Photography by: Kirk R. Tuck

When Garrett Jennings broke his collar bone and separated the acromioclavicular (AC) joint in his left shoulder during football practice last May, the 18-year-old St. Stephen’s Episcopal School senior immediately went to see Dr. Douglas Elenz of Austin Sports Medicine (ASM) for treatment.

After Elenz surgically repaired the AC joint, the injury required six weeks of physical therapy, which included mobility exercises to strengthen Jennings’ shoulder and restore range of motion.

“It was no fun,” Jennings says of having to stay off the practice field. “I wanted to play football, but (Elenz) said the goal is to get me back on the field as quickly as possible, but also safely.”

Jennings is a familiar face at ASM. In 2007, the student athlete fractured his femur playing football, and in 2009, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee; he sought treatment at the clinic in both instances.

He was referred to ASM by Ricky Biediger, the athletic trainer for St. Stephen’s who says the practice has been treating the school’s athletes for the past 16 years.

“I’ve sent patients to every physician in that office,” Biediger says. “It’s easy to get our kids in to see them. They’ve worked with us for so long, so they have gotten to know the kids really well.”

And like many high school and college athletes, as well as weekend warriors, seniors and pros (Tour de France champ Lance Armstrong among them), Jennings entrusts his care and rehabilitation for sports injuries to the physicians at ASM: Drs. Carey Windler, Kelly Cunningham, Nathan Breazeale, Jim Fernandez, Jake Manuel and Elenz.

Founded in September 1999, ASM offers comprehensive care to patients with active lifestyle or sports-related injuries all under one roof.

“We’ve always said that when we opened our office it was going to be a one-stop shop,” Elenz says, “so if someone had an orthopaedic issue or sports injury … they could be evaluated by a doctor, have X-rays and get an MRI scan. If they need surgery, they could have that done, or they could be treated nonsurgically with a physical therapist. That’s our team approach.”

The physicians can empathize with their patients quite well, considering that all participate in sports in their spare time, whether it’s basketball, cross training, running, cycling, swimming or backpacking.

“It is our philosophy to practice what you preach,” Fernandez says. “If we’re telling our patients they need to do something, and we’re not doing it ourselves, we’re going to look foolish. A couple of doctors here were All-American swimmers, so patients understand that a lot of them have gone through injuries, too.

“It does make a difference that if you’re going to go in and be treated by someone, that they also live a good and healthy lifestyle.”

Over the past 11 years, the sports medicine docs have gained a reputation in the Austin community through word-of-mouth for providing outstanding care in the utmost professional manner – so much so that their client list includes the U.S. Men’s Olympic Alpine Ski Team and the University of Texas Men’s Athletic Program.

Allen Hardin, co-director of sports medicine at University of Texas Athletics, says many UT athletes are treated at ASM because the physicians are considered to be respected specialists in orthopaedic medicine.

“They understand the demands of returning an athlete to play in Division I athletics,” Hardin says. “They know that oftentimes we don’t have the luxury of time. I’ve found them to be thorough and always on the mark when it comes to injuries and rehabilitation.”

In addition to Armstrong, ASM physicians have worked with other pro athletes on occasion, including the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The opportunities to work with nationally recognized athletic teams are a result of network connections developed through fellowship training that Windler, Cunningham, Elenz and Breazeale completed in sports medicine.

Although treating pro athletes certainly can have its moments, Windler says the orthopaedic surgeons enjoy helping people get better whether they are a household name or not.

“Certainly there’s a glamour aspect to caring for high-profile athletes,” Windler says. “But most of us have done this before, so we’re not star-struck. We take a similar approach to treating high school or professional athletes and apply it to the weekend warrior and others [whom] we see. The satisfaction is seeing athletes at all levels return to their sport.” Since 1999, ASM has expanded its services to offer excellent customer service. For example, in 2003, a physical therapy department was established with a single PT. Today, the practice employs four therapists, who Breazeale says are second to none.

“A lot of what we see is nonsurgical, musculoskeletal problems,” he says, “but they still need attention. There’s a huge variation in the quality of therapy that’s out there, and we have some outstanding physical therapists who get tremendous results.”

ASM also provides durable medical equipment to patients such as functional and unloader bracing, slings and motorized cold therapy devices. The in-house DME program allows the practice to offer better service to patients by providing them with high-quality orthopedic products at a competitive price. Most products are covered by a patient’s insurance plan.

Because Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are living longer, many are taking to running, tennis or weightlifting, among other sports, to maintain longevity and good health. This, in turn, is sending older patients to the emergency room with injuries, which the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has coined “boomeritis,” according to the December 2007 issue of Austin Fit magazine.

“We’ve traditionally taken care of the younger or middle age patients,” Cunningham says. “But what we’re seeing [is] as people continue to age, they want to stay active.”

As a result, ASM hired its newest orthopaedic surgeon – Manuel – in August 2010. He specializes in joint replacements of the knee and hip.

Manuel’s patient, Ritchy Scoggin, had hip replacement surgery in September 2010, which he attributed to wearing out his hip from years of vigorous sports since childhood.

“My hip changed my lifestyle for 15 years,” the 44-year-old financial advisor says. “I couldn’t run, and I couldn’t walk distances. I did zero workouts and no sports. If I did yard work, I was in pain for three to four days.”

Scoggin credits Manuel with helping him in his decision to have surgery, saying he was hesitant to have a hip replacement, and even had surgery 10 years ago to prevent from having to do so. He’s glad he finally did.

“I had so much better results than I anticipated,” he says. “Now I can do anything I want. I can play sports here and there and work in my yard.”

Austin, as you probably already know, ranks No. 10 on the list of fittest cities in the nation, according to an article in the May 2010 issue of Shape magazine. And while lakes, swimming pools, hiking trails and parks abound, Austinites have a variety of sports and leisure activities from which to choose.

The physicians at ASM applaud them for pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle, while acknowledging that those who participate in higher levels of sports might be prone to injury. Should that occur, ASM is here to help.

“We truly want to help people,” Fernandez says. “People come in, and they’re hurting or they’ve had a nagging injury for a long time. We’re fortunate to have had lots of schooling and training to have answers for them.

“Sometimes, they just need to change their training, do a couple of extra exercises or they might need an injection or surgery. In the end, it’s about helping them get back to where they want to be. You’ll see that person at a football game, and they’ll tell you, ‘my knee or shoulder feels great.’ And that’s a good feeling.”

For more information, visit www.austinsportsmed.com or call 512-450-1300.