10 minute read
WELLNESS + FITNESS
Howard Head Sports Medicine
Here for Us
By Sandy Ferguson Fuller
Howard + Marty Head
“Life can turn on a dime.” Like mine. A familiar quote without impact, until it happens. For me it was last June while on a local hike with my dog, Piney, to enjoy some wildflowers. One hour later, a trail rescue (hats off to locals Barry Davis and Kady Warble for being first on the scene and to Vail Fire Department for getting me out safely), followed by emergency surgery. A freak, severe injury to my leg required four-and-a-half hours of skilled repair (thank you, Dr. Max Seiter of Vail Summit Orthopedics) and a 10-day hospital stay (kudos, Vail Health). My mountain summer plans evaporated; instead, I faced months of physical rehab and a revised goal — to get back to what I love to do most.
That’s precisely the mission of Howard Head Sports Medicine (HHSM) — “To return people to their previous activity levels using the most advanced care, comprehensive education and latest research.” I fit right in! I joined countless patients who have benefitted from the outstanding care and services offered by this valuable organization. As a Vail local, I knew about HHSM; I actually knew Howard and Marty Head as a kid in the 1960s. But until I landed prone in their P.T. room totally by accident, I had no clue what a valuable resource this facility provides our community. I need to share their story.
Howard Head was foremost an inventor, an aeronautical engineer who revolutionized both skiing and tennis equipment. The clinic that bears his name celebrates this: “The Spirit of Innovation.” He believed that anyone can achieve sporting goals and that “the best inventions come from people who are deeply involved in solving a problem.” Driven by Howard and Marty’s vision and funding, the first facility opened in 1987 with a few therapists and an experimental practice, followed in 1990 by the grand opening of a full clinic in a new location. For over 30 years, HHSM has continued to expand its expertise, technology, research and professional staff. A part of Vail Health, currently they support 10 mountain locations in Summit and Eagle Counties. Their international reputation attracts patients worldwide.
What so many don’t know about HHSM is the broad array of their therapeutic services and community support. Every patron, regardless of condition or need, receives equal care and attention. It’s not limited to skiers or boarders or bikers or climbers or rafters or dancers or world-class athletes — or any sport. It’s not limited to physical injury. It’s inclusive for any age, circumstance, nationality, etc. I’m astonished at its variety of specializations, as well as related community programs and outreach.
Is your passion gardening and you’ve never set foot on a mountain trail? Tending a garden isn’t enjoyable with an arthritic hand or back, so seek help. Cancer patients, HHSM partners with Shaw Cancer Center and other leading oncology treatment centers. Pregnant? Consider pelvic relief or aquatic therapy. Hit your head and dealing with a concussion? Make an appointment with the Brain & Balance Care Team. Is a fear of heights limiting your climbing performance? Explore the power of mind in sport.
“SUCH A POSITIVE PLACE”
I am extremely privileged to have Mark DelVecchio as my physical therapist. He inspires me to “put in the work.” Both Mark and his wife, Brooke, reflect the amazing staff at HHSM. Both earned their DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy), requiring six to seven years of undergrad/graduate study and serious commitment.
A North Dakota native, arriving Vail in 2005, Brooke began at HHSM as an aide, shadowing daily routines and patient care; she also worked in whitewater rafting and bartending before entering to grad school to earn her DPT. Returning to HHSM in 2010, she earned her Orthopedic Board Certification in 2015. Currently Brooke is Lead Physical Therapist and P.T. Coordinator.
“Watching a patient overcome physically … also regain confidence in their abilities as they continue to rehabilitate and resume what they love or need to do and to be part of that process… this warms my heart,” shares Brooke.
Arriving from Massachusetts in 2007, Mark joined the Vail Ski Patrol for seven years (he remains part-time), met/married Brooke and then returned to Maine to complete his DPT. He joined HHMS in 2017. Recently completing his Masters in Sports Psychology, he hopes to explore “a missing piece that we haven’t offered before.”
“Most of us moved here to be active in the mountains we love,” he adds. “Many associate their ability to do a sport or activity with their identity. When that is taken away, some don’t know who they are. Trying to give that back, seeing them regain confidence in whatever it is … really, it’s a cool feeling. Whenever anyone is excited to get back or do something they couldn’t do previously, whether playing with their grandkids or in the NHL, it’s rewarding.”
“The specialists here are always expanding their knowledge with a focus on research,” shares Mark.
“Everyone keeps reading, trying to learn and teach each other,” he says. “We’re always evolving. What worked 20 years ago might not apply today.”
Mark also heads up the Vail Valley Mountain Bike Club for HHSM. It’s a free weekly activity sponsored by the clinic, designed for riders of all abilities, which encourages them to get out, gain fitness, have fun and meet others. The Vail Valley Running Club (HHSM) has a similar focus, offering options for parents jogging with kids in a stroller or for marathon trainees, again free and open to the community.
