Bigger than baseball

That's how some describe Liam Hendriks' battle against cancer.

At 33 years old, the All-Star Major League Baseball closing pitcher is a fan favorite and famous for throwing fastballs at blazing speeds. But, at only 33 years old, at the end of the 2022 MLB season, Hendriks made the sobering announcement - he had been diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The day after that announcement, Hendriks began cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Phoenix, Arizona. His sight was set on beating cancer in time to rejoin his team for the 2023 season.

Hendriks struck out cancer

He did it. And, in traditional Liam Hendriks fashion - focused, fierce, with a warrior spirit determined to win the battle. His strength and resilience won him ESPN's coveted 2023 Jimmy V ESPY Award for Perseverance. During his acceptance speech, Hendriks expressed his heartfelt gratitude for his wife Kristi, the Chicago White Sox organization and his healthcare team at Mayo Clinic.

Hendriks sat down to talk about his remarkable journey that has now become one of the greatest sports comeback stories of all time.

Watch: Liam Hendriks shares how he struck out cancer at Mayo Clinic

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:48) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Silver linings guy

Liam Hendriks is known for attacking the best hitters with unflappable composure when the stakes are the highest. That's also how Hendriks closed out cancer.

"Hope is one of the biggest things," Hendriks told Mayo Clinic. "I've always had the attitude that if it's there, there's nothing I can really do to change it. Why fret, why stress, why bother with a woe is me kind of thing, because me complaining about it isn't going to change it." Hendriks said he took an "all in" approach to fighting cancer. "I made sure that whatever happens, I'm 100% on board..I'm a big silver linings guy, so I said, this is happening to me right now, what else am I going to do, and how am I going to make any good out of this."

The diagnosis

It was June 2022 when Hendriks noticed some lumps on the back of his neck. He didn't think much of it. A blood test came back clean leading Hendriks to suspect it was just stress. When the season ended, the lumps had grown. A return visit to the doctor and additional tests this time revealed Hendriks had lymphoma. He then underwent a full-body PET scan to see if the cancer had spread. "The scan had black dots all over it. I looked like our dalmation, Olive." The scan results showed that Hendriks likely played the entire 2022 season with cancer. Hendriks was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"I'm not worried"

"You have cancer" are not words anyone wants to hear. But Hendriks' doctor, lymphoma specialist Allison Rosenthal, D.O., had three words for him that hit home. "Just after she told us we had stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, she was like, I'm not worried. That has always stuck with me. I'm not worried."

Dr. Rosenthal also told Hendriks she was a cancer survivor and former athlete herself. "She's been through something similar, she's still here now, she's happy, she's still pushing forward and fighting that fight," said Hendriks. "When a professional who has gone through everything says I'm not worried, that was one of the biggest reliefs that came across me in the whole ordeal."

The comeback

It was like a scene out of a blockbuster sports movie. May 29, 2023, Hendriks returned to the field, cancer-free, and ready to pitch. A roaring crowd welcomed back Hendriks with a standing ovation, handmade signs of support, and cheering "Liam, Liam, Liam." The moment drew the attention of thousands worldwide.

Cancer treatment plan of attack

Hendriks treatment included a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. "That's pretty standard for anybody who has enough going on or enough symptoms to warrant that kind of treatment," said Dr. Rosenthal. "And so, what he received has been a proven therapy for a long time and we were hoping to get by with that being all he needed, and everything being all cleared up. Thankfully that's where we ended up."

Chemo couldn't stop Hendriks

Throughout his four rounds of treatment, Hendriks continued to attend spring training practices with his White Sox team in Scottsdale. Dr. Rosenthal had given Hendriks green light, as long as he didn't overdo it. "I try to understand for all my patients, what their life is like outside of here, what is important to you," said Rosenthal. "I think them more we can keep people in their usual habits and patterns like that, it just helps things feel regular."

Spring training with cancer

Hendriks said it was advice from a friend who had overcome testicular cancer that gave him confidence to train through treatment. "He told me no one can tell you what to do, all you can do is what you feel is right," said Hendriks. "That was something that really hit me between the eyes. So I said, Ok, let's see how far I can push it, how long can I go before I start feeling bad, and the more I did it, the more I did it, and I wasn't reacting negatively to it, so I moved forward." Hendriks said the normalcy of attending practices gave him strength. "I wasn't there with the guys just in case because of my immune system, but they'd get there at ten, and I'd get there at ten to stretch. I'd be in the training room doing my stuff and getting my work in, I just wasn't as much of the clubhouse as I would have liked. Hendriks believes his friend's advice combined with Dr. Rosenthal's support was a game changer. "It was great advice and I pushed it and hopefully I'm back a lot sooner that anyone had thought."

