, teenage, I have
teenagers yet thankfully, but atsome point I will and I'll have
(12:47):
to have, you know, their behavior changes.
May happen day-to-day. Yeah.
But you know that's normal, but,you know, when you're kids
Behavior changes, something different.
Right? And then that's when you to be
aware, okay? Should we investigate this so?
Behavioral changes and fatigue tiredness.
It's not normal for your kid, you know.
Those are the things that I worry about.
You know, sleeping in longer than normally do, just not
(13:09):
acting themselves. They got three should start
thinking about this. This is more worrisome and what
is something that they should do, if they feel like they're
exhibiting these signs and listen to, that is really tough.
I mean, because teenagers tend to sleep in sometimes they're
aloof distracted, you know? My No, I have a I have a soon.
Cat. Jeez, I almost have a 23 year
(13:30):
old son but my daughter is 14 and sometimes she'll just stay
out, you know, stare off to space.
So it's some of the things you're describing describes the
perfect teenager on a normal day.
But if you do have any concerns,what is something that maybe a
checks and balance or you just say, hey, let's just be careful
and do what I mean I think if you're really worried you take
(13:53):
him to your primary care doctor or pediatrician you know.
And again you can find out from the kids but give your kid was
playing the cross. The day before you saw him get
smacked 20 times and the next day they're acting feared yeah
might be a concussion if they'rejust acting weird because
they're their teenager and they never have played a sport before
(14:16):
we're talking about lacrosse players.
But damn if they have no reason for that and you never had that
everyone injury. I wouldn't worry about it, but
they had a pretty physical game the day before and it's usually
concussions are pretty acute. I mean there's long-term
concussion symptoms stuff but that's no parent if it is
appropriate that player or somebody's acting weird.
But months later is going to pick up on that and really it's
(14:37):
very rare. So it's like that day after
Kevin thing that you need to be like, okay, if I was you go get
checked out. You know, going through
neurologist right away is a little bit aggressive and the
next step is probably just to get them.
Some score testing that we talked about before, you know,
and then double check that just to get a little bit more
information on the sport. You know, they it goes back to I
(15:00):
guess the earlier accounts are going back to the 1600s in.
This be obvious about this, thisboard goes back, who knows how
far? Because only reason we have that
type of information or document is because, you know, It was,
you know, European settlers thatkind of saw the sport being
played, by the way, wasn't called across and that's going
(15:20):
to be one of your trivia questions later on.
So I'm giving you a heads-up. It wasn't called a cross back in
the day. So it this game, even though it
may seem to be new for certain people, it's been around for a
long, long time. And, in fact, it was something
beautiful. Right.
And, you know, some of the Traditions going back to the
indigenous, people was that theywill have a celebration the
(15:42):
night before the game, we, you know, Dancing and food.
And and the sport was focused onthe community aspect.
I know this doesn't have anything to do with, you know,
Orthopedics. But you know, just in general.
Right. I kind of wish that there was a
little bit more of that. Right.
And I think that's a whole othertopic but just, you know, just
to touch upon that. Doesn't that sound great that
(16:04):
it's a celebration, you know, between communities, you know to
celebrate a game that they're about to play, you know, what
are your thoughts there on? You know how we I do guess view
Sports and really what is shouldbe all about?
I think it's a great point. I mean, I wish that in a fortune
in America, that's not the way it is.
(16:24):
For the most part, you know, I think that the one sport I'd say
maybe is like the Super Bowl where families and friends get
together to get ready to watch the game, okay?
Or you know, some of the bigger level, you know, World Series
and things, but otherwise, you know, it's sort of a really
local type of thing, but I thinkas you get, I mean, you do see
it at higher levels when your Championship Games Championship
things people in the community people your family gets together
(16:48):
and get you ready for the game. When I was in doing swimming and
we'd be at the state level, you know, that was something that
Mom and Dad really made. Sure, we kind of were like,
getting excited for but also found a way to like, make it
special and get you ready for the meet etcetera.
So that was that's as close to it as I've seen, and it in some
places. It's different because you know,
you've got these players from really on, you know, rural
(17:09):
places or low-income places thatthis is their chance to get out
and play professional sport. And then, I think there's more
families in that situation that rally around that person.
Yeah. Or that group People that are
playing it but it would be nice.I mean, it it's a, it would
definitely is a, it's a very, very different thing than we do
now. And it's this cool to hear about
it. And that would be, that would be
(17:30):
a great thing if that happened. Yeah, it once again you know we
talked about Orthopedics and once in a while we like to do a
show where we just kind of, you know, talk a little bit in
general and just kind of, you know, just make everyone realize
that we're part of that Community, you know, in general,
besides a, what you do. Just an example, you know, when
we We when we coached lacrosse, we would have X amount of games
(17:53):
on our schedule and dependent who we were playing and then
afterwards, we will have a barbecue.
We just try to raise up some money from the families and we
would drag a grill to the field and afterwards, make hot dogs
and have some potato chips and both teams would eat at the end
of the game and it always felt different you know and coaches
will come by for another team. And you know, for the most part
(18:15):
they were really happy and the kids would all sit around
together and that your Him in myteam but our team and it's just
something that it just makes thegame just more beautiful and not
just lacrosse, but just some of those things that we want as a
community and for sports into something that we're always
looking to do anyway. I digress.
So, when you see these players running up down to field,
(18:38):
especially boys, they got these shoulder pads on and got the
helmet and they run around with these sticks and they're they're
slashing and trying to get the ball away and they're colliding.
If there's a ground ball is there's something else that
really kind of stands out for you to, you know, when it comes
down to these injuries and maybethat you've dealt with in your
office, Yeah. I mean there's two major ones is
(19:00):
the one that you worry about is obviously chronic ankle sprains.
