CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — You exercise, you eat right, but still you can’t lose weight. If you’re over the age of 40, hormones may be to blame.

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McConnell has been performing body scans this week on PGA Tour golf pros, giving them a detailed look from the inside-out on what exactly is going on inside their bodies.

“It actually shows you what you are made of,” said McConnell, who scanned 14 golfers on-site Wednesday in Edison, N.J.

McConnell, of Charleston Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, uses an X-ray body scanner made by GE Healthcare — the machine, known as the iDXA system, costs up to $100,000 — to give golfers specific data on body composition, such as percent body fat and lean muscle mass.

The information, delivered in a detailed five-page report along with a high-resolution image, can help golfers adjust their swings, alter their nutrition or training habits, and even lengthen their careers.

The body scans are part of a partnership between GE and the PGA Tour announced earlier this year. Sean O’Hair was one of the first golfers to use the technology at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla., last spring.

“I think it’s a huge tool to help you be better,” O’Hair told reporters then.

McConnell said body scans are the next step in the evolution of studying body composition.

“For so long in this country, we’ve looked at body-mass index, height and weight tables, and it’s just not accurate,” McConnell said. “The whole concept of body composition, whether it’s in golfers or other athletes, is to look at lean body mass, percent body fat and the distribution of body fat — not only how much, but where exactly is it?”

The PGA Tour includes all sorts of body types, from the buff Tiger Woods to the lumpy John Daly, and everything in between. Some golfers will be intrigued by the data McConnell can provide; some won’t want to know, he said.

“There really is no one ideal form,” McConnell said. “You have bigger guys and smaller guys who have success. But we are seeing some differences and concern with where body fat and muscle mass is located in the left side of the body versus the right. Is there really a left versus right dominance in terms of swing mechanics?”

Furyk said that’s an issue he discussed with his trainers for years.

“Now we can actually measure it,” he told the New York Times. “I think there’s going to be quite a few guys out here who are going to see a big imbalance. They’ll realize it, get a tool to manage it and maybe prolong their career.”

Said McConnell: “They can take this information and work with their trainers. Maybe they learn that they need to be working on their left quad or their left upper body for their turn. Without this information, they may not see the difference.”

To get a body scan, a golfer lies down on a table beneath a curved arm that travels the length of the body, sending out bursts of low-dose X-rays. The whole process takes six to eight minutes.

“It’s very low-dose radiation,” McConnell said, “so you can get multiple scans without any concern.”

In a sport where athletes are constantly tweaking their swings, their clubs and balls, and firing their caddies — all in search of the slightest of advantages — body composition is one more area that can provide an edge.

“At this level of the sport,” McConnell said, “even a two or three percent difference in performance is huge.”

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As a result, Charleston Sports Medicine is seeing enormous interest in Platelet Rich Plasma therapy (PRP) among athletes.  College of Charleston long relief pitcher, Nick Osterman, is one baseball player that is thankful he chose PRP over the traditional “tommyjohn” surgery.  He states, “I threw a fast ball.   I knew the instant I tore the ligament in my elbow that something was wrong.  I consulted with Dr. Bright McConnell, III from Charleston Sports Medicine, and he suggested I try PRP instead of surgery.”

Less aggressive and less expensive than surgery, PRP therapy uses a patient’s own plasma to trigger a healing cascade. Unlike steroid injections for joint pain relief from injuries like torn ligaments, PRP is proven to actually heal injured tendons, ligaments and tissue. States Ostermann, “It is a great alternative to surgery.  My velocity is back.  I am throwing as hard as I was before.”

Charleston Sports Medicine specializes in the Orthobiologics treatment known as “platelet rich plasma” or PRP. PRP is blood plasma with concentrated platelets. Dr. McConnell explains, “The concentrated platelets found in PRP contain large reservoirs of bioactive proteins, including growth factors that are vital to initiate and accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. These bioactive proteins initiate connective tissue healing: bone, tendon and ligament regeneration and repair, promote development of new blood vessels, and stimulate the wound healing process.”

To prepare PRP, a small amount of blood is taken from the patient. The blood is placed in a centrifuge, which spins and automatically produces the PRP. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes and increases the concentration of platelets and growth factors up to 500%.

When PRP is injected under ultrasound guidance into the damaged area it stimulates the tendon or ligament, causing mild inflammation that triggers the healing cascade. As a result new collagen begins to develop. As this collagen matures it begins to shrink causing the tightening and strengthening of the tendons or ligaments of the damaged area.Osterman recommends PRP for any athlete that wants to recover from an injury without a grueling recovery process.  He states, “Without the PRP shot, I do not think I would be playing baseball right now.  I have recommended it to a few of my teammates.  It was less invasive, less expensive and got me back out on the field much quicker than traditional surgery.”

