The Alpine Clinic Providers and Staff look forward to their training on eClinicalworks which will be the new system used clinic-wide for recording and storing patient medical files. This is a secure system that is dedicatedto improving health care by providing technology and services that will be efficient, and ultimately improve the quality of care of our patients.
As the top Orthopaedic practice in the north country, we  understand there will be a learning curve with this new system and hope that our patients will join in our excitement during this transition.

Dr. O’Neill will be traveling to present at the ACSM Annual Meeting being held in Baltimore this June.
With a growing population of “Master Athletes”, Dr. O’Neill has choosen to speak about aging athletes and the lag between their head and their health. Also discussed, is the topic of Health or Ego? When is exercise too much for the body and considered “unhealthy”?

If you would like to preview Dr. O’Neill’s PowerPoint titled, SPORT PSYCHOLOGY & RETURN TO PLAY: Does the Head Lag Behind the Knee? Or Vice Versa?... please contact his office by phone (603.536.2270)or email (doneill@thelalpineclinic.com)

Dr. O’Neill’s writes his second article featured on healthcentral.com…

Perhaps I should start with a confession: I am an aging baby-boomer who still participates in the odd bike race or triathlon. Nothing too serious, mind you. Not enough to ruin my weekends or find me planning vacations around an event, but I do enjoy it. My theory is, without a goal to train towards, it’s a lot harder to make yourself get on that bike, get into the weight room, or head to the pool on a cold winter morning. Despite the dangers of pedaling a bike at 25 miles an hour surrounded by dozens of others and protected only by some lycra, I feel like I can balance the risk and reward and still come down on the side of health…..

To read the full-text article, please visit: http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoarthritis/c/248736/111109/shoulda

Dr. O’Neill has been asked to write for healthcentral.com as an expert in the orthopaedic field. We are excited to share his first post with this very popular website. Be sure to check back weekly, as this is the first of many orthopaedic topics Dr. O’Neill will be giving his expert advise on.

Toview his first article, Something Else to Blame on Your Parents, click here

To view his second article,Woulda, Coulda, but Shoulda? , click here

The Alpine Clinic welcomes two Mid-Level Providers to their staff. Jason Raehl, P.A.-C and Joe Prescott, P.A.-C are now scheduling patients in our Fracnonia office. As Mid- Level Providers, both Jay and Joe will  manage and treat orthopaedic patients both pre and post- operatively. They will also order and interpret labs, x-rays, MRI’s, CT’s, and other diagnostic tests.
For more information about the new members of our team, please vist “OUR TEAM” page.

Seasons can often take us by surprise and one things for sure- this year has been no exception.  Spring has sprung and the weather is warm. Most of us are anxious to get outside. It’s easy for muscles to get tight with too much sitting and not enough moving, so don’t neglect your flexibility program as you get ready for warm weather.

So many outdoor activities require lots of strength in the abs and back and, if you’ve been sitting as much as I have, you may have lost a little strength in that area during the winter months.

Below you will find a few exercises to get your body rev’d up and ready for Spring!

Mia Whalley, Athletic Trainer

Prone Bridge
In a face down position, balance on the tips of your toes and elbows while attempting to maintain a straight line from heels to head. This exercise focuses on both the anterior and posterior muscle groups of the trunk and pelvis.

Lateral Bridge
Start on your side and press up with your right arm. Form a bridge maintaining a straight line from your hand to your foot. Rest on your elbow to increase the difficulty. This exercise focuses on the abdominal obliques and transversus abdominus.

Single Leg V-Ups
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent, both hands behind head. Keep elbow back and out of sight. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Extend arms and also raise one leg up toward ceiling.
3. Return to start position.
4. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion may cause injury. To increase resistance, hold medicine ball in hands. To decrease resistance, position hand closer towards body

Shoulder Press
1. Sit in upright position on a ball.
2. Start position: Position DB’s to ear level with an overhand grip (palms facing forward).
3. Press hands up above head keeping wrists over the elbows and arms moving parallel to body at all times.
4. Return to start position.
5. Remember to keep back and head straight in a neutral position – hyperextension or excessive flexion may cause injury.
6. Complete 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Low Back Extension
1. Lie face down on stability ball with knees and feet on floor.
2. Stability ball placement should be at abdominal to lower chest region.
3. With hands on chest, raise trunk 4-8 inches.
4. Lower to start position.
5. To increase intensity, position ball down towards hips, feet wide with knees off floor. Hands may be placed behind head and overhead to further increase resistance. To increase stability, place feet against wall or stationary object.
6. Complete 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions.

