A little Light On a Scary Moment.

On October 16th, 2010, a riveting game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Army Black Knights at the new Meadowlands Stadium quieted to a whisper when Rutgers defensive tackle Eric Legrand lay motionless on the field. After a violent collision during a Rutgers kick off, Eric Legrand suffered a spinal cord injury to his cervical spine.

[WARNING the content below may be inappropriate for young viewers]

(Above video is courtesy of ESPN.COM )

This injury was said to have occurred at the C3-4 segments (in the cervical spine), which is the reason for concern. The anatomy of the spinal cord is filled with inherent redundancies; however, any injuries to the “early” segments of the spine have global repercussions throughout the body. This is caused by the fact that information flows from the brain to the rest of the body in a top to bottom fashion.

Imaging your spine as the New Jersey Turnpike. Information (let’s think of this as cars) flows from north to south. If something were to happen to the Turnpike at exit 15W (one of the first exits on the highway coming south), no car would be able to get to the southern exit. This is a vague illustration of how the brain and the spinal cord work. Unfortunately, an injury to the upper spine could result in permanent paralysis from the neck down. This is not to say that permanent paralysis is the single result. Many individuals that suffer from traumatic injuries to the neck make incredible, almost miraculous recoveries. The variability of recovery comes from the nature of the injury itself, how early the receive intervention, and the rehab team that is treating the patient.

Hopefully, Eric will make a miraculous recovery. He has a long, hard road to recovery ahead of him, but I am confident that his Rutgers spirit will help him. As Coach Schiano would say, “ KEEP CHOPPIN, ERIC!”

"My Balance Feels Off?"

As a physical therapist, I’m always dealing with the usual issues—soreness, aches, sprains, you name it. One of the common complaints I notice (more among my elderly patients) is that one’s "balance feels off.” I hear this all the time, and I want to explain a little about why your balance may feel ‘off’ and what you can do about it.

Here’s a visual breakdown that may help you understand. Balance is a product of 4 major systems in your body:

1. Vestibular - Inner ear system that tells you when you are upright. 

[http://drharris.ucsd.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=71]

2. Proprioceptive - Tells you where you are in space. 

(http://www.profeet.co.uk/general/rocket-science/proprioception/)

3. Visual - Gives you a frame of reference for what "upright" is.  

(http://www.life.umd.edu/classroom/bsci338m/Lectures/Nervous.html)

4. Muscular - Used for every movement and maintaining posture. Also gives you the strength to compensate for a loss in the other systems. 

(http://faculty.college-prep.org/~bernie/sciproject/project/humbody/Resources/Muscular/Main.html)

As with many other functions of the body, all of these systems must work in harmony in order for your balance to work properly. Many times, a deficit in one or more of these systems will cause your balance to "feel off.” 

Understanding what goes into balance is important to improve it. For example, now that we see that the visual system is an important component, regular eye exams are imperative to prevent you from ending up on the floor. Likewise, because your muscular system is a major—if not the most important—player, regular exercise should be part of your everyday life. 

So you might be saying to yourself, "I exercise every day and I also keep up with my eye and ear check-ups, but my balance still feels off!" What’s going on there? In that case, a one-on-one consultation with a physical therapist may help figure out your individual assessment. That and, you can also come in for our...

FREE BALANCE SEMINAR

THURSDAY OCT 7th, 2010 at 12:30 PM

at PALISADIUM GYM

700 Palisadium Drive, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010

Feel free to bring your friends—no gym membership required! We’ll be learning some exercises to challenge and strengthen your balance—so that even on your “off” days, you’ll still be standing tall.