They get a lot of sprained theirankles because they're not, you
know, they're doing a lot of twisting and there's a really
high movement. Yeah.
Like inline fall or things like that.
They get a lot of ankle injuries.
I've had a fair number of ACL from La Crosse.
Hmm. And when you have clicked on and
you twist, you know, and you're on turf or whatever, you know,
(19:22):
you have that risk and it's real.
And then the other thing is I don't do as much this somehow.
An searching. But my hand partner see a lot of
wrist fractures, you know, risk confusions aren't confusion
because they use their arms as their Shields, which is never a
good thing. You know, those are the, those
are the major ones that we see, obviously the head injuries but
I don't see it. Many of those because says, you
(19:43):
should go to neurology or pediatricians Etc.
But those are the ones that I worry about most, and when I get
a referral for someone playing the cross, that's usually what
it is. Yeah, and my son had a lot of
injuries. A lot of them were written.
Juries just for our listeners out there.
They they do wear gloves but when you're told you, when you
(20:05):
have a player and you're tellingthem to defend, you're telling
them to check the hands. And what that means is that
you're taking your stick and either.
If you could get around to hit their stick, it's one thing,
right? But there's more of a chance of
you hit in the helmet or something like that.
And that becomes a penalty. But if you hit the hands or or
(20:27):
smack, the And where they can lose the ball and now you have a
ground ball opportunity. So we saw and I'm just
piggybacking on what you said. We saw a lot of injuries that
wouldn't even go to obviously tooffice like yours but they would
be in a tremendous amount of plate, pain from hand, and wrist
injuries. So you know, so the risk is so
(20:49):
complicated because there's so many little bones in there.
Is there something there? Where a coach or parent can say?
Hi. Hey, I think there's something
else kind of going on here. It's not just a bruise but
something that's noticeable saying, well, I might need to
check it out. I remember I broke my wrist
playing football and I didn't even realize that was broken.
I thought it was, you know, justspraying and then I used to work
(21:13):
at Sloan-Kettering cancer hospital and my supervisor, look
at my wrist, he was like, yeah, you need to go across the street
to Hospital Special Surgery. Something's wrong with your
wrist and sure enough when they did x-rays, it was broken and
had a cast. Yeah.
So I mean With wrist, fractures in hand fractures.
I mean, like you said majority of them.
Thank you tree with no surgery, especially if you're wearing
(21:34):
gloves. But you know, the thing, you
know, is where when you're paying oven, go away for a day
or two or your swelling increases to a level, that does
not seem normal. Like, you know, a little bruise
here, a little bit over there, that's fine and generally if you
push on the bone and it hurts that these, get an x-ray, so got
you. Those are my reasons.
But if you need somebody, you know, you got my man, dr.
(21:55):
Wayne while here, he's an expertat this.
You he's lots of Lacrosse injuries for risks, and if any
concerns that the guy to go to self, what's when it comes to
concerning injuries? We talked about the concussion.
I read article on Tommy Malin, he broke his neck, going after a
ground ball, and collided with another player, I saw the video,
(22:19):
it looked like every other play that I've seen when kids Collide
going after a ground ball, just so people have a visualization,
the ball is on the ground players are going to try to
recover the ball using their stick it Sport AEK, use your
hands to pick up the ball. You have to use a stick.
So normally what happens is thatyou're lowering yourself down,
(22:42):
your head is facing the ground or looking at the ball.
So you're not seeing the other player coming in and there's
colliding. And it's one of those things
that can happen, really, really fast and be impactful for Tommy.
He thought he was fine. It was going to get up and the
doctor on site said, no. No, this doesn't look right.
(23:05):
Let me just kind of stabilize you.
And he was ready to get up, callthe ambulance.
And when they took him in for x-rays, he had a broken bone, it
was a C1 and the cervical spine.Then you said, if you would have
got up and stood up, it could have been a really bad
situation. My question is, when you have
these type of injuries, is it better to be safer than sorry.
(23:31):
And when is it, you know, something.
Are you have to take over take control of the situation and
tell the player? No, you need to kind of stay
there. What are some of the signs that
you can see immediately where itbecomes concerning for you for
the team physician or wherever it is on?
Usually there's a doctor involved for one of the games
but sometimes the practice is there.
(23:52):
No doctors there. So if you had a coach, I was
listening if there was a collision like that.
What's the safest way to kind ofgo about it?
Even if there is no long-term injury, I'll tell you this if
you think there's a neck injury,there is nothing that you can do
to your never, you can do more wrong than do nothing.
(24:15):
So if you have a concern for a cervical injury like that, you
spine board them and get them tothe hospital and get it
evaluated, you will never sleep another night.
If you're one of your players gets paralyzed or has a problem
and that story and I don't want to make The audience of set, but
that player gotten up with a C1 fracture.
(24:36):
There is a high chance that theywould not be here right now.
Just when standing up, that is the c 1 c. 2 is sometimes
instant passing away. So I don't want to get into, you
know, being dark and everything else.
But you know, those are those are the injuries were someone
gets in a wheelchair or had talking at three or four or five
(24:59):
below. So if you think there's a
fracture or dislocation, You areworried about something, you
just fine boredom. Follow the protocols, don't move
their neck, bring it into a hospital.
They can be evaluated by professional and either taking
care of, or at least confirm, there's nothing wrong.
So, just to follow up on that question.
(25:19):
This player wanted to get up. So is there a question that you
should ask? If you hit see a player, hit the
ground, stay down and you kind of run over to them.
Is there, is there a certain questions and And I'm, you know,
I'm asking this because like I said and most of these high
school practices, you won't havea doctor on site it's mandatory
(25:43):
here in Seattle to have someone.Whether it's from Children's
Hospital, somewhere like that atthe games.
But at the practices it's not. So if a Coach or assistant coach
or somebody comes running over, they see a player down, is there
a Litany of questions that you should ask just some basic
questions that if they don't answer them a certain way that
you could say? Wait a minute.
