Darcy Downey Quoted in Article About Spring Exercise

Spring’s the Thing!

SLU Expert Shares What to Keep in Mind When Taking Your Workout Outside

By: David Chilenski

dchilens@slu.edu

ST. LOUIS -- After the coldest winter in over a decade, the signs of spring are showing all over. Daffodils are sprouting in gardens, trees are budding, and thousands will be taking their exercise regimens outdoors for the first time in many months.

"When the weather warms and the sun is shining, people may want to go out and run three miles," says Darcy Downey, assistant professor in athletic training education at Saint Louis University.

"But if you haven't conditioned your body over the winter, an overuse injury could sidetrack your new routine for the foreseeable future."

Downey offers the following tips to get the most from your spring exercise tune-up:

Be aware of the winter weight.

Many of us put on extra weight over the winter. Of course, this puts more stress and strain on bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Don't expect to pick up where you left off six months ago. Starting gradually is the best course of action.

Vary your workout.

Mix a light jog and brisk walk one day, with some core and abdominal work the next. This helps the body steadily adjust and builds a good base as you increase your activity level.

Break your routine into parts.

A long warm up is essential to protect against soreness. Stretching should always be done after the warm-up. After you've completed your main set a cool down is also crucial in preparing for the next day's activities.

"Soreness is a natural response to unfamiliar body activity," Downey said. "Begin gradually, change up your routine to keep it fresh and remember a good cool-down."

Drink water.

It is always important to continue hydrating before, during and after all workouts.

Protect yourself from the sun.

Overexposure to the sun can cause headaches, nausea, fever and fatigue in addition to sunburn. Wear sunscreen and breathable clothing to protect yourself.

"The best advice I can give is just to work into your new workout routine gradually," says Downey.

Darcy Downey Leads Distance Learning Sports Medicine Presentation

On Wednesday, May 6, 2009, SLU Athletic Training faculty member Darcy Downey led a distance presentation on Common Sports Injuries using cadaver demonstrations from the Practical Anatomy & Surgical Education Center in the SLU School of Medicine. The program is a part of the Adventures in Medicine and Science (AIMS) Program. Four Missouri high schools participated in the program: Glasgow High School, Pilot Grove High School, Otterville High School, and New Franklin High School.

Practical Anatomy & Surgical Education, Center for Anatomical Science and Education, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, is dedicated to the development and presentation of innovative medical, health, and science workshops. Practical Anatomy strives to promote the concept of lifelong learning by utilizing the latest technology to connect young people, residents, health care professionals, and surgeons to world-class experts and faculty. (click on logo to go to its website)

Adventures In Medicine & Science, (AIMS), is a youth community outreach program that provides health education and prevention information to students throughout the school year. With a combination of hands-on opportunities and 3-D demonstrations, students get a unique look at the human body. The program offers a prevention component that provides valuable information to students regarding health risks and how to avoid medical traumas. In addition, incoming juniors and seniors are provided with an opportunity to explore medical science during the AIMS Summer Workshop. AIMS is part of Practical Anatomy and Surgical Education in the Center for Anatomical Science and Education of Saint Louis University School of Medicine. (click on logo to go to its website)

Program Faculty Awarded Research Grant

The faculty of SLU Athletic Training Education Program applied for and was awarded a research grant by the Mid-America Athletic Trainers' Association (MAATA). MAATA is also known as District V of the National Athletic Trainers' Association. Darcy Downey is the primary investigator in the project titled: "Self-Efficacy, Locus of Control and Coping: Do These Factors Affect a Student’s Ability to Pass the BOC Examination?"

The project will use an on-line survey of students who have taken the Board of Certiification (BOC) Exam within the past year, looking at psychological factors and success on the BOC exam.

Congrats Darcy!

Women's Final Four in St. Louis a Great Experience!

On Tuesday April 7, 2009, the NCAA women's basketball season came to a conclusion at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Congratulations to the University of Connecticut Huskies as they finished an undefeated season by beating the Louisville Cardinals.