For CofC Pitcher, New Treatment Worked

In the summer of 2010, Nick Osterman was pitching for the Forest City Owls of the Coastal Plains League. With two out in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Thomasville Hi-Toms, he threw a fastball for strike three and felt something give in his right elbow.

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Bright McConnell, MD, often hears from his patients at FitMed Partners that they worry menopause or male androphase could destroy their marriages on top of their self esteem. In women, he sees weight gain, hot flashes, aging skin, and bone loss. He hears from men who are depressed, overweight, forgetful, or think they have sexual dysfunction.

Like most men and women, you may be frustrated by the symptoms of hormone loss and confused by the marketing hype surrounding synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Or you might be frightened by the fact that the WHI study demonstrated that the use of synthetic HRT and horse estrogens results in more health risks than benefits. The good news, McConnell says, is that there are other options.

What is Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy?

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) defines bio-identical hormones as “plant-derived hormones that are biochemically similar or identical to those produced by the ovary or body.” Bio-identical hormone replacements have a molecular structure that matches the molecular structure of the hormones produced by the human body. They are made from hormone precursor molecules found in soybeans or wild yams.

In contrast, synthetic HRT is not an exact fit for the human body’s hormone receptor sites. Because they are molecularly different in structure than the hormones they were designed to replace, synthetic hormones act as a foreign substance in the human body.

How do I know if I have a hormone imbalance?

Tired? Depressed? Unfocused? Progesterone supports the brain’s function of controlling mental acuity and emotional stability. At optimal levels, progesterone can be attributed to promoting an attitude of calmness, and also fostering health sleep patterns. This “feel good” hormone is the first to decline around 35-40 and drops 120 times more rapidly than estrogen.

From their mid-30s, almost all women are estrogen dominant. It is important to understand that estrogen dominance does not mean that the body is producing too much estrogen; rather, it means that the body’s estrogen is not balanced by progesterone. Some common symptoms include: weight gain, fatigue, depression, hot flashes, low sex drive, osteoporosis, night sweats, poor sleep, fibrocystic disease, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis.

Men come into FitMed saying they feel excessively fatigued, weaker, depressed, and that they have lost their sex drive – all common symptoms of a drop in testosterone. And although testosterone is often thought of as a male hormone, it also has a very vital function within the female body. In a biochemical sense, testosterone impacts sex drive, increases energy levels, improves muscle tone and maintains vaginal elasticity and stimulation.

The thyroid gland is best known for its metabolic function affecting weight, and the prevalence of thyroid problems increase with age. Approximately 26% of middle-aged women are diagnosed with hypothyroidism. In addition to weight gain, other symptoms of thyroid dysfunction include mood disturbances, low energy levels, mental confusion, and sleep disturbances.

The two thumb-sized adrenal glands play a critical role in producing the hormones epinephrine, cortisol, and DHEA, and in regulating the sympathetic nervous system. One cardinal sign of adrenal exhaustion is relentless, debilitating fatigue. Cortisol increases appetite and energy levels while taming the allergic and inflammatory responses of the immune system. DHEA, is often referred to as the “anti-aging” hormone. It can help protect bone density, keep bad cholesterol levels under control, provide a general sense of vitality and energy, aid natural sleep patterns and improve mental acuity.

Where do you take Bio-Identical Hormones?

One size does not fit all. If each patient has their own unique hormone profile, then it is not possible to manufacture a single pharmaceutical product to meet the needs of each individual. Your physician will need to test your hormone levels through saliva, blood or urine testing, and order a specific hormone dose from a custom compounding pharmacy. BHRT can be dispensed in capsules, tablets, gelcaps, suppositories, sublingual drops and creams.

Why doesn’t the entire medical profession use BHRT?

Simply put, the market still exists. However; synthetic HRT has experienced a crescendo of clinical evidence that it should not be taken long-term. Nevertheless, HRT is well established by pharmacies, insurance companies, and consumers and these drugs are still the most commonly prescribed treatment for negative symptoms associated with hormonal imbalance and menopause.

“More and more physicians, particularly those focused on wellness and prevention, are turning to BHRT,” explains Dr. McConnell. “They have found that it alleviates the symptoms caused by the body’s natural decrease in production of hormones, reestablishes the body’s optimum hormonal ratio, and safely and effectively supports and improves a person’s overall physical, mental, and emotional health.”

A simple saliva test analyzes over 100 genetic markers that have been shown to impact metabolism, exercise, and energy use in the body. A patient is then given a personal genetic profile. States Dr. McConnell. “The results are incredibly specific. Patients can use their genetic profile to take action. The results can empower a patient to finally end defeating cycles of weight gain by establishing a personal appropriate diet and exercise regimen.”

Research shows that that people that follow a diet appropriate for their genotype lose 2.5 times the weight than those that do not know their genetic profile. To learn more about genetic testing, log onto fitmedpartners.com.

Media contact: Laurin Collar, HHK Healthcare Marketing Specialists. 843.478.8494

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