I don't want to take a chance here.
(26:05):
Yes. So few Simple Things One.
Have them move their fingers in their their arms and make sure
they have no numbness because they have any of that stop right
there. You know, you have stingers and
everything else. But if you think they're next to
problem, you should ask him thatquestion first to any neck pain
and the third one is to palpate the back of the neck.
(26:25):
You feel those little points in the back of your neck?
Those your spinous processes? Yeah, if any of those things are
tender at all. Again, if you have a fracture,
they'll go into space. Azzam.
So for the most part, so if any of those things check out
immediately, stop what you're doing and continue.
Now, there's more extreme things, but generally if those
things happen, I mean you're theplayers are asking to get up.
(26:48):
I got ya. So those are the three things
that I would do quickly, and I would do that for every player.
Obviously, you can't check all the nerves everything else
because you might not know aboutthose things.
But those three things are simple.
Making sure to check that there's no numbness or tingling
in the arms wiggle. Their tote wiggle their hands
with Their toes very simple. Check the back and neck muscles
(27:09):
are asking as any neck pain or an end over finally palpate the
back of the neck if there's nextsoreness.
Hey no one's going to make it, you're never going to feel badly
about not about I would never feel badly about sending a
patient's spine board to the hospital and double-checking it
if it was negative because, you know, it's just it never would
take the risk. See, this is what we try to do
(27:29):
here, provide information for just the regular, you know, Jane
and Joe, you know, just sits important information because
things like that is something that can be valuable especially
to a coaching staff, you know that are dealing with these
kids, they have sometimes you have to coaches and you know you
have 40 or 50 kids. I don't know how much, how many
(27:50):
kids at Mercer Island every teamis different.
So just having some basic knowledge and basic Action
because, you know, we talked about obviously concussions or
issue and wrist fractures and you know, lower back pain and
everything else that you talked about, but that neck injury is
just so so important just to be aware of.
(28:13):
So I appreciate the information that you're given, I know you've
got to run because you are busy busy guy.
Alright, here we go. You ready for your question
here? Yeah, no, right.
Here we go. By the way, before we go on, was
it anything else that you wantedto add to the, to the topic?
I think we did a pretty good extensive coverage today, right,
(28:35):
man? I appreciate that dr.
Garcia just trying to give a little bit information and you
know, keep it light at the same time.
So the game of Lacrosse wasn't called lacrosse.
It was changed a French missionary, eventually changed
the name to Lacrosse. A used to be called this, right?
(28:57):
It's actually a name of another Sport and it that's sport.
This game is predominantly played in the street.
I don't know if I've given you enough Clues here.
So there is a sport. I was going to say hi live
because that's the sport. They play in my Central.
America looks kind of, like the cross of a fly the ball through.
(29:19):
Yes. And I don't think that's right.
No, no, this is a, this is a predominant Street Sport.
And for me, being in New York, it was a popular sport in the
street. In New York City and boy, I
don't know. You got to help me out.
Yeah I never get these you know that I gotta find something is a
little bit difficult for you buteverything else is easy.
(29:42):
It is called yeah it was called stickball.
Right makes kind of sense right.A stick in a ball and you know
you go shoot at the goal and youknow run around and play.
But but stickball is a popular sport, especially New York City
usually with a sponge ball and abroomstick and you play in
baseball out. There and you hitting cars and
(30:03):
hitting windows and you're running around and obviously
people got tired of that and kind of went to the Wiffle ball
route, but stick ball is still asport that's played in the
streets. And that's my useless
information for the day. I love it.
Dr. Garcia listen, I appreciate your time.
I know. You're so busy.
(30:24):
That's a grant Garcia our orthopedic surgeon Sports
Medicine specialist, check them out, Grant Garcia.
M.com Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.com and listen, I
appreciate your time. I don't know if I will be able
to see, I'm dropping my friend off because you're going to do
some work and make her all better.
And she's really excited to finally heal up and she's
(30:48):
looking forward to seeing You. So I hope all goes well and, you
know, we will talk Absolutely, we'll talk to you later.
And thank you for having me again.
Thank you buddy. That's dr.
Grant Garcia dr. Garcia have a great day.
You too, bye. Greg Garcia m.com.
(31:08):
Listen the reason we love talking to him, right?
I mean, so knowledgeable, right?First and foremost, these, he's
ahead all the curve. He's always looking for new
information, new tech, you know,just all around, and he fits the
criteria, right? He's an athlete himself, right?
And we can have these conversations and they could be
kind of laid-back and still kindof give you information for
(31:31):
everyone out there, listening. I hope especially the
information he gave about the neck and how to really be aware
of it and take care of it and what?
He's if it didn't come across, let's be clear.
He's saying you rather be safe than sorry, those injuries if
(31:52):
you're wrong, can be catastrophic.
So for coaches out there, even players that are listening,
right? Your buddy gets hit falls down.
Sometimes you know, we're rushing to pick.
I'm right up, right? If you play basketball, right?
You're coaching, you know. Hey, your teammate hits the
ground, you run over, there you pick them up, you get them off
(32:14):
the floor players, your player goes down to certain way.
You don't run over there and pick them up.
It could be really detrimental. Okay, so where this information
is out there not just for the coaches and the parents, you
know we have a lot of volunteer parents that are part of part of
these clubs, you know. But also for the players Do not
(32:36):
run over and help your teammate up.
If it seems like they've had a collision, let that player lay
there, come over, you could check on them, talk to him,
don't touch them and let the coaches and other parents.
Do what they need to do to protect and stabilize right out
of all the things we talked about and we know how serious
(32:57):
concussions are. Ankle sprains will heal these
Springs where he'll you know, wrist fractures, you know, low
back pain, you know, collar boneinjuries.
