Fascinating article on Suns' legendary medical staff

[Uriel]

Great read. It really gives one some insight into the kinds of techniques the Suns' medical staff incorporates into its program that earned it the reputation of being the best in the league. Hopefully the Spurs can pick it up too.

http://valleyofthesuns.com/2012/04/05/secret-behind-phoenix-suns-elite-training-staff/

[GSH]

There's a very good possibility that the approach Phoenix takes could have prevented, or at least minimized, some of the stress-related problems that plague both Tim and Manu. The Suns' techniques are to sports medicine what vibration analysis has been for industrial equipment. They find problems when they are still small, and keep them from becoming big problems. All of the testing that the Suns' medical staff perform are time-consuming, but they have made a commitment to the process and it has paid off for them. As much as Pop has focused on limiting minutes to try and keep players healthy, I'm surprised that the Spurs haven't copied more of the Suns' program. Especially the CryoSauna. That almost seems like a no-brainer.

[Mel_13]

There's a very good possibility that the approach Phoenix takes could have prevented, or at least minimized, some of the stress-related problems that plague both Tim and Manu. The Suns' techniques are to sports medicine what vibration analysis has been for industrial equipment. They find problems when they are still small, and keep them from becoming big problems. All of the testing that the Suns' medical staff perform are time-consuming, but they have made a commitment to the process and it has paid off for them. As much as Pop has focused on limiting minutes to try and keep players healthy, I'm surprised that the Spurs haven't copied more of the Suns' program. Especially the CryoSauna. That almost seems like a no-brainer.

Spurs have one at their training facility.

In one of the recent practice videos, a player (can't remember which one) was asked about it and he said that they have one and that they use it.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The article also said that we were one of two teams that have lost fewer games to injury than the Suns.

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs have one at their training facility.

In one of the recent practice videos, a player (can't remember which one) was asked about it and he said that they have one and that they use it.

True. The Spurs have the CyroSauna, plus that pool with the underwater treadmill, and a bunch of other high-tech therapy/training stuff.

[SpursRock20]

Spurs have one at their training facility.

In one of the recent practice videos, a player (can't remember which one) was asked about it and he said that they have one and that they use it.

Yeah Ginobili said he has been using it. He didn't know if it was helping much, though. But he also said that there was no hurt in trying.

[Mel_13]

Yeah Ginobili said he has been using it. He didn't know if it was helping much, though. But he also said that there was no hurt in trying.

At about 1:45 the reporter asks Manu if he has heard of the CryoSauna that Phoenix uses and Manu says "yeah, we have one" and then he talks about using it.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/video/120320_ginobili

[TDMVPDPOY]

and what have they got to show for it??

[TDMVPDPOY]

Why doesn't Portland or someone just pay Suns staff double??? They could have had a nice team with their help.

whats stopping the athletes from going over to germany or eastern europe for treatment?

[pgardn]

When Nash hurt his back and was always laying on the ground I thought he was going the way of Larry Bird. But they got him going again. I really thought Nash would go totally down hill and just retire.


It would be interesting if the NBA could look into the issue of injuries and let the best staffs consult with others more closely. The NBA as a whole is responsible for refs, why not try to do the best job for all the players...

[hooperflash]

Suns: ” We'd love for you to come play for us in Phoenix, we've got an amazing medical staff! ? ”

[Cue in Jack] ”FUK YO MEDICAL STAFF, CLOWN!!”

[pgardn]

whats stopping the athletes from going over to germany or eastern europe for treatment?

Just fly over and fly back during the season... sure... no problem. Part of their "secret" is maintenance, as in everyday.

[GSH]

Spurs have one at their training facility.

In one of the recent practice videos, a player (can't remember which one) was asked about it and he said that they have one and that they use it.

That's good to hear. I'm just not current enough on spurs gossip. The last I heard, only 3 teams had one. I don't think the CryoSauna is the panacea the inventors tout it as, but it definitely helps, and it saves a lot of time.

Are the Spurs using the other techniques like goniometer measurements, and muscle strength testing? (Not strength training.) There are a lot of kooks in the field of kinesiology, and I know a lot of teams still think of the entire field that way. There's a big difference between the crazy-assed Applied Kinesiology people, and what the Suns' staff has been doing for years. The military has done some great work, but it's pretty impractical in the field, and the cost benefit is too high for use outside some elite units.

The example of an athlete injuring one part of his body, and compensating to the point of injuring another part is a well-do ented problem. I've been convinced that Manu has done that to himself more than once over the years. And there's good reason to believe that a lot of tendonosis and stress fractures are brought on, or at least exacerbated, by things like improper footwear and changes in running form after minor injuries. An athlete will change his/her foot position, for instance, to relieve discomfort, and the result is a prolonged stress to the tendons and bones. The Suns' techniques discover those changes and correct them before it becomes a big problem.

I always got the feeling that the Spurs' staff (like a lot of others) believes in tried-and-true, old-school methods, and sort of shuns some of the newer trends in kinesiology. But that's just a guess from observation. I'd love to hear differently.

When Nash hurt his back and was always laying on the ground I thought he was going the way of Larry Bird. But they got him going again. I really thought Nash would go totally down hill and just retire.


It would be interesting if the NBA could look into the issue of injuries and let the best staffs consult with others more closely. The NBA as a whole is responsible for refs, why not try to do the best job for all the players...

That's a of an idea, actually. I couldn't agree more. I know that the Suns probably enjoy having an advantage, but it's really in the league's interest to get involved. I kind of said so above, but a lot of sports teams still think of some of these practices as tinfoil hat stuff. I've never heard a Suns player say anything like that, though.

[Man In Black]

Back in the day when DRob was still starting at Center, There was an article that was in the Express News that talked about how the best trainer for people with low back issue, yes DRob had a bad back, was none other than Mike Brungardt.

I think Aaron Nelson is an amazing trainer. I'm just happy he wasn't able to fix this situation in time. It became problematic and it caused a shift in a series that made it possible to win the Spurs last le in 2007.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Why doesn't Portland or someone just pay Suns staff double??? They could have had a nice team with their help.

I doubt a cryo-sauna is going to help players drafted with known knee red flags.

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