These resources offer a variety workouts and ideas to build flexibility and core strength. For more information or for additional exercises, click here.

***Photo’s and exercises provided by Sports Fitness Advisor.

Dr. O’Neill will be getting a taste of his own medicine today in Concord, NH. As a board examiner for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), Dr. O’Neill has a number of summers in Chicago questioning young orthopods as they seek Board Certification.

Well, what goes around, comes around…

Every decade, Orthopaedic surgeons must re-certify by taking either a written or oral exam. Dr. O’Neill will be sitting for his written exam today, after spending evenings studying over the past few months.
The winter of his discontent started with a review course this past November in Cambridge, MA where he was joined by 300 other orthopaedic surgeons who were all in the same boat. According to Dr. O’Neill, “as nervous as it is, I actually do think it is a good system. Of course I might feel differently as I sit for the exam!”

To learn more about your surgeon’s extensive creentialling process, visit the ABOS website at www.abos.org.

PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 20) – An Olympic veteran and two newcomers highlight the three-athlete 2010 U.S. Olympic Ski Jumping Team announced Thursday by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

Anders Johnson (Park City, UT), 20, a 2006 Olympic veteran, will be joined by first-time Olympians Nick Alexander (Lebanon, NH), 21, and Peter Frenette (Saranac Lake, NY), 17.

The Team was announced by U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) President and CEO Bill Marolt, along with Olympic and Team sponsor Visa. The USA had earned three Olympic quota spots based on World Cup results.

Alexander, who grew up jumping in the Lebanon (NH) Outing Club, broke onto the world jumping scene this year qualifying to compete in six International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cups. The 2010 U.S. champion was the top American in the FIS Continental Cup last season and the current American leader after strong results in Neustadt, Germany in mid-January.

A Lake Placid native, Frenette jumps out of the New York Ski Educational Foundation. He has been a regular on the Continental Cup with three point-scoring finishes this season highlighted by a top-20 on the final weekend of selection in Sapporo, Japan. Johnson, who made the 2006 Olympic Team at the age of 16, suffered a knee injury in July but has made a comeback, breaking into the points twice in the Sapporo Continental Cup.

The Team will be coached by former East German jumper Jochen Danneberg, a 1976 Olympic silver medalist who works with the athletes as a part of the Project X jumping program.

All Olympic Teams are subject to the approval of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

For more details, or to read the full article, please visit: http://www.usskiteam.com/jumping/news?storyId=2345

Dr. O’Neill was invited to speak with WGIR- AM610  this morning regarding the knee injury to Patriots’ offensive force, Wes Welker, that occured during their last regular season game on Sunday.

Welker was injured in the first quarter when he tried to plant his left foot after making a catch. He was helped to the sideline by members of the Patriots’ medical staff, then buried his head in a towel while sitting on the bench. Welker was later carted to the locker room.

Reports say this injury will presumably end Welker’s season just as the Patriots’ prepare for next Sunday’s AFC wild-card game against the Baltimore Ravens.

When asked, Dr. O’Neill agreed that this would most likely be a season ending injury for Welker. ” You knew watching the play that it wasn’t going to be good” stated O’Neill. “And then seeing him on the sidelines going through the emotions- he knew that was it.”

For more information about ACL injuries, click here.

Introduction to Core Strength- 85057

This workshop is designed to provide insight into the biomechanics and science behind core strength and stability for effective movement. Throughout this active seminar, participants will experience an introduction to the concepts underlying core training and insight into how to use exercises designed to improve posture and functioning of joints in the arms, legs, and especially the hips and knees.
Dr. O’Neill will provide the medical basis for the therapeutic aspects of core-related exercise practice. Whether you have very healthy knees and hips or have experienced pain and/or injury in these joints, you are sure to gain some helpful information from this 3-hour workshop.

For additional information, please visit: plymouth.edu/frost/communityeducation/courses