You got a broken Collarbones going to suck and we it heals
catastrophic neck injuries. That's something that you might
not come back from. Dr. Grant Garcia Grant Garcia
(33:17):
MD.com. Thanks for listening, we hope it
was informative.
Well, the fastest growing sportsin America.
I know everyone's going to say pickleball, because it is right
now, an unbelievably pickleball,it is, but his Lacrosse on the
high school level at the collegelevel.
It's one of the fastest growing Sports.
In fact in the Major League level, there's now three
leagues. In fact, one of the League's
(00:25):
will be coming to Seattle if you're Seattle in August.
So check them out. If you've never seen a
professional, Lacrosse team please feel free to check them
out but lacrosse is the fastest growing sport.
It involves everything right running there's contact their
skill and unlike football and some of these other sports
almost any size player can participate.
(00:48):
So it's a great Sport and that'ssomething that we're going to
talk about today we'll talk a little bit about the sport of
Lacrosse and with the help of dr.
Grant Garcia. He's our orthopedic surgeon and
Sports Medicine specialist, check them out, Grant Garcia MD
Cam Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.com and dr.
Garcia, first off, welcome. How are you?
(01:08):
I know you're in transit becauseyou've got a million things to
do, but I appreciate your time. How are you today?
I'm doing great. Thanks for having me.
I'm just happy that we have somenice Seattle weather which as
you know, is not common around this time so everything's good
and happy to be here and thanks for having me again.
Yeah, this is bright light in the sky.
(01:28):
I'm not sure what it is. Is I think they call it the Sun
and there's these blue, this blue skies and Sun this time, of
year, it's really unusual. You know, obviously the summers
are amazing here and you know, please any fans out there that
haven't been here, please come out the west coast and check
especially check out the Summershere.
They're absolutely amazing sunsets to almost 10:00 at
(01:51):
night, but this time of year, seeing that little light in the
sky just brings me such Joy. Maybe you can hear the joy in my
voice as your, you know, alluding to You know, pretty
much the same thing that you just feeling that warmth of the
Sun. Correct.
Listen, you're an athlete. You're a dude, right?
You go out there, you run, you're lifting weights, you
(02:12):
know, you're swimming, you're skiing, you do it all, we know,
you know, dr. Garcia my my good friend Dory is
going to have a procedure with you, you know, shortly and she's
like, you know, that dudes a specimen.
I was like man, he's an athlete and she's a coach's daughter,
you know, I'll make me blush blush on this podcast.
Yeah. Listen made cheats her father is
(02:33):
one of the great coaches and thestate Out of Washington, he
trains athletes and quarterbacks.
He's worked with Drew Bledsoe. Hit, in fact, him in his
father's created, this quarterback League out there, I
mean, she she's worked on these camps, she knows, dudes, she's a
football person and she's like, you know, that dr.
Garcia minute. That's a dude.
(02:54):
I was like yeah man. I'm just you know he's he's got
it together. So anyway listen when you hear
about the sport of Lacrosse, first off, do you have any
involvement with the sport or what do you know about this?
Port of La Crosse, you know, just from your experience.
Well, first off, you know, a lacrosse is a big deal and
Mercer Island, we have pretty good lacrosse team and then
(03:17):
places that I've gone, you know,Brown and some place on the East
Coast, where lacrosse is everything, you know, it's in
some of these schools on the East Coast, you know, Johns
Hopkins, Princeton You Name It. Lacrosse is is the thing and
people, there are really really good and they do a lot of, you
know, that's their big thing. So it's something that, you
know, I really, I know, experienced a lot of it and I've
(03:39):
seen also a lot of Beets are onepoint I think during my
residency training with opportunity to take care of some
of the major league teams up in New York and it's impressive.
Those guys, you know how fast they throw the or user stick to
throw the ball and the type of movement in the running.
I have to do. I mean it's really an all sport,
(04:00):
you know, ball skills, contact and a lot of running.
So it's a tremendous sport. I love it.
My son played four years in highschool Were originally from the
East Coast, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, east coast
lacrosse, is the sport in Springand usually, you get the
football players from the fall to go into it or you have a
(04:23):
combination of basketball. Because for defense for you, to
sit down with that, which are stick your in that basketball
stance, there's contact sport. They, you know, the boys are
wearing helmets and shoulder pads.
So just real quick, just for ouraudience to get a general
understanding, it's a full contact sport.
You know, they allow body and stick checking they mandate hard
(04:44):
shell helmets with full mass forthe boys for the girls.
If they prohibit bodychecking it's a little bit different to
game and they have a spear roll I'm not going to get into all
that will be a little too complicated but it prevents the
stick, checking To The Head And it allows the optional flexible
head gear with or without eye protection which is problematic
(05:04):
in itself. I've had different conversations
with different coaches on the men's side.
The women's side. Good friends with the
Farmingdale, High School coach and Long Island.
She's won multiple state championships.
I've talked about whether it's smart for them to put on helmets
instead of just having, you know, pretty much the glasses.
(05:25):
You know, they really don't wearthem.
I've never seen the girls are women's sports in La Crosse,
wear protective softshell helmet.
They usually don't this start right there.
What are the concerns there fromthe boys playing with a helmet
and the Girls not having a helmet even though they don't
allow that physical checking like the boys do.
But listen, you're running around with aluminum stick
(05:49):
swinging you're not supposed to but it does happen.
What are some of the concerns asa doctor when you hear the
differences when it comes to that?
I mean right then and there I mean whirring ready we'll talk
about this concussions are huge and even when you have a helmet
on, it still happens. I mean, you've seen it an NFL,
you've seen other places that hard hit with even the Top Gear,
(06:12):
you know, regulated number one, technology, it happens.
And then you have no helmet withaccidental hits, and usually The
Accidental hits of the ones thatare way worse, right?