Brooke and Mark love to play in the Vail Valley. In summer, look for them mountain biking Cougar Ridge or navigating a river; in winter, spot Mark tackling Rasputin’s and Brooke jumping off the rollers on Pickeroon! The gym is also a regular hangout.
“Everyone here pushes each other professionally and supports each other personally,” shares Brooke. “Everyone cares about one another; our staff shines. It’s such a positive place.”
I’ve seen it for myself. HHSM is a priceless community resource and ever-expanding. Your life needn’t turn on a dime in order to engage and benefit. For me? I plan to ride my mountain bike with Mark’s group next summer. Can’t wait! +
Howard Head Services + Clubs:
Physical Therapy Sports & Orthopedic Rehabilitation Occupational Therapy Hand Therapy Oncology and Lymphedema Therapy Total Joint Therapy Pediatric Physical and Occupational Therapy Brain & Balance Care Men’s and Women’s Pelvic Health Dry Needling Aquatic Therapy Pilates Workers’ Compensation Sports Psychology Performance Training Nutrition Vail Valley Mountain Bike Club Vail Valley Running Club Community Presentations; Online Continuing Education
Should You Still Train at High Altitude During Pregnancy?
By Julia Clarke
Exercise, high altitude and pregnancy: three things that disrupt your body’s homeostasis. So, what happens if you do all three at once?
A common question when you become pregnant is whether or not you can keep doing the activities you were doing before. After all, it’s normal to want to keep healthy and moving during pregnancy, and doing so is now recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. But, does doing so at high altitude carry unique risks?
While it’s true that exercise, altitude and pregnancy all increase your heart rate, it’s not otherwise clear from a clinical standpoint that there are any real contraindications for exercising at high altitude during pregnancy – but this is mainly down to the fact that there hasn’t been much research done.
Besides a 2004 article in the journal High Altitude Medicine & Biology, which suggests that exercising at high altitude during pregnancy might decrease the flow of oxygen getting to your baby and advises a more conservative approach to exercise, research on the topic remains scant.
So, what do locals who have been through the process have to say?
Dr. Diane Voytko, MD at Colorado Mountain Medical and mother of two says that most advice on exercising during pregnancy at altitude is to make sure you take care of hydration, which is harder to maintain at altitude but more important during pregnancy, and simply to not do it if you are not accustomed to it.
“Travelers should rest for three to four days after arriving, and then should not do anything too strenuous. The maximum heart rate of 150 still applies, though athletes at altitude who are pregnant may get up to 160 unsustained, but I felt lousy when I did and naturally backed off.”
Okay, so travelers to the valley should relax and enjoy creekside walks, mountain views from the deck and our phenomenal restaurants, but what about those of us that live here year-round?
It turns out that the risks of exercising at high altitude during pregnancy might have more to do with the types of activities we like to do, rather than the altitude itself. If you live in the mountains, you might want to keep doing activities like mountain biking and skiing – all things that increase your risk of falling and causing placental injury. So, while exercising on its own is okay, it's generally not recommended to continue these high momentum sports as your pregnancy progresses.
You might find, however, that down leveling your activity comes pretty naturally, at least that’s what happened with Carrie Eckenhoff, founder of Equilibrium Physical Therapy in Avon and avid runner and mountain biker.
“For me, taking it down a notch and focusing on swimming, early morning hikes and a regular yoga class has been crucial. You have to have a lot of grace for yourself and the ways that your body is changing to grow a life – which I found both challenging and absolutely amazing,” reflects Eckenhoff.
In fact, most active valley mamas agree that the activity you choose will end up having less to do with fitness and more to do with stress-management. Laura Seelig, mother and co-founder of GOAT in Edwards said that, at her gym, they don’t make a big change in training protocols for their pregnant members; rather, they try to keep them moving and breathing and work closely with their doctors.
“Manage your stress, manage your intensity, keep moving, give yourself grace. Your pregnancy is your unique journey; don’t compare yourself to others,” advises Seelig.
The stress management component also explains why so many women seek out yoga when they become pregnant. Georgina Baker, founder of Mountain Soul Yoga in Edwards and mother of two, found the benefits of a regular yoga practice to be a lifeline during her pregnancies.
“You don’t need to walk on eggshells while you’re growing your human. Don’t overthink it and just do what you’re comfortable with,” says Baker, advising you use whatever props you can get your hands on to modify poses. She says she instinctively gravitated towards hip openers during her two pregnancies here: “Those shapes felt nourishing and created downward pressure to get everything ready to open up for birth.”
And if you’re still looking for encouragement, Sarah Ellefson, founder of Altius Physical Therapy in Avon and mountain athlete extraordinaire, kept up her running regimen during her pregnancies and found that it served her once her little ones came along and not just because she was in good physical shape.
“Training through my pregnancies taught me important lessons that carried over into motherhood. I learned to appreciate a coexistence of intensity and tranquility. It is perfectly acceptable to applaud your strength in one moment and respect the necessity to slow down in the next,” remarks Ellefson. +
