It’s September and the NFL is back. America’s most watched television program has returned to screens everywhere on Thursday, Sunday and Monday evenings.
While America’s favorite modern pastime of watching football brings millions joy, the professional athletes on these teams put their bodies, particularly their backs and brains through hell.
The team that we will look into this week is the Philadelphia Eagles.
For context, the Philadelphia Eagles have seen impressive streaks of success in recent years’ NFL seasons. In 2017, the Eagles made a convincing bid for the Super Bowl and last year, the team went far into the playoffs, solidifying them as a serious competitor.
Despite the franchise’s success, the program has been without a key player for both of these spouts of success.
Quarterback Carson Wentz has been plagued with injuries from an injured rib to a torn ACL to a fractured vertebrae.
Wentz has seen more of the rehab room than he has the field. The three-year veteran hasn’t made it through a season without a significant injury.
The most recent is the broken vertebrae, which occurred during the latter half of the 2018 NFL season.
After a swift and correct diagnosis of the broken vertebrae, it was determined Wentz would not need surgery rather only time and rehab to heal.
The danger of a broken vertebrae (if not properly diagnosed and cared for) is it can cause bone fragments to pinch and damage the spinal nerves or spinal cord.
This risk can mean impaired mobility, loss of feeling/control over limbs and other long-term injuries.
Fortunately for Wentz, he has access to premier medical services and is expected to make a full recovery, thanks to rest, elevation and intensive physical therapy.
Additionally, this isn’t his first stint with back injuries as he also previously suffered a stress fracture in his back during his college years, showcasing the resilience of his body.
In late August, Wentz announced that he has fully recovered from this most recent injury and is ready to play in the upcoming 2019 season.
It will be exciting to watch Wentz as a quarterback performing at peak health.
The entire staff at Kuether Brain & Spines hopes all of the professional athletes competing in the NFL this season are able to stay safe and avoid injury of any kind. We’ll be watching!