Because you're not breaking yourneck, you're not breaking your
body, you're not as good point. You have no idea.
I mean, right. You know, usually, and, you
know, it's not intentional, they're hitting them.
But you have the exact same equipment for the most part, but
(06:35):
no protective headgear. And it's common that concussions
in both sides, and support, you know, common in men's fork and
common in women sports. It just, I just worry the fact
that if it's common in women sports and they're not
protected, I mean that's really dangerous.
And, you know, and again, I'll be happens less because there's
(06:55):
no contact. Allowed.
But it doesn't. They just takes one person to
get really hurt where it's like,is this really necessary?
Yeah, I have a stat here. Just to kind of piggyback on
what you're seeing. This was a survey that was done
over 10 years from 2008 to 2018 or going into the 19 season for
women, where there was contact with a stick or a ball.
(07:20):
So just for our audience to haveout, just to have an image, you
have a stick, you're usually cradling a ball and your In the
ball into a goal. Right?
So for the women, stick or ball contact was the most common
mechanism of the concussion accounting for seventy two point
seven percent of all concussions.
(07:42):
While that other 19.8 was more, it was for contact when you I
don't know. I feel like, you know, your
brain will explode, just thinking about it is you as a
doctor when they say 72, Seven Oma 73% of these concussion
injuries are happening because you're getting hit in the head
with a stick or a ball. I mean, does that drive you
(08:04):
nuts. Are you out there in the top of
the mountain scream and say we've got to change something or
do something? Yeah.
I mean that's a disaster. I mean, that's not that's not
good for our young girls to be playing out and having that
option and having that ability that they might get hit with a
ball. I mean those balls are not like,
we're not even. I mean, even getting hit with a
tennis ball in the head is bad, but these are, these are
(08:26):
weighted leg. Baldwin they hurt, they hurt me
to have the arms. I mean you see lacrosse players
come back with bruises all over their arms from the sticks or
from the balls themselves hanging them and then you have a
direct Blow To The Head. I mean that's no way.
It's scary. And I've had this conversation
before, you know, with other coaches and I alluded to that in
the beginning, but they're stuckin their ways and you think just
(08:51):
in general and we're going to apply it to La Crosse.
But I think in general and sports right right now.
If your baseball fan, there's a lot.
Check out and they're trying to make changes and, you know,
they're trying to do a bunch of different things and I Fells
been making changes but it's such a slow process.
Do you think? You know, whether it's
quote-unquote, the Integrity their game or changing the game
(09:11):
is you think that becomes the problem instead of realizing
that change is? Okay, if there's a benefit to it
I mean in all these Sports, we've seen changing not easy.
I mean, even when we talk about the NFL and concussions it took
You know that card skimmer that movie's name but it took, you
know, people bringing up that like these this is going to be a
(09:32):
major lawsuit. Yeah.
And CTE is real, before they changed a lot of the policies,
you know. And as we know from years ago,
players would be put back in when they had concussions and
that is completely the not the norm now.
I mean, I'm sure thing still goes up through the cracks, but,
you know, we compare everything to the highest level and I would
say that the most vicious sport out there, at least that we're
(09:54):
used to is football. Yeah.
And you know, it took NFL to 800pound gorilla it.
So it took a long time for thoserules to happen, even when
people were dying of it or having major medical problems
later on in life. And so, if that's happening, we
need to really consider like, what about our younger kids that
are more vulnerable and, you know, they're not as big and as
(10:17):
fast as some the NFL players and, you know, they're not doing
this for their living. Like, if some, if someone gets
hit me as a traumatic, brain injury and they have no support
because they're, they're just inhigh school.
Winston. And that's a big deal.
I mean, the big deal, no matter what, but it's in my opinion,
it's a bigger deal with the kid.Yeah.
And just to piggyback for our audience said that was a dr.
Bennet omalu and Will Smith portrayed him in the movie
(10:38):
concussions, but he's the one that first started noticing
these, you know, I don't know for lack of better word
discrepancies when it came to the brain and obviously that's
been something that's been kind of going on.
But that's for another show before we kind of wrap up the
concussion part of this. And it's not just to you know
illustrate that is happening with the girls.
(10:59):
Obviously happens with the boys but the boys numbers are higher
because of contact. You know, it's a contact sport.
It's shoulder pads. It's helmet.
You have the sticks you can check, you can use the stick for
contact. That's not, that's something
that you're not supposed to be doing with the with the girls
lacrosse but the boys lacrosse. It's a, it's like football
(11:21):
meets, you know, soccer / basketball with contact.
So it's a little bit all. Over the place.
But for a coach or a parent sometimes concussions are not.
It clearly has clearly diagnosedright away, right?
It's not some kid holding his head on the, on the turf right
(11:44):
away and you know, something's wrong, but sometimes they can be
effects, that might be down the road for parent or coach that to
listening. What is something that you
should look for? In your player or child that may
have had a concussion if they'reexhibiting certain symptoms that
you should say. Hey, we need to take a look at
(12:05):
this or maybe take them to a doctor.
You tell me what they should do and what they should be looking
out for. I think the obvious ones are
obviously Headache, nausea thosethings and those and blurry
vision. But those are the ones that know
parents going, nor right? Yeah, I think the big ones that
people don't think about are like, you know, your kids tired.
(12:26):
They're not Act normal, you know, play video games, and now
they're not able to concentrate.They, you know, long-term score,
the grades are not doing as well.
That's a little bit more extremebut, you know, I think the tired
one is real. You know, the one that is not
acting normal like most of us, you know, teenage, I have
teenagers yet thankfully, but atsome point I will and I'll have
(12:47):
to have, you know, their behavior changes.
May happen day-to-day. Yeah.
But you know that's normal, but,you know, when you're kids
Behavior changes, something different.
