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| SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2023
Sports participation should be about
Self-Discovery and
Building a Healthy Life By Cori Urban
MRI he called immediately. After dislocations, meniscal tears of the a majority of the time working with talking with him it was clear to me knee and rotator cuff tears in the the football athletes given that it is how concerned he was, knowing shoulder. the largest team and is a collision Kasey Ann Earle, of Hadley, experienced her first anterior cruciate how long and difficult the recovery Each injury is treated based on a sport,” Fallon said. “The high school was the first time.” combination of evidence-based reathletes have a different profile and ligament and meniscus tear in the right knee when she was 16; her Earle said Fallon is honest and search and the needs of each patient. skew more toward the female athlete for knee injuries and the male second ACL tear — in her left knee — caring: “I feel like he treats me as if I “Some patients need to be aggreswas one of his daughters.” sive with treatment because of their athletes for the shoulder injuries.” was at age 18. At two weeks into her recovery life goals and situation, and others To lessen the risk for injuries, FalThe first injury happened when she was at an AAU basketball tourFallon continued to check on her may need a more conservative lon recommends proper conditionnament in Philadelphia. “During my progress. approach. Each injury and patient ing, especially adequate off-season first tournament game I was going up for a layup in the first half and I “I highly recommend Dr. Fallon to anyone who goes through any similar was fouled. I landed wrong and tore my ACL in the right knee. I decided injuries as I did,” she said. “He works hard to find the best method to to go back into the game at half time help you recover faster and come out of this surgery stronger than ever.” and I tore my meniscus in the right knee playing defense,” she recalled. Kasey Ann Earle a patient of Dr. Jonathan M. Fallon Her second ACL tear, in her left knee, was a soccer injury. “I was playing in a summer soccer game on the turf field at South Hadley High School. I planted my left foot and turned to the right to change direction and I was bodied from behind,” she said. After both injuries, she was treated by Dr. Jonathan M. Fallon of the Cooley Dickinson Medical Group; he specializes in orthopedic surgery, sports medicine and shoulder surgery. Cooley Dickinson Medical Group Orthopedics and Sports Medicine has highly trained professionals advancing the health of patients through specialized, expert treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal (bones, ligaments, muscles, tendons) problems. The practice’s holistic approach to orthopedics inLeft: Kasey Ann Earle, of Hadley. volves coordination of personalized services within the practice and with Above: Dr. Jonathan M. Fallon of the other providers to ensure a compreCooley Dickinson Medical Group. hensive range of care to people of all (PHOTOS COURTESY OF COOLEY DICKINSON MEDICAL GROUP) ages. Within three weeks of her first injury, Fallon reconstructed Earle’s “I highly recommend Dr. Fallon to present a unique set of circumstanc- training, proper rest and nutrition anyone who goes through any simes and challenges,” he explained. and cross training (participating in ACL and repaired her meniscus in surgery. He continued to follow up ilar injuries as I did,” she said. “He He treats a large variety of athletes, different sports to limit the wear and with Earle for nine months, checking works hard to find the best method however most of the athletes needtear). Parents can encourage their chilon her recovery. “He put me into an to help you recover faster and come ing surgery are teenagers or older. out of this surgery stronger than Fingers, knees and ankles seem dren to participate in sports for the ACL return-to-sports program that he developed to help athletes like ever.” to be the most commonly injured right reason, he continued. “Very myself get stronger in order to play According to the doctor, the five areas. few athletes get scholarships or most common sports injuries that “Treating the University of Massa- become professionals. Sports particagain,” she said. “The second time he treats are ACL tears, shoulder chusetts Amherst athletes, I spend ipation should be about self-discovaround, the moment he read the Special To The Republican
ery and building a healthy life.” But participation in athletics has value: “It establishes the habits that lead to a healthy lifestyle — exercise, teamwork, competition, goal setting, dealing with adversity,” Fallon said. “There is an inherent risk, but there is a risk in not participating as well, so you have to choose what suits you best.” Earle advises athletes to take care of their body, watch what they eat, hydrate often, stretch regularly and strength train regularly. She went back to playing basketball the season after her injury because she loved the sport and competing. She was recruited to play soccer at Westfield State University and plans to rehab and work as hard as she can to come back stronger and get back on the field next season. “My advice for anyone who has to go through this surgery is that it will be very challenging for a while and to have a good support system,” she said. “ACL recovery is very hard on your mental health, it is a lonely road for anyone who depends on sports as part of their everyday routine.” After a surgery like ACL reconstruction, “you will not be the same person you were before, but through Dr. Fallon’s processes and procedures he gives you every opportunity to succeed,” she said. Advances have been made in the last decade regarding sports injuries and prevention such as the understanding of the nuance of training/ condition and the role that it can play in keeping athletes on the field. “There is still a long way to go in changing the youth sports culture to stress injury prevention, but that momentum is growing,” Fallon said.
For more information, go to massgeneralbrigham.org/en /patient-care/services-andspecialties/sports-medicine/ conditions.