Peripheral Nerve Injuries in the Athlete

Joseph H. Feinberg, MD, MS, graduated from Albany Medical College in 1983. He completed his residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Rusk Institute at NYU in 1990 and has completed fellowships in orthopedic pathology at the Hospital for Special Surgery and in biomechanics at the University of Iowa. He was the director of sports medicine at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation from 1993 to 1998 and is currently the director of electrodiagnostics in the department of physiatry at the Hospital for Special Surgery, where he is also the fellowship director. He has been the team physician for Seton Hall University, Jersey City State College, and the Jersey Dragons soccer team; and he is currently the team physician for St. Peter's College. He was recognized by New York magazine as one of New York City's best doctors in 2001 and 2002. Dr. Feinberg's research efforts include the study of nerve regeneration, muscle fatigue, and muscle kinesiology. He has authored multiple publications on peripheral nerve injuries, nerve regeneration, burner syndrome, muscle kinesiology, and muscle fatigue. He has given presentations on these topics at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM); the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; the Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports, and Occupational Rehabilitation (PASSOR); and the Orthopedic Research Society. He is a fellow of the ACSM, a fellow of the American Academy of Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AAEM), and a member of the AAEM training exam committee. Dr. Feinberg is director of AFICIA (Aid for Children in Africa with Disabilities), an organization that provides medical volunteer care to disabled children in Africa. He has been a triathlete since 1990 and currently lives in Montville, New Jersey. Neil I. Spielholz, PT, PhD, FAPTA, was trained at Columbia University in New York in 1955 and licensed in New York and Florida as a physical therapist. He also earned a PhD from the department of physiology and biophysics at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. He then spent almost 30 years on the faculty of the department of rehabilitation medicine at New York University Medical Center in the electrodiagnostic laboratory. After retiring from NYU, he continued teaching and doing research at the University of Miami School of Medicine's department of orthopaedics and rehabilitation, division of physical therapy, for the next 10 years. In 2001 he retired from the University of Miami as research professor, and was made professor emeritus. Today, his retirement remains only partial, as he continues to lecture and write. Dr. Spielholz has coauthored two books on clinical neurophysiology and has written 15 book chapters and 40 papers on the topics of electromyography, nerve conduction studies, intraoperative use of somatosensory-evoked potentials, electrotherapy, and the basic neurophysiology related to all of the preceding. He serves as an editorial board member and as a peer reviewer for various journals.

Pathophysiology of nerve injury and electrodiagnostics; Mechanisms of nerve injury; Classification of nerve injuries; Regeneration and recovery of nerve function; Electrodiagnostic testing; Cervical radiculopathies, brachial plexopathies, and the burner syndrome; Cervical radiculopathies; Brachial plexopathies; The burner/stinger syndrome; Proximal upper-extremity nerve injuries; Brachial plexopathies; Spinal accessory neuropathy; Dorsal scapular neuropathy; Long thoracic neuropathy; Suprascapular neuropathy; Axillary neuropathy; Musculocutaneous neuropathy;Distal upper-extremity nerve injuries; Median nerve; Ulnar nerve; Radial nerve; Lumbar radiculopathies; Anatomy; The lumbar degenerative cascade; Key clinical findings and diagnostic tests; Operative versus nonoperative treatment; Stages of rehabilitation; Lower-extremity nerve injuries; Neuropathies of the lumbar plexus; Neuropathies of the sacral plexus; General principles of peripheral nerve injury rehabilitation; Rehabilitation goals; Treatment modalities; Treatment of acute, complete, incomplete, and chronic injuries; Rehabilitation of upper-extremity nerve injuries; Median nerve injuries; Ulnar nerve injuries; Radial nerve injuries; Musculocutaneous nerve injuries; Axillary nerve injuries; Long thoracic nerve injuries; Suprascapular nerve injuries; Rehabilitation in radiculopathies and lower-extremity peripheral nerve injuries; Radiculopathy; Femoral neuropathy; Obturator neuropathy; Superior gluteal neuropathy; Inferior gluteal neuropathy; Tibial neuropathy; Peroneal neuropathies; Sciatic neuropathy; Lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy; Saphenous neuropathy; Sural neuropathy; Medial and lateral plantar neuropathies; Digital neuropathies; Pudendal neuropathy.