Right? And then that's when you to be
aware, okay? Should we investigate this so?
Behavioral changes and fatigue tiredness.
It's not normal for your kid, you know.
Those are the things that I worry about.
You know, sleeping in longer than normally do, just not
(13:09):
acting themselves. They got three should start
thinking about this. This is more worrisome and what
is something that they should do, if they feel like they're
exhibiting these signs and listen to, that is really tough.
I mean, because teenagers tend to sleep in sometimes they're
aloof distracted, you know? My No, I have a I have a soon.
Cat. Jeez, I almost have a 23 year
(13:30):
old son but my daughter is 14 and sometimes she'll just stay
out, you know, stare off to space.
So it's some of the things you're describing describes the
perfect teenager on a normal day.
But if you do have any concerns,what is something that maybe a
checks and balance or you just say, hey, let's just be careful
and do what I mean I think if you're really worried you take
(13:53):
him to your primary care doctor or pediatrician you know.
And again you can find out from the kids but give your kid was
playing the cross. The day before you saw him get
smacked 20 times and the next day they're acting feared yeah
might be a concussion if they'rejust acting weird because
they're their teenager and they never have played a sport before
(14:16):
we're talking about lacrosse players.
But damn if they have no reason for that and you never had that
everyone injury. I wouldn't worry about it, but
they had a pretty physical game the day before and it's usually
concussions are pretty acute. I mean there's long-term
concussion symptoms stuff but that's no parent if it is
appropriate that player or somebody's acting weird.
But months later is going to pick up on that and really it's
(14:37):
very rare. So it's like that day after
Kevin thing that you need to be like, okay, if I was you go get
checked out. You know, going through
neurologist right away is a little bit aggressive and the
next step is probably just to get them.
Some score testing that we talked about before, you know,
and then double check that just to get a little bit more
information on the sport. You know, they it goes back to I
(15:00):
guess the earlier accounts are going back to the 1600s in.
This be obvious about this, thisboard goes back, who knows how
far? Because only reason we have that
type of information or document is because, you know, It was,
you know, European settlers thatkind of saw the sport being
played, by the way, wasn't called across and that's going
(15:20):
to be one of your trivia questions later on.
So I'm giving you a heads-up. It wasn't called a cross back in
the day. So it this game, even though it
may seem to be new for certain people, it's been around for a
long, long time. And, in fact, it was something
beautiful. Right.
And, you know, some of the Traditions going back to the
indigenous, people was that theywill have a celebration the
(15:42):
night before the game, we, you know, Dancing and food.
And and the sport was focused onthe community aspect.
I know this doesn't have anything to do with, you know,
Orthopedics. But you know, just in general.
Right. I kind of wish that there was a
little bit more of that. Right.
And I think that's a whole othertopic but just, you know, just
to touch upon that. Doesn't that sound great that
(16:04):
it's a celebration, you know, between communities, you know to
celebrate a game that they're about to play, you know, what
are your thoughts there on? You know how we I do guess view
Sports and really what is shouldbe all about?
I think it's a great point. I mean, I wish that in a fortune
in America, that's not the way it is.
(16:24):
For the most part, you know, I think that the one sport I'd say
maybe is like the Super Bowl where families and friends get
together to get ready to watch the game, okay?
Or you know, some of the bigger level, you know, World Series
and things, but otherwise, you know, it's sort of a really
local type of thing, but I thinkas you get, I mean, you do see
it at higher levels when your Championship Games Championship
things people in the community people your family gets together
(16:48):
and get you ready for the game. When I was in doing swimming and
we'd be at the state level, you know, that was something that
Mom and Dad really made. Sure, we kind of were like,
getting excited for but also found a way to like, make it
special and get you ready for the meet etcetera.
So that was that's as close to it as I've seen, and it in some
places. It's different because you know,
you've got these players from really on, you know, rural
(17:09):
places or low-income places thatthis is their chance to get out
and play professional sport. And then, I think there's more
families in that situation that rally around that person.
Yeah. Or that group People that are
playing it but it would be nice.I mean, it it's a, it would
definitely is a, it's a very, very different thing than we do
now. And it's this cool to hear about
it. And that would be, that would be
(17:30):
a great thing if that happened. Yeah, it once again you know we
talked about Orthopedics and once in a while we like to do a
show where we just kind of, you know, talk a little bit in
general and just kind of, you know, just make everyone realize
that we're part of that Community, you know, in general,
besides a, what you do. Just an example, you know, when
we We when we coached lacrosse, we would have X amount of games
(17:53):
on our schedule and dependent who we were playing and then
afterwards, we will have a barbecue.
We just try to raise up some money from the families and we
would drag a grill to the field and afterwards, make hot dogs
and have some potato chips and both teams would eat at the end
of the game and it always felt different you know and coaches
will come by for another team. And you know, for the most part
(18:15):
they were really happy and the kids would all sit around
together and that your Him in myteam but our team and it's just
something that it just makes thegame just more beautiful and not
just lacrosse, but just some of those things that we want as a
community and for sports into something that we're always
looking to do anyway. I digress.
So, when you see these players running up down to field,
(18:38):
especially boys, they got these shoulder pads on and got the
helmet and they run around with these sticks and they're they're
slashing and trying to get the ball away and they're colliding.
If there's a ground ball is there's something else that
really kind of stands out for you to, you know, when it comes
down to these injuries and maybethat you've dealt with in your
office, Yeah. I mean there's two major ones is
(19:00):
the one that you worry about is obviously chronic ankle sprains.
They get a lot of sprained theirankles because they're not, you
know, they're doing a lot of twisting and there's a really
high movement. Yeah.
Like inline fall or things like that.
They get a lot of ankle injuries.
I've had a fair number of ACL from La Crosse.
Hmm. And when you have clicked on and
you twist, you know, and you're on turf or whatever, you know,
(19:22):
you have that risk and it's real.