Our staff and students had a great time serving as the medical staff for the event!

Check out a short "behind the scenes" video on YouTube.

Medical team picture before the final:
FRONT ROW - Heather King, Ilene Chambers, Kellie Black and Darcy Downey
BACK ROW - Eric Sass, Dr. Tony Breitbach, Dr. Matt Matava, Dr. Paul Nativi

Darcy Downey Interviewed in University News

Healing the issue of alternative medicine as therapy
By: Laura Casey

Posted: 11/20/08

Sometimes, ankle wrapping and ice packs just don't do the trick. When it comes to this, Saint Louis University (athletic) trainers turn to alternative approaches to treating a wide range of sports injuries.With a common goal of alleviating pain, techniques such as chiropractics, acupuncture, massage therapy, laser therapy, "rolfing" and light therapy are methods that make up these alternative approaches.Unfortunately, every injury is unique.

There is no one, universal algorithm applicable to every case."You have to look at treatment options on an individual basis," Miya Sullivan, SLU's assistant athletic trainer, said. "Of course, we want to try and use all of the services we have at SLU, but if that doesn't work, I would be open to trying alternative approaches."

Darcy Downey, clinical coordinator for athletic training education, reiterated this sentiment."It's definitely something to look at if 'regular' measures aren't working," she said.Regardless of the effectiveness of these so-called "regular" measures, alternative treatments are becoming a more standard method of therapy.

According to an article on Managedhealthcareexecutive.com, more than 36 percent of adults over the age 18 have sought some type of alternative treatment.Because of their cheaper prices, alternative treatments are becoming more popular. The same online article said that 60 percent of healthcare companies have jumped on board to this trend.

One of the therapies that SLU (athletic) trainers are currently using is laser light therapy. Sullivan explained how she has been having good success with an alternative treatment called "light therapy" on some athletes. This is the same therapy that Lance Armstrong and his teammates made use of during the Tour de France.

Downey said that many of these alternative treatments could be effective. She emphasized a technique called "rolfing," a structural integration technique featured on Oprah. Rolfing is similar to a deep tissue massage, except it uses a whole-body approach. It is a series of 10 sessions designed to realign the body's structure to reduce pain. She said SLU doesn't use this approach too often. At the University of Texas (where she used to work), however, the rolfing technique was used frequenly.

Along with physical measures, Downey also emphasized looking at nutritional aspects, as they can have a huge effect on healing. Freshman Nicole Kent, a member of SLU's field hockey team, said that each team works with a dietician who outlines what they should and shouldn't be eating. Athletes are educated on what the makeup of the food they each should look like and encouraged to be conscious of how it affects them. While they are not required to take dietary supplements, Kent said that some men's teams are required to take a protein supplement called "Muscle Milk" after workouts.So, why are these approaches labeled as alternative or unconventional?

Many of these methods are based off of unscientific methods, principles and knowledge. Many of them also lack a scientific model for experimentation. Some people, including Sullivan, say they think that the power of the mind may play a part in the results of these treatments. The power of the mind can affect the healing process.

Whether or not skeptics agree, the effectiveness of these measures is incontrovertible.

"They definitely have a place," Downey said.

© Copyright 2008 St. Louis University News

Hitting the ground running!

Well I am off and running and am already having meetings and getting to know the system. I am very excited to be here and to help make the SLU Athletic Training Education Program the best in the country!

We are so lucky to be located on this campus with all the support and to be located in a city that has boundless opportunities for the students in the clinical settings. We have a wide variety of clinical settings from high school athletics to professional sports and everything in between.

I can’t wait to meet more people who want to be a part of our program and get them on board.

Here’s to a great year for the SLU ATEP and Go Billikens!

--Darcy

We are off and running!

Our office suite is now open and looking good! On Wednesday, May 21st we started MAT 501, Principles of Athletic Training, the first professional phase course to be taught in the program. The students are enthusiastic and things are going well...


The Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training had a barbecue to welcome this year's students into the Professional Phase of the AT and PT programs. The day was beautiful and the food was delicious! Our new faculty member, Darcy Downey, was in town to go house hunting (which was a success by the way)...she stopped in at the barbecue to get acquainted!


Group photo of the AT professional students and faculty:
Darcy Downey, Kellie Black, Ilene Chambers, Heather King, Eric Sass & Tony Breitbach.

Hello from Texas!!!!!

Hey all,

I would just like to post my first blog and say how excited I am to be a part of the new Athletic Training Education Program at SLU.
I look forward to meeting everyone and can’t wait to get started. I hope everyone will come by and say hello when I get there on July 1st.
As most of you know I am in Texas right now and the only thing I am not looking forward to is Winter, it will be an adjustment but I am sure I will be so busy that I won’t notice it :-).












My dog Bailey and I will be moving up hopefully in mid to late June and we are hoping to live close to Forest Park so we can enjoy it.
Again, I can’t wait to meet everyone and get busy!



See you soon...

Darcy Downey

New Faculty Added to Athletic Training Education Program

by: Donn Walker
314.977.8015
mailto:dwalke18@slu.edu

ST. LOUIS - Mike E. Cannon, M.D., assistant professor of community and family medicine at Saint Louis University and a SLUCare physician, has been appointed medical director for SLU's new athletic training education program. In addition, Darcy L. Downey, an instructor of kinesiology and athletic training at the University of Texas at Austin, has been appointed clinical coordinator of athletic training education at Saint Louis University.

"We're very fortunate to welcome these two talented professionals into the athletic training education program," said Tony Breitbach, assistant professor and director of athletic training education at SLU. "Dr. Cannon brings with him a wealth of professional experience and a strong dedication to teaching. And Darcy's energy, passion and broad variety of experiences will be a major asset to the program and to our students."

The new athletic training education program - part of the Doisy College of Health Sciences - will enroll its first students in fall 2008.

Students who begin as freshmen will spend their first three years completing required liberal arts and science prerequisites. They'll also take part in Doisy College's interprofessional education initiative - a series of classes in which Doisy students learn about a broad variety of health careers and issues.

If in good standing after the first three years, students will then move into the final two-year professional phase of the athletic training program, studying human anatomy and kinesiology, clinical sciences, and the principles of athletic training in depth. Students will receive a bachelor's degree in exercise science at the end of the fourth year, and a master's degree in athletic training at the end of year five.














Dr. Mike Cannon

Cannon, whose appointment is effective immediately, will oversee medical aspects of the new athletic training education program, including medical content within the curriculum.
"SLU's new athletic training education program is a unique, seamless combination of an undergraduate degree in exercise science and a master's degree in athletic training," Cannon said. "That curriculum design, combined with Doisy College's interprofessional education initiative, sets this program apart from other athletic training programs."















Darcy Downey (courtesy of University of Texas)

Downey, who will begin her new role at SLU in July, will teach in the athletic training education program and serve as its clinical coordinator, overseeing the field experiences in which students work at various clinics and athletic training facilities in the St. Louis region.
She has been an instructor at the University of Texas since 2003. In addition, she has served as the athletic trainer for the university's women's rowing program since 2005.

Previously, she was an instructor and athletic trainer at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. She also worked at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where she served as an athletic trainer for the Cleveland Rockers of the Women's National Basketball Association.

Long a leader in educating health professionals, Saint Louis University offered its first degree in an allied health profession in 1929. Today the Doisy College of Health Sciences offers degrees in physical therapy, athletic training, clinical laboratory science, nutrition and dietetics, health informatics and information management, medical imaging and radiation therapeutics, occupational science and occupational therapy, and physician assistant education. The college's unique curriculum prepares students to work with health professionals from all disciplines to ensure the best possible patient care.

LINKS:
Darcy Downey's bio at the University of Texas: http://www.edb.utexas.edu/atep/downeypage.htm

Dr. Cannon's bio at SLUCare:
http://www.slucare.edu/index.php?page=discoversearch&action=display&id=1

Original article link:
http://www.slu.edu/x22429.xml