“I played hockey throughout high school and continued in men’s leagues after college, up until I was 48,” Blacketor explained. “I was a goaltender, which is always a position that carries a high risk of injury.”

Eventually, shoulder, knee, and ongoing groin injuries—paired with late weeknight games—forced Blacketor into hockey “retirement.”

While playing baseball and softball, he developed right shoulder issues and eventually was limited to playing the infield. Determined to stay active but relieve stress on his shoulder, he focused on skiing and running. He remained active and generally pain-free. However, shoulder pain became a serious problem after a skiing accident, which compelled him to finally seek medical advice. He underwent several months of physical therapy, which helped his mobility, but not his pain.

Finding the Right Specialist

Needing more advice, he consulted Midwest Orthopedics at Rush sports medicine specialist and surgeon, Dr. Charles Bush-Joseph, who referred him to Dr. Gregory Nicholson, a shoulder specialist at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush.

Dr. Nicholson performed a history and physical examination of the shoulder and upper extremity. He ordered an MRI for Blacketor which showed he had a torn rotator cuff, cartilage damage and bone spurs (also known as “osteophytes”). To offer some relief, Nicholson gave Blacketor a cortisone shot but shortly thereafter, the pain returned.

Dr. Nicholson discussed surgery to address the necessary shoulder repairs. Blacketor agreed. “I didn’t want to go through this pain off and on,” Blacketor explains. “So, I said, ‘why don’t we cut to the chase and get this fixed?’ and Dr. Nicholson agreed.”

Dr. Nicholson performed surgery arthroscopically to repair his torn rotator cuff, address the cartilage damage and remove the bone spurs. This is a minimally invasive procedure performed through small incisions called portals. There is less soft tissue damage, and less pain and swelling post-surgery. Blacketor experienced this first hand as his recovery progressed ahead of schedule. He needed pain medication for just a couple days and completed physical therapy in less than eight weeks. Today, he has full range of motion with no pain and is back playing golf.

Back in Action

The park across the street from Blacketor’s house has a tennis court which frequently causes tennis balls to stray into his yard. Prior to surgery, Blacketor says “I would walk out, pick up a half dozen tennis balls, and throw them back into the courts underhanded.” Post-surgery he is tossing them back over the fence overhanded.

He recommends Dr. Nicholson to anyone with shoulder pain. What he liked best about him is his “straightforward attitude” coupled with his excellent surgical skills.

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“The Chicago Dogs take great comfort knowing that our players will be cared for by the fifth-ranked orthopedic group in the country, including Drs. Brian Cole, Gregory Nicholson, and Jeremy Alland,” explains Chicago Dogs owner Shawn Hunter. “MOR physicians are national leaders in the field of sports medicine and we are proud to partner with them as we enter our inaugural season in Chicagoland.”

MOR doctors serves as team physicians for the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Fire Soccer Club, among others. They are using advanced techniques and have many subspecialty orthopaedic physicians on staff who diagnose and treat even the most complicated and rare orthopedic conditions. MOR physicians are supported by a professional staff of nurse practitioners; physician assistants; athletic trainers; physical and occupational therapists; and other administrative personnel.

“Our staff is looking forward to supporting this young baseball team and keeping them healthy and on the field,” Dr. Cole says. “Caring for pro athletes is our ‘sweet spot’ and we are ready to help them safely reach their goals this season.”

About The Chicago Dogs
The Chicago Dogs are the newest member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Home games are played at the state-of-the-art Impact Field located at 9800 Balmoral Avenue in Rosemont, Ill. For schedule and ticket information, visit www.thechicagodogs.com.

About Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush
MOR doctors are team physicians for the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Fire Soccer Club and Joffrey Ballet, among others. They are known for treating patients with orthopedic conditions, ranging from the most common to the most complex. The group’s reputation as a leader in specialized orthopedic patient care, education and research has been recognized by many national publications. U.S. News & World Report ranks the orthopedic program at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, as No. 5 in the nation and it is the highest ranked program in Illinois and Indiana.

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Baseball is a huge part of life for Millikin University sophomore Ben Jacobs. And he doesn’t take his ability to play at the college level for granted.

Just a few years ago while playing in a high school summer travel league, Ben was afraid his plans for a college baseball career might be derailed. He felt a tingling sensation in his arm and pain with throwing. What he didn’t know was that he was developing a type of throwing overuse injury.