Hendriks message to people fighting cancer

Weeks after a PET scan and bone marrow biopsy showed Hendriks was cancer-free, he was sent to North Carolina for a rehab assignment with the Charlotte Knights. By the end of May, he was put back on the White Sox active roster and headed for Chicago. Hendriks is now back to firing bullets from the mound at close to a hundred miles an hour.

Hendriks is also on a mission to use his experience to help others close out cancer. Hendriks had this personal message to anyone diagnosed with cancer.

Hear more of Liam Hendriks' inspirational one-on-one conversation with Mayo Clinic.

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Learn more about sports medicine. 
Other health tip infographics:
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ROCHESTER, Minn – People look forward to opening day of baseball season, perhaps even more this year amid the pandemic.

Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon and Minnesota Twins medical director Dr. Christopher Camp has treated all levels of athletes – from pro athletes to youth getting started in their sport. Whether returning to their activity after injury or a long layoff, athletes can take steps to smooth their transition back to the game.

Dr. Camp offers these five tips for getting back to your sport:

Tip #1: Set appropriate goals. Determine your goals before you resume play: Is it for exercise? Do you want to compete recreationally? Do you have professional aspirations? It's important to be honest about your ambitions and abilities. They can be above or below what you are capable of, even if you are in good health.

Tip #2: Choose an appropriate timeline. If you know you want to get back to a certain sport by a certain time, be clear about when you need to start your training so you don't rush your preparation.

Tip #3: Establish a logical progression of your activities. This will depend on the sport, the demands of your position, the shape you're currently in. Whatever your starting level, you want to advance slowly – do a little more each week – without any undue pain or soreness.

Tip #4: Introduce one new thing at a time. For example, if you're a former three-sport athlete coming back from injury, don't go back to all three at once. That's not to say that you can't resume all three sports eventually; prioritize them and do them one at a time.

Tip #5: Catch any injury when it’s minor and intervene before it becomes a major injury. Dr. Camp, who works closely with pitchers and overhead throwing athletes, says any pain that comes from throwing is abnormal, particularly for younger pitchers. Many young athletes do not want to stop playing and may try to hide their injuries. Coaches and parents should be on the lookout for any red flags in their young athletes, such as limping, moving more slowly than normal. For the vast majority of injuries, if we catch them early, the road to recovery is much shorter.

 If you have had COVID-19, be sure to talk to your doctor before you return to vigorous activity.

Dr. Camp is available for media interviews.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Expert alert: 5 tips for getting back into the game appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Baseball pitchers often are asked to take some heat off the ball, and lower the stress on their elbow and arm muscle tissue, after an injury. But pitchers may be misjudging how much stress and velocity they're holding back.

A study by Mayo Clinic orthopedic researchers has found that for every 25% decrease in a pitcher's self-reported effort, elbow torque decreased only 7% and the ball's velocity dropped only 11%. The athlete's perceived reduction in effort was markedly greater than the actual reduction, according to the study.

This has significant implications for physical therapists, trainers, coaches and athletes as they monitor elbow stress as part of the recovery process, says Christopher Camp, M.D., a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon.

"The measured effort was significantly greater than the perceived effort for all metrics tested," says Dr. Camp, corresponding author for the study, which recently was published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. "Ultimately, when players throw at what they perceive to be reduced effort, their actual throwing metrics do not decrease at the same rate as their perceived exertion, and this has significant implications for their recovery."

During rehabilitation throwing programs, baseball players are asked to throw at reduced levels of effort — 50% or 75%, for example — to lower the stress on healing tissues and allow for recovery. Dr. Camp and his colleagues investigated how changes in a player's perceived exertion compares with changes in the actual exertion during structured, long-toss programs.

The study involved 60 male high school and college baseball players. Each participant wore a biometric assessment sleeve that measured elbow torque, velocity and other factors. The athletes threw a baseball 120 feet five times with three levels of effort: 100%, 75% and 50%. Velocity of the throw was measured with a radar gun.

