For example, if you have small children and are looking to buy a new car, you would probably choose a minivan instead of a convertible. It is more efficient and more safe. If you are a high school student that is college searching, you may narrow your search to schools within a specific geographic range because of the connection you have to your hometown.
In the case of Tommy John surgery, the same rules apply. Kinesiology is defined as the study of the principles of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement. In the past, I have never been a science-oriented individual. I was always a pretty good writer, could hold my own in a political conversation and had a knack for getting people to like my personality without actually trying very hard. Science? That was a big no-no. I didn't have the mind for science...the intricacies of the formulas, the in-depth analysis of minute objects, the specificity of each involved portion of a study. It didn't make sense to me, and I didn't connect to it.
Kinesiology, in theory, is the technical affiliation between science and sports. Sports medicine, a relatively young industry in the vast history of healthcare, was birthed by the concept of kinesiology. I always viewed kinesiology in more layman's terms. If you twist an ankle, the trainer tapes it. If you pull a muscle, you apply ice to it. If you break a bone, a doctor puts a cast on it. If you have surgery, you do rehab. It was a simple concept, and something that I didn't really see myself being required to delve into more than the surface of the topic in order to get by in my life's athletic endeavors.
My father told me a story once about a test he took when he was in high school. The entire class feverishly took the exam, and strained themselves through the entire period. There was one exception, a boy who sat in the front row and simply stayed motionless with a closed test booklet in front of him. After everyone's test was completed, the teacher collected them and dismissed everyone.
The following day, the students were shocked to find out that they'd all received 0% on the test. All of them, except for the one student in the front of the room who sat still and didn't scribble a single word. That boy got 100%. After a few minutes, the teacher explained to the class that the grades they received wouldn't count towards their overall record, and asked them to open to the front page of the test. In the front cover, the instructions were typed neatly and small... "Directions: Do Not Take This Exam."
I don't actually know if my father's story is true or if he was just trying to make a point to his son, but the point sunk in. Everything that involves my life must be thoroughly evaluated. I took that lesson with me into the experience of Tommy John surgery. When I first received the news that it was required, I began to soak up information. I wanted to know exactly what the surgeon will be doing to my arm. I wanted to know how, why, for how long, where, and what does it entail? I didn't just want to know what the procedure would be, but why the specific body parts would be used. I didn't just want to know what I needed to do for physical therapy, I wanted to know why I needed to do the tasks and how that would make me better.
I've learned a lot of things through this process. I've learned the biomechanics of anatomical structures relating to my injury. I've learned how things heal, why things hurt, what the purpose of a particular body part is. I've learned the importance of things such as calcium intake and polyunsaturated fats and soft tissue Graston technique massaging and consistent sleep cycles. I've learned that everything in my life that is physical can somehow be directly related to my injury.
The knowledge I've gained from learning about kinesiology in this process hasn't just been soaked up in a recital-like textbook manner however. I have begun to look back on my baseball career and find cues as to how the things that I've learned correlate with my presence on the mound, and perhaps why the things that have happened actually did. I've begun to provide myself with an analysis for the future...the appropriate ways to avoid a reoccurrence, the proper method of performing my craft in a way that will be the most harm-free for me. I have been subjected to the well documented misery of the Tommy John recovery process and in all honesty, it is not something I wish to take part in again.
The greatest satisfaction I get out of this information soaking is the ability to share it with others. Although I am not able to play baseball at this current point in time, there are millions of others that are. And for the few that I do happen to come across in an encounter in my life, I'd like to try to make a difference. I've realized the adage is true...you're attracted to things that affect you. The science of bodily movement has provided me with a scapegoat, an excuse to learn, progress and improve. The ability to share my learnings with others is a thrill for me because of the pride I feel in watching my knowledge translate into their lives, or their playing experiences on the field. "Get your elbow up," "Lead with your hips," "Land here to put less pressure on your knees and focus it in the quad." Rather diminutive coaching techniques that could alter a player's life.
It used to all seem basic to me, pretty boring and rather unimportant. But this prosthetic brace- the bionic arm- is a daily reminder for me that my previous approach to it all couldn't be further from the truth. Tommy John surgery has enabled me to learn about a myriad of different things that I've never truly been exposed to in the past. It's helped me realize my passion for sharing this knowledge with others, and to coach them along their career and their path. It's brought me comfort to know that I can better myself through this entire process, not only in the maturity of striving through the rehab and not only in the building of my work ethic in relation to the necessities of post-operative details. It has brought me the uncanny ability to broaden my knowledge and breadth of information that will help me make better sense of why things happen(ed), and to help other individuals realize these things as well.
I am no expert on the topic. But time spent on the shelf certainly does provide a learning curve. And I plan on taking full advantage.
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