Crede decides against back surgery

[greasywheels121]

http://whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/ar...sp&c_id=cws

 

Crede decides against back surgery

Sox medical staff given top honor by Baseball Prospectus

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- When questioned on the final day of the 2006 regular season, Joe Crede seemed to be leaning toward offseason rehab over microsurgery to strengthen two herniated discs in his back. On Thursday afternoon, Crede's decision became more apparent.

 

The White Sox third baseman has opted for a six-to-eight week intense rehab program instead of surgery, according to White Sox athletic trainer Herm Schneider. The explanation came during a conference call in which Schneider addressed topics ranging from the health of numerous players to the White Sox medical staff being honored with the 2006 Dick Martin Award for Medical Staff of the Year by Baseball Prospectus.

 

Schneider explained how White Sox general manager Ken Williams also was involved in the ultimate decision-making process with Crede, and added Crede should be fine if he puts in the work and follows the program. In a statement via e-mail, though, Williams said he played no role in the decision and that it was a player and agent decision after consulting with doctors.

 

Williams also was happy Crede doesn't need surgery.

 

"Hopefully, he doesn't need surgery because nobody wants him to have surgery," said Schneider. "But you are going to the same endpoint either way. It just depends on what route you take.

 

"If you don't do the rehab work, then you need the surgery. If you do the surgery, then you don't need the work. [Players] have to be responsible to do what they are asked to do for their career.

 

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it," Schneider added. "Joe is doing fine, but he has to do the program. He still has to wait until he partakes in baseball drills to see if that all pays off for him. If he does what he's supposed to do, he'll do just fine."

 

This surgical procedure, as Crede explained it, would have involved a small incision in the back and could have been done as an outpatient procedure. Sandy Alomar Jr. had the same surgery in 1993 and was out of action from May 15 to Aug. 7.

 

With that three-month recovery period in mind, Crede figured to make the decision quickly to be ready for Spring Training. But Schneider said the surgery wasn't planned until the beginning of November, giving Crede time to rest after the best professional season of his career.

 

Now, Crede will be taking part in what Schneider terms a "heavy-duty back stabilization program."

 

"During the season, he did an abbreviated program because he had a lot of baseball to do," explained Schneider of Crede, who made the decision after seeking an opinion from a specialist. "He doesn't have any baseball [drills] to do, so he can double up and triple up on back stuff, and that's what his intention is. I don't see why he shouldn't do real well."

 

All of the White Sox charges took off the month of October, recovering mentally and physically from the previous season. They began their offseason programs with the start of November.

 

Jim Thome has a back program laid out for him from Oct. 16 to Feb. 16, according to Schneider. All Thome basically has to do is follow what's on the page for that particular day.

 

"He can do whatever extra for other things," Schneider said. "He's very good about doing that, a very compliant guy."

 

Mark Buehrle will be working through a shoulder and elbow program, not to mention a body program to get himself tuned up and ready for 2007. Mike MacDougal has a shoulder program, while working on getting his back and lower body stronger.

 

Jose Contreras visited with Schneider in Tampa, while Schneider was watching his daughter, Caitlin, play in a softball tournament with University of South Florida. Contreras, who was felled by hamstring problems during the final few weeks of 2006, told Schneider he wasn't doing any sprints as of yet, but he was running around the basketball court at home without any trouble.

 

Schneider also talked with Paul Konerko during last week's organization meetings in Scottsdale and reported the first baseman to be in great condition.

 

"I told him he looked like a fine bottle of wine. He looked mighty good," Schneider said. "He looks well rested."

 

Konerko, focusing on his troublesome lower back, his legs and his upper body, will be going through a total body tuneup at a place in Scottsdale recommended by Royals outfielder Reggie Sanders.

 

"It will benefit him a lot," said Schneider of Konerko.

 

Closer Bobby Jenks has been working with a nutritionist and is going to a health facility in Chicago to continue his offseason conditioning.

 

So basically, the White Sox are a group without any surgeries on the horizon or any serious physical maladies for Schneider to address.

 

"Everyone is on course," Schneider said. "I talked to the guys I need to talk to, guys that I had concerns about. I really don't have any concerns, as long as everyone does what they are supposed to do and I don't get any strange calls where something happened to them, like they slipped on the ice or fell out of a tree stand or [had] a motorcycle accident.

 

"Then, your offseason is put on hold," Schneider said.

 

Over the course of another successful 2006 campaign, only Dustin Hermanson, Jeff Nelson, Cliff Politte and Contreras spent time on the disabled list. Contreras and Politte were the only two holding any true significance in the White Sox plans.

 

Credit goes to Schneider and his staff for this healthy state, including assistant trainer Brian Ball and director of conditioning Allen Thomas. Schneider, in turn, gave credit to the players for their healthy contribution leading to the Martin award.

 

"You tell the guys what to do and they really work hard," Schneider said. "We have to make sure they work hard, but most of our guys are stellar.

 

"We have an All-Star team for a medical staff. They all jump in when they need to jump in. Everything is done in the best interest of the player and the White Sox. The player's best interest always comes first.

 

"A lot of it is luck," Schneider added. "We are pretty lucky. We know what not to do. Sometimes you need to know what not to do, as opposed to what to do. We do what we have to do to get the job done."

[Chisoxfn]

Cool article. Wish Joe the best in his rehab program.

[greasywheels121]

I just hope people read the article before they post in this thread. Because the rehab work Crede's going to be putting in sounds just as good, if not better than going through with the surgery.

[Chisoxfn]

I just hope people read the article before they post in this thread. Because the rehab work Crede's going to be putting in sounds just as good, if not better than going through with the surgery.