When the feeling in Ben’s arm changed from tingling to pain, he knew he had to see a specialist. Ben’s father had been a patient at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, so they sought help right away from that group. They were introduced to Dr. Gregory Nicholson, an expert in shoulder and elbow surgery.

Dr. Nicholson diagnosed Ben with ulnar neuritis (also known as cubital tunnel syndrome), an inflammation of the ulnar nerve, which passes behind the medial epicondyle of the elbow down through the forearm and into the hand. The ulnar nerve is more commonly thought of as the “funny bone” nerve and inflammation can cause numbness or weakness in the hand. Because of the position of the nerve, it is stretched when the elbow is bent. Thus, with the throwing motion it can become inflamed. In some cases, a splint or brace that keeps the elbow straight can be enough to relieve the pressure on the ulnar nerve. In Ben’s case, Dr. Nicholson recommended surgery to decompress the nerve and relieve Ben’s symptoms.

“Ulnar nerve decompression and transposition (moving the nerve to the front of the bend of the elbow) is a low-risk, outpatient procedure with a relatively high success rate. If patients are diligent with their physical therapy and follow the course of treatment, most regain full function,” Dr. Nicholson explains.

Ben and his family agreed to the surgery and he completed it while still in high school. During the procedure, Dr. Nicholson made an incision along the inside of Ben’s elbow. Once the nerve was fully explored, decompressed and moved slightly, Ben’s connective tissue and skin were closed with small stitches.

The surgery was successful and Ben soared through his physical therapy. Now, a few years post-surgery, Ben says he “feels 100 percent,” and has had no pain recurrence.

However, in order to avoid another overuse injury, he has changed positions from pitcher to catcher.

“To err on the side of caution, I decided to primarily play catcher. That way, I’m not putting too much strain on my arm, but can still be involved in every pitch.”

To commemorate his positive outcome, Ben had a “smile” face tattooed over his surgery scar as a reminder to persevere and stay positive.

“At first my arm felt a bit strange after surgery and it took me awhile to adjust. But now I’m lifting weights and throwing with no problem and I feel stronger than ever.”

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Nicholson to discuss your shoulder or elbow pain or condition, call 877-MD-BONES.

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As a four-time national masters weightlifting champion, Chicagoan Gwen Chamberlin is an athlete whose success in the sport came later in life. After starting Crossfit, Gwen slowly gravitated toward weightlifting at the age of 45. One decade later, she’s developed an impressive resume in the world of competitive weightlifting – even after overcoming a few obstacles along the way.

A few years ago, the demands of the sport began to affect her shoulders. She sought general medical advice at first before realizing she needed more extensive care. Her physical therapist recommended Dr. Gregory Nicholson, a sports medicine shoulder specialist at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush. After meeting him, Gwen was impressed with his experience in shoulder care and his supportive attitude. “He didn’t treat me like an old lady. He treated me like an athlete,” she shares.

Dr. Nicholson diagnosed her with a torn supraspinatus tendon and posterior cuff. The supraspinatus muscle is located on the back of the shoulder and is part of the three muscles that make up what is referred to as the rotator cuff, which helps to lift and rotate the arm. Rotator cuff repair surgery reattaches these muscles to the bones of the shoulder.

Dr. Nicholson recommended repair surgery to get her back to health and back to the gym. After undergoing surgery with Dr. Nicholson, Gwen found that the recovery time away from the gym was well worth it. In fact, she achieved her personal lifetime best weight lift.

Despite a newly repaired and thriving shoulder, she started to experience nagging pain in her other shoulder, threatening her goals. Naturally, Gwen went back to Dr. Nicholson. Almost two years to the day after her first surgery, he performed a second rotator cuff surgery on the opposite shoulder, during which he also discovered the need to repair the bicep muscles.

Today, Gwen is showing no signs of slowing down. Within eight months of her second shoulder surgery, she was back lifting at full strength and with full range of motion. This allowed her to prepare for the Masters National Championship this month. She’s also set to compete in the Pan American Masters in June and the Masters World Championship in August.

“Dr. Nicholson is one of the best,” Gwen explains. “I am so grateful that I’m now back to health and competing with what he calls my ‘world class shoulders.’”

Read the original article here.

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