And then the other thing is I don't do as much this somehow.
An searching. But my hand partner see a lot of
wrist fractures, you know, risk confusions aren't confusion
because they use their arms as their Shields, which is never a
good thing. You know, those are the, those
are the major ones that we see, obviously the head injuries but
I don't see it. Many of those because says, you
(19:43):
should go to neurology or pediatricians Etc.
But those are the ones that I worry about most, and when I get
a referral for someone playing the cross, that's usually what
it is. Yeah, and my son had a lot of
injuries. A lot of them were written.
Juries just for our listeners out there.
They they do wear gloves but when you're told you, when you
(20:05):
have a player and you're tellingthem to defend, you're telling
them to check the hands. And what that means is that
you're taking your stick and either.
If you could get around to hit their stick, it's one thing,
right? But there's more of a chance of
you hit in the helmet or something like that.
And that becomes a penalty. But if you hit the hands or or
(20:27):
smack, the And where they can lose the ball and now you have a
ground ball opportunity. So we saw and I'm just
piggybacking on what you said. We saw a lot of injuries that
wouldn't even go to obviously tooffice like yours but they would
be in a tremendous amount of plate, pain from hand, and wrist
injuries. So you know, so the risk is so
(20:49):
complicated because there's so many little bones in there.
Is there something there? Where a coach or parent can say?
Hi. Hey, I think there's something
else kind of going on here. It's not just a bruise but
something that's noticeable saying, well, I might need to
check it out. I remember I broke my wrist
playing football and I didn't even realize that was broken.
I thought it was, you know, justspraying and then I used to work
(21:13):
at Sloan-Kettering cancer hospital and my supervisor, look
at my wrist, he was like, yeah, you need to go across the street
to Hospital Special Surgery. Something's wrong with your
wrist and sure enough when they did x-rays, it was broken and
had a cast. Yeah.
So I mean With wrist, fractures in hand fractures.
I mean, like you said majority of them.
Thank you tree with no surgery, especially if you're wearing
(21:34):
gloves. But you know, the thing, you
know, is where when you're paying oven, go away for a day
or two or your swelling increases to a level, that does
not seem normal. Like, you know, a little bruise
here, a little bit over there, that's fine and generally if you
push on the bone and it hurts that these, get an x-ray, so got
you. Those are my reasons.
But if you need somebody, you know, you got my man, dr.
(21:55):
Wayne while here, he's an expertat this.
You he's lots of Lacrosse injuries for risks, and if any
concerns that the guy to go to self, what's when it comes to
concerning injuries? We talked about the concussion.
I read article on Tommy Malin, he broke his neck, going after a
ground ball, and collided with another player, I saw the video,
(22:19):
it looked like every other play that I've seen when kids Collide
going after a ground ball, just so people have a visualization,
the ball is on the ground players are going to try to
recover the ball using their stick it Sport AEK, use your
hands to pick up the ball. You have to use a stick.
So normally what happens is thatyou're lowering yourself down,
(22:42):
your head is facing the ground or looking at the ball.
So you're not seeing the other player coming in and there's
colliding. And it's one of those things
that can happen, really, really fast and be impactful for Tommy.
He thought he was fine. It was going to get up and the
doctor on site said, no. No, this doesn't look right.
(23:05):
Let me just kind of stabilize you.
And he was ready to get up, callthe ambulance.
And when they took him in for x-rays, he had a broken bone, it
was a C1 and the cervical spine.Then you said, if you would have
got up and stood up, it could have been a really bad
situation. My question is, when you have
these type of injuries, is it better to be safer than sorry.
(23:31):
And when is it, you know, something.
Are you have to take over take control of the situation and
tell the player? No, you need to kind of stay
there. What are some of the signs that
you can see immediately where itbecomes concerning for you for
the team physician or wherever it is on?
Usually there's a doctor involved for one of the games
but sometimes the practice is there.
(23:52):
No doctors there. So if you had a coach, I was
listening if there was a collision like that.
What's the safest way to kind ofgo about it?
Even if there is no long-term injury, I'll tell you this if
you think there's a neck injury,there is nothing that you can do
to your never, you can do more wrong than do nothing.
(24:15):
So if you have a concern for a cervical injury like that, you
spine board them and get them tothe hospital and get it
evaluated, you will never sleep another night.
If you're one of your players gets paralyzed or has a problem
and that story and I don't want to make The audience of set, but
that player gotten up with a C1 fracture.
(24:36):
There is a high chance that theywould not be here right now.
Just when standing up, that is the c 1 c. 2 is sometimes
instant passing away. So I don't want to get into, you
know, being dark and everything else.
But you know, those are those are the injuries were someone
gets in a wheelchair or had talking at three or four or five
(24:59):
below. So if you think there's a
fracture or dislocation, You areworried about something, you
just fine boredom. Follow the protocols, don't move
their neck, bring it into a hospital.
They can be evaluated by professional and either taking
care of, or at least confirm, there's nothing wrong.
So, just to follow up on that question.
(25:19):
This player wanted to get up. So is there a question that you
should ask? If you hit see a player, hit the
ground, stay down and you kind of run over to them.
Is there, is there a certain questions and And I'm, you know,
I'm asking this because like I said and most of these high
school practices, you won't havea doctor on site it's mandatory
(25:43):
here in Seattle to have someone.Whether it's from Children's
Hospital, somewhere like that atthe games.
But at the practices it's not. So if a Coach or assistant coach
or somebody comes running over, they see a player down, is there
a Litany of questions that you should ask just some basic
questions that if they don't answer them a certain way that
you could say? Wait a minute.
I don't want to take a chance here.
(26:05):
Yes. So few Simple Things One.
