Student Athlete Recovers with Sports Rehabilitation

Brandon Puckett’s future was as bright as the sunshine that lit up the baseball field on the mid-April afternoon. After finishing the high school fall baseball season at St. Anthony High School with a National Trail Conference tournament championship and being named MVP of the tournament, his hopes of leading his team to the postseason were high as they faced their long-standing rivals in Teutopolis. It was not a pitch that would shatter his hopes, but instead it was a hard-hit ball to him as he played the center field position. Even though the catch was successful, he knew something was wrong when he stood up from landing on his side. “I could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong,” said his mother, Jody Puckett. A look of panic and a description of a loud pop sent Brandon immediately to be seen at a local orthopedic clinic.

Brandon was hopeful that it was just a bad bruise. However, an MRI showed a torn labrum was the result of the injury. Jody shared, “Dr. Lee at the Bonutti Clinic performed the labrum repair, two days prior to Brandon’s high school graduation ceremony. I remember the conversation I had with Dr. Lee immediately following his surgery. He stressed that while the surgery was successful, it would be the actual rehabilitation process that would determine his future potential to ever pitch again,” Jody stated.

"As a parent, I had promised Brandon that I would do whatever it took to find the rehab services that would give him the best chance of pitching again. I was so pleased to discover that those specialized rehab services were available right here in our community," she continued. After his initial evaluation, Brandon’s treatment plan was developed by Physical Therapist Jon Frohning, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, who had just recently joined St Anthony’s rehab team, specializing in sports injury.

Brandon took every phase of the rehab process in stride. He progressed so well with his range of motion, strength, and stability, it was a tough task to convince him to “slow down” and not rush his return to play. He was very excited to begin throwing for the first time after his surgery.

Jon has kept in constant contact with Brandon, providing continued oversight of his training. That attention and effort has paid off as Brandon returned to the pitching mound for Lake Land College on Sunday, February 25, 2018.

Check out this web site for more information about Sports Rehabilitation or any of the many other therapy services offered by HSHS St. Anthony’s Physical Rehabilitation and Wellness.  You can also contact Tammy Probst, Director of Rehabilitation Services & Wellness, at (217) 347-3563 or email Tammy.Probst@hshs.org.

by Jennifer Fallert, PTA