Respected in the Motocross Field as Physician and Fellow Rider, Dr. Mark Sanders Advises Young Athletes

Dr. Mark Sanders has developed a following of young athletes interested in learning how to avoid serious injury through proper strength training and riding technique. This orthopedic surgeon is an MX rider as well and garnering much respect for his advice.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) June 16, 2005 -- When not racing along side, Dr. Mark Sanders is advising young MX riders on how to avoid common motocross injuries. Always accessible to his fellow riders, Sanders has earned the respect of motocross athletes across Texas with his unconventional approach to treating injuries that's returning athletes back to their sport faster than traditional treatment - and stronger than many were before.

"It's amazing to me that so many athletes with poor ACL surgeries were simply living with a limp and overall poorer quality of life. This doesn't have to be the case. If they have the desire, we can get them back stronger than they were before. Our ACL athletes are back on their bike, not in a brace, in three months. And back on the bike is where someone with this kind of passion should be," said Sanders.

Dr. Sanders and the Sanders Clinic for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine is the official healthcare provider of the Houston THQ World Supercross event and a sponsor of the 2005 event at Reliant Stadium.

At this year's event Dr. Sanders spoke to the crowd about a growing problem at local Texas tracks – emergency transport and communication. He explained that a number of accidents resulting in serious injury were complicated by a lengthy transport to a distant hospital or one without proper physicians on staff, because riders were not able to communicate their needs. In order to address this problem, Dr. Sanders advised riders to keep a completed medical ID tag on them at all times – distributing hundreds at the event.

Dr. Sanders also advises MX athletes, through a houstonmotocross.com forum, on the best way to avoid serious injuries when riding - as well as the best reconditioning exercises for minor injuries. He encourages riders to understand that the way they approach a fall during an accident or awkward turn on their bike has everything to do with the type of injury they may sustain.

"A common mistake athletes make is training, or strengthening the primary muscles that their sport requires. If it's legs to support turns, for example, in motor cross riding, they may concentrate on strengthening the quad muscles – though completely ignore the opposing Hamstring muscles. It's important to have proper balance of the muscle groups. Too often this imbalance leads to a vulnerability," said Sanders Clinic Fitness Trainer Ed Nepveux.

A supporter of the Fallen Riders Foundation assisting seriously injured riders and their families, Dr. Sanders and the Sanders Clinic is attracting a growing number of MX riders in Texas because of his innovative accelerated rehabilitation program and approach to knee injuries.

"I had a poor ACL surgery years ago and had to quite riding. When I met other riders who said that Dr. Sanders was able to repair their failed surgeries and get them back on the bike, I went to see him," said former MX rider and dad of a young rider Kevin Sonnier.

"I explained that my wife and I were expecting a baby and I couldn't be off my feet for months like I was with my first surgery. He said I had nothing to worry about, and he was right. I'm still waiting for the baby, and my son and I have already been out riding – that's just five weeks after my surgery!" said Sonnier.

Dr. Sander's ACL Reconstruction procedure is the cornerstone of his clinic and fast gaining attention throughout the United States. Dr. Sanders was listed among H Texas Magazine's Top Docs in 2004. Log onto www.sandersclinic.net for complete program details.   

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