Ya, it sounds fine to me. As long as he does the work good deal. It was also interesting to hear the treatments/programs he has planned for other guys. I wonder what Garcia's program is (don't smoke as much victory weed).

[vandy125]

I hope that Crede sticks to the plan and does what the trainers tell him needs to be done. I was talking to a big Twins fan, and he was saying that the word was that Liriano could have saved himself from surgery and from a lot of problems if he had followed what the trainers were telling him to do.

[cwsfan13]

Good article, but I still don't feel good about the Joe situation. Even if he had the surgery I dont know how good I would feel about it, but I just have a feeling we will once again be hearing about the back in 07...

I dont know what to think either .Thats great if he doesnt need surgery but he didnt need it in the 05-06 offseason and he ended up with problems . Luckily the Sox have Herm Schneider to keep an eye on it.

[Baines3]

Back surgery can be rough, I've been through it. I just hope that Crede's back doesn't bother in too much in 2007. I hope he follows that rehab program as the trainers prescribe.

[Chisoxfn]

I dont know what to think either .Thats great if he doesnt need surgery but he didnt need it in the 05-06 offseason and he ended up with problems . Luckily the Sox have Herm Schneider to keep an eye on it.

Lets remember he played through this problems on route to a career season.

[jackie hayes]

The article is mlb.com, of course they're gonna sound upbeat. I'm sceptical. If this is just as good, I don't know why the Sox would have sounded so insistent on surgery.

[cwsfan13]

Lets remember he played through this problems on route to a career season.

Oh yes I remember .I just hope it doesnt get worse thats all .He does have youth on his side and the best trainer in all of sports so Im still very optimistic .

[Balta1701]

Please Bobby...lose some damn weight. I bet you he regains those extra 2-3 mph if he drops 15-20 pounds.

[ptatc]

The surgery they described is a microdiscectomy. If this is the procedure the disc herniation they are concerned about must not be very serious. This was a procedure made famous when Joe Montana had it done and was back on the field in less than 2 months. It sounds very encouraging...as long as Crede does the work.

[LosMediasBlancas]

So, the choices are really hard, painful rehab for 8 weeks, or to go under the scope in an out patient procedure and Joe chooses rehab?

Joe is a tough kid.

[klaus kinski]

He certainly wasnt tradeable with surgery looming. This is good for KW

[RockRaines]

Lets remember he played through this problems on route to a career season.

But when the problem flared up, he experience somewhat of a drop off near the end of the season. I think this is bad news for Joe, he should have had surgery.

[vandy125]

So, the choices are really hard, painful rehab for 8 weeks, or to go under the scope in an out patient procedure and Joe chooses rehab?

Joe is a tough kid.

 

It sounded to me like if he did the rehab, he would still be able to do some practicing and work on different things, but if he did the surgery, he would have to stop all of that for a while.

 

It is much easier to maintain the shape that you are in then to have to start again after a long break.

[greasywheels121]

But when the problem flared up, he experience somewhat of a drop off near the end of the season. I think this is bad news for Joe, he should have had surgery.

 

Why do you feel he needs to have the surgery when the rehab is just as effective?

[RockRaines]

Why do you feel he needs to have the surgery when the rehab is just as effective?

Because I do not believe that the rehab will be as effective. I have seen players do just rehab work only to revert to surgery eventually. From my own experience with herniated disks, I always felt like the rehab work was a temporary solution.

[Balta1701]

Because I do not believe that the rehab will be as effective. I have seen players do just rehab work only to revert to surgery eventually. From my own experience with herniated disks, I always felt like the rehab work was a temporary solution.

Am I forgetting something, or did Crede not have the same injury and attempt to only rehab it last year, only to have it flare up before the end of the season?

[LosMediasBlancas]

Because I do not believe that the rehab will be as effective. I have seen players do just rehab work only to revert to surgery eventually. From my own experience with herniated disks, I always felt like the rehab work was a temporary solution.

 

 

I'm with ya Rock. I'm in the middle of contemplating surgery myself after a decade of trying to 'rehab' a herniated disc. Once you really understand the injury, you realize that if it's severe enough, rehab won't do squat..... and I'm not putting my back through the grind that a pro athlete does. I wish him luck though.

[Balta1701]

I'm with ya Rock. I'm in the middle of contemplating surgery myself after a decade of trying to 'rehab' a herniated disc. Once you really understand the injury, you realize that if it's severe enough, rehab won't do squat..... and I'm not putting my back through the grind that a pro athlete does. I wish him luck though.

Well, no matter how much money Boras has to move around, you just have to figure there must be reasonable medical opinion telling him that a real rehab has a good shot of success, or we wouldn't go through this. At this point in Crede's career, if medical folks are telling him that the surgery is a better option in terms of healing and he says no, he'd have to be crazy; it could cost him tens of millions of dollars

[RockRaines]

Well, no matter how much money Boras has to move around, you just have to figure there must be reasonable medical opinion telling him that a real rehab has a good shot of success, or we wouldn't go through this. At this point in Crede's career, if medical folks are telling him that the surgery is a better option in terms of healing and he says no, he'd have to be crazy; it could cost him tens of millions of dollars

Hey, I trust them. But from my experience ( I was 21 by the way) and very very well trained, I could NOT rehab that sucker, and to this day its not as right as I would like it. But I hope Joe has greater success.

[ptatc]

Because I do not believe that the rehab will be as effective. I have seen players do just rehab work only to revert to surgery eventually. From my own experience with herniated disks, I always felt like the rehab work was a temporary solution.

 

It really can go either way. Depending on the extent of the injury and the activity of the client. Part of the picture people are missing is that he would still have 2-3 months of rehab after the surgery as well. Surgery is not a cure for this problem either.