Doctor Perry Charlotte Bobcats – Physician

Charlotte Bobcats Personal Physician Doctor Perry taking a look at My Knee

Doctor Perry, the Charlotte Bobcat’s physician (will be Charlotte Hornets again in 2014), ranked as one of the top physicians in Charlotte NC, looked at my knee and found fluid and a cyst building up on my ACL. I have never had knee problems, so now as I try to recover, I understand why Derrick Rose didn’t return after his ACL tear. There is definitely some fear and mental setback of making the wrong move when you are playing again. This isn’t how you should think about it, but it is something that is always in the back of your mind. I was actually cleared to play on Wednesday as I have no more pain in my right knee. The only problem is, if the pain returns, I have to get surgery. If the doctor has to scrape they cyst off of the ACL, then I’m more

vulnerable to having a ACL tear later down the road. The reason for this is because, the ACL is so thin, that most doctors that perform this surgical procedure carves a small portion of that ligament off trying to remove the cyst. When that ligament is thin, you are more likely to tear it when playing basketball. There is a lot of stop and go, foot plants, and etc. when playing basketball. With or without surgery, am I still at risk of tearing my ACL? The answer is yes, however I can’t let that hinder me from slowly getting back in to shape and playing basketball again.

Dr. Perry is a world-class doctor. As he was telling me about my injury, I almost fainted. He kept me calm and reassured me that there is an 80% chance that I would be fine. Besides the injury news, Dr. Perry and I had some great conversations about basketball. He was also a physician for my Alma Mater in the early 80s when Bob Mckillop first started coaching at Davidson College.

Lamar – “Dr. Perry, so what was it like being a physician for the Charlotte Hornets?”

Dr. Perry – “Ah man, it was amazing!” There was a new vibe here in Charlotte with Muggsy, Alonzo, Johnson and Curry leading the way.”

Dr. Perry – “I remember when I was working on Alonzo’s knee and the young Currys (Stephen and Seth) were running around the exam room throwing basketballs around and I had to call one of my assistants, “Hey, get these Currys out of here!”

Dr. Perry said that jokingly, he remembers watching those guys grow up around the Charlotte Hornets era, now it is amazing to see how they have grown and become so successful in the game of basketball. It was those types of conversations that were more memorable than thinking about my knee injury.

If you have every had a minor knee injury, here are some of the steps I learned from Dr. Perry to get you quickly back to recovery. Consult with your doctor first.

1. Get some rest and stay off of your knee

2. Initially, ice for the first 2 weeks. Ice at least 3-4 times per day for 15-20 minutes.

3. Until you have recovered, ice 2x a day and use a heating pad 2x per day.

4. Take some ibuprofen or your prescribed inflammation reducer to keep the swelling down as recommended by your doctor.

5. Consult with your doctor, stretch and drink tons of water. Also, eat foods that provide some potassium to help avoid injuries when you start playing again.

6. Be confident and don’t play with fear. That’s easier said than done.

7. Wear a knee pad if necessary!

Here are some useful knee pads for protecting your knee while playing basketball. The hex pad gives you that NBA style protection. When icing your knee, you should definitely try out the therapy ice pads below. They were so useful to me when icing my knee. The portable ice pad with the pump was useful when If had to go from place to place. The ice therapy ice box is awesome as well. It massages your knee at the same time of icing it. If you have that Derrick Rose syndrome, use the knee wrap when playing basketball for compression and support.