All throwing metrics decreased as the athletes decreased their perceived effort, but the measured decreases were much smaller than the decreases in perceived effort. In the 75% effort throws, elbow torque was only reduced to 93% of maximum and velocity dropped to 86% of maximum. For the 50% effort throws, elbow torque remained at 87% of maximum effort torque, while velocity remained at 78% of maximum.

Shoulder and elbow injuries are among the most common injuries in baseball at all levels, and interval throwing programs often are used in the rehabilitation process, with progressively increased throwing distance and effort. These programs aim to improve flexibility, throwing mechanics, endurance and arm strength for injured and healthy athletes.

Dr. Camp says that the Mayo Clinic research shows that athletes and trainers should be aware of these discrepancies when using interval throwing programs. Given the proven efficacy of these interval programs, this doesn't mean that they should be abandoned altogether.

"To more reliably achieve intended levels of elbow torque, clinicians and coaches need to be aware of these discrepancies and may want to consider more objective measures of effort," Dr. Camp says. Those include measuring elbow torque and workload using wearable devices or recording data using motion capture devices.

The study was supported in part by a grant from Major League Baseball. Dr. Camp has received education and hospitality payments from Arthrex Inc., and hospitality payments from Zimmer Biomet.

The study’s first author is Heath Melugin M.D., Mayo Clinic. Co-authors are:

• Dirk Larson, Mayo Clinic
• Glenn Fleisig, American Sports Medicine Institute
• Stan Conte, Conte Injury Analytics
• Stephen Fealy, M.D., Hospital for Special Surgery
• Joshua Dines, M.D., Hospital for Special Surgery
• John D'Angelo, Major League Baseball 

Dr. Melguin has received education and travel payments from DePuy Synthes. Dr. Fealy has received royalties from DJ Orthopaedics and Encore Medical. Dr. Dines has received consulting fees from Arthrex, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Linvatec, Trice Medical, Wright Medical Technology and DePuy Orthopaedics; IP royalties from Linvatec; research support from Arthrex; and hospitality payments from Horizon Pharma.

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About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. Learn more about Mayo Clinic. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network. 

Media contact:

• Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Baseball pitchers may take less heat off the ball during recovery than they think appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Baseball season is here. While that’s welcome news to players and fans, injury risks for youth baseball players are higher than one might expect. For children ages 5–14, those who play baseball account for 25 percent of all sports-related injuries in that age range, according to Livestrong.

“Injuries are common in youth and adult baseball and softball players,” says Jake Erickson, D.O., Mayo Clinic Health System sports medicine physician. “Being aware of the most common injuries and their causes can prevent harm.”

Dr. Erickson says the most common baseball and softball-related injuries include:

• Damage or tear to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL)

According to Sports Med, UCL damage often is caused by pitchers throwing too much. Knowing your limits can help prevent overuse.

• Meniscus tears

When baseball or softball players forcefully twist or rotate their knees, they are susceptible to tearing their meniscus. This aggressive twisting and pivoting of the knee can cause pain, swelling and stiffness.

• Hand and wrist pain

Damage to a hand or wrist is typically caused by sudden impact and repetitive stress. This can happen during contact with another player or while diving for a ball on the ground.

• Elbow and rotator cuff tendinitis

Tendinitis can be caused by a sudden injury but is commonly caused by the repetition of a particular movement over time. It’s especially common among pitchers.

“Overuse conditions are the most common injuries we see,” adds Dr. Erickson. “If we catch an overuse injury early, a few days of rest and recovery is typically all that’s needed to fix the problem. If athletes push through this pain and ignore warning signs, a small problem can turn into a bigger problem, which will lead to more time away from sport.”

Dr. Erickson recommends seeing a doctor if you or your child have been injured during an athletic competition.

“It’s important to get an accurate diagnosis to determine the severity of the injury. Swelling of a joint is never normal, so if you notice a swollen joint, you should see your doctor promptly.”

The post Avoid injury during baseball and softball season appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Spring training is still a couple of months away, but Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine is getting ready. Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine will host its first baseball and softball summit on Jan. 13, 2018, at Leighton Auditorium on Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus. This summit will take a deeper look at overuse injuries.

Physicians, performance coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and baseball and softball coaches will examine new research into overuse injuries, current treatment and surgical options, biomechanics of baseball and softball athletes, and ways to prevent injuries.

The summit will include these sessions:

• "Little League Throwing Injuries"
• "Specialization in One Sport: What is Too Early?"
• "Metrics Used in the Evaluation of a Baseball Player"
• "Strength and Conditioning in Professional Baseball"
• "Catcher’s Injuries in Professional Baseball"
• "Your Elbow Needs an Operation But Not a 'Tommy John' Procedure"
• "Managing Our Youth to Succeed and Protect their Arms"
• "Failure of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction in Pro Baseball Players and Approach to Revision"
• "Mindfulness for Baseball and Softball Athletes"
• "Softball Pitching: What to Look for to Prevent Injury"

Overuse injuries occur in various sports, but some injuries are unique to specific sports, such as baseball and softball. Athletes who use a lot of overhead arm motion are at risk of tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow or developing superior labrum anterior to posterior lesions in the shoulder.

Christopher Camp, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and co-director of the summit, will demonstrate an ulnar collateral ligament surgery. Daniel Christoffer, director of the summit and a former athletic trainer with the Los Angeles Dodgers, will conduct a live video analysis of a baseball pitcher.

Members of the media who want to attend or interview participants should RSVP to the contact below by Jan. 5, 2018.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine to host first baseball, softball summit appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic will open its state-of-the-art Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center expansion at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center on May 5. The new space includes multiple playing surfaces, such as hardwood for basketball and volleyball, artificial grass for turf sports, artificial ice for hockey, and specialized lifting platforms.

“Whether you are an elite, professional athlete or a ‘weekend warrior,’ we are able to develop programs to fit all athletes’ needs,” says Edward Laskowski, M.D., co-director, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center. “We have long had world-renowned experts in all areas of sports medicine, but through our expansion here in Rochester and our new facility being developed in downtown Minneapolis, we have the increased resources to meet growing demand.”

The new space offers performance solution programs, including hockey, golf, running, baseball/softball, anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention and return-to-sport. The programs begin with individualized assessment and are then tailored to meet individual needs, regardless of age or level of athletic achievement.

“Active children become active adults, so we take great pride in serving people of all ages to achieve their sports performance and fitness needs,” says Michael Stuart, M.D., co-director, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center. “Our team of physicians, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and strength and conditioning specialists will help prevent injury, refine skills and speed recovery so people can spend more time doing what they love at the highest level possible.”

Mayo Clinic is a global leader in sports and musculoskeletal injury prevention and rehabilitation, concussion research, diagnostic and interventional ultrasound, and surgical and nonsurgical management of sports-related injuries.

Mayo Clinic recently announced a collaboration with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx to be the preferred medical provider for the teams and to open a new Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center facility in the new Mayo Clinic Square, formerly “Block E,” in downtown Minneapolis.

Together with the new Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center personnel will be available during a public open house at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

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About Mayo Clinic
Recognizing 150 years of serving humanity in 2014, Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit 150years.mayoclinic.org, http://www.mayoclinic.org and newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Bryan Anderson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post State-of-the-Art Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center Expansion Opens May 5 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

The recent suspensions of high-profile major league baseball players has raised a lot of questions about performance enhancing drugs. HGH, or human growth hormone, is one substance that's found its way into the headlines. Mayo Clinic physiology researcher, Michael Joyner, M.D., says HGH is produced naturally in the body. Dr. Joyner says it's there primarily to help children grow, but diminishes in the blood stream as we age. Some have even tried to slow the aging process with synthetic HGH injections. Dr. Joyner says because the hormone can temporarily increase muscle mass and help muscles recover more quickly after intense use, it's become a tempting way for professional athletes to try to gain an edge. Major League Baseball started testing for HGH last year, but Dr. Joyner says it's still one of the easiest performance enhancing drugs to abuse.

Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Joyner are available in the downloads.

/// Sound Bite JOYNER #1 - HGH HARD TO TEST FOR: (Michael Joyner, M.D., Mayo Clinic Physiology Researcher)  “There are pretty good tests for anabolic steroids, testosterone and amphetamines, kind of the traditional performance enhancing drugs, but growth hormone is very, very difficult to test for. “ TRT  :11

Dr. Joyner says, unfortunately, many high school and college athletes have an easy time finding HGH products through the black market and Internet. He says unregulated clinics may also inject the hormone "off-label" for people who simply want to look and feel younger, but the quality of the product and the value of the practice are highly questionable.

/// Sound Bite JOYNER #2 - HGH INTERNET/BLACK MARKET SOURCES: (Michael