Have them move their fingers in their their arms and make sure
they have no numbness because they have any of that stop right
there. You know, you have stingers and
everything else. But if you think they're next to
problem, you should ask him thatquestion first to any neck pain
and the third one is to palpate the back of the neck.
(26:25):
You feel those little points in the back of your neck?
Those your spinous processes? Yeah, if any of those things are
tender at all. Again, if you have a fracture,
they'll go into space. Azzam.
So for the most part, so if any of those things check out
immediately, stop what you're doing and continue.
Now, there's more extreme things, but generally if those
things happen, I mean you're theplayers are asking to get up.
(26:48):
I got ya. So those are the three things
that I would do quickly, and I would do that for every player.
Obviously, you can't check all the nerves everything else
because you might not know aboutthose things.
But those three things are simple.
Making sure to check that there's no numbness or tingling
in the arms wiggle. Their tote wiggle their hands
with Their toes very simple. Check the back and neck muscles
(27:09):
are asking as any neck pain or an end over finally palpate the
back of the neck if there's nextsoreness.
Hey no one's going to make it, you're never going to feel badly
about not about I would never feel badly about sending a
patient's spine board to the hospital and double-checking it
if it was negative because, you know, it's just it never would
take the risk. See, this is what we try to do
(27:29):
here, provide information for just the regular, you know, Jane
and Joe, you know, just sits important information because
things like that is something that can be valuable especially
to a coaching staff, you know that are dealing with these
kids, they have sometimes you have to coaches and you know you
have 40 or 50 kids. I don't know how much, how many
(27:50):
kids at Mercer Island every teamis different.
So just having some basic knowledge and basic Action
because, you know, we talked about obviously concussions or
issue and wrist fractures and you know, lower back pain and
everything else that you talked about, but that neck injury is
just so so important just to be aware of.
(28:13):
So I appreciate the information that you're given, I know you've
got to run because you are busy busy guy.
Alright, here we go. You ready for your question
here? Yeah, no, right.
Here we go. By the way, before we go on, was
it anything else that you wantedto add to the, to the topic?
I think we did a pretty good extensive coverage today, right,
(28:35):
man? I appreciate that dr.
Garcia just trying to give a little bit information and you
know, keep it light at the same time.
So the game of Lacrosse wasn't called lacrosse.
It was changed a French missionary, eventually changed
the name to Lacrosse. A used to be called this, right?
(28:57):
It's actually a name of another Sport and it that's sport.
This game is predominantly played in the street.
I don't know if I've given you enough Clues here.
So there is a sport. I was going to say hi live
because that's the sport. They play in my Central.
America looks kind of, like the cross of a fly the ball through.
(29:19):
Yes. And I don't think that's right.
No, no, this is a, this is a predominant Street Sport.
And for me, being in New York, it was a popular sport in the
street. In New York City and boy, I
don't know. You got to help me out.
Yeah I never get these you know that I gotta find something is a
little bit difficult for you buteverything else is easy.
(29:42):
It is called yeah it was called stickball.
Right makes kind of sense right.A stick in a ball and you know
you go shoot at the goal and youknow run around and play.
But but stickball is a popular sport, especially New York City
usually with a sponge ball and abroomstick and you play in
baseball out. There and you hitting cars and
(30:03):
hitting windows and you're running around and obviously
people got tired of that and kind of went to the Wiffle ball
route, but stick ball is still asport that's played in the
streets. And that's my useless
information for the day. I love it.
Dr. Garcia listen, I appreciate your time.
I know. You're so busy.
(30:24):
That's a grant Garcia our orthopedic surgeon Sports
Medicine specialist, check them out, Grant Garcia.
M.com Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.com and listen, I
appreciate your time. I don't know if I will be able
to see, I'm dropping my friend off because you're going to do
some work and make her all better.
And she's really excited to finally heal up and she's
(30:48):
looking forward to seeing You. So I hope all goes well and, you
know, we will talk Absolutely, we'll talk to you later.
And thank you for having me again.
Thank you buddy. That's dr.
Grant Garcia dr. Garcia have a great day.
You too, bye. Greg Garcia m.com.
(31:08):
Listen the reason we love talking to him, right?
I mean, so knowledgeable, right?First and foremost, these, he's
ahead all the curve. He's always looking for new
information, new tech, you know,just all around, and he fits the
criteria, right? He's an athlete himself, right?
And we can have these conversations and they could be
kind of laid-back and still kindof give you information for
(31:31):
everyone out there, listening. I hope especially the
information he gave about the neck and how to really be aware
of it and take care of it and what?
He's if it didn't come across, let's be clear.
He's saying you rather be safe than sorry, those injuries if
(31:52):
you're wrong, can be catastrophic.
So for coaches out there, even players that are listening,
right? Your buddy gets hit falls down.
Sometimes you know, we're rushing to pick.
I'm right up, right? If you play basketball, right?
You're coaching, you know. Hey, your teammate hits the
ground, you run over, there you pick them up, you get them off
(32:14):
the floor players, your player goes down to certain way.
You don't run over there and pick them up.
It could be really detrimental. Okay, so where this information
is out there not just for the coaches and the parents, you
know we have a lot of volunteer parents that are part of part of
these clubs, you know. But also for the players Do not
(32:36):
run over and help your teammate up.
If it seems like they've had a collision, let that player lay
there, come over, you could check on them, talk to him,
don't touch them and let the coaches and other parents.
Do what they need to do to protect and stabilize right out
of all the things we talked about and we know how serious
(32:57):
concussions are. Ankle sprains will heal these
Springs where he'll you know, wrist fractures, you know, low
back pain, you know, collar boneinjuries.
You got a broken Collarbones going to suck and we it heals
catastrophic neck injuries. That's something that you might
not come back from. Dr. Grant Garcia Grant Garcia
(33:17):
MD.com. Thanks for listening, we hope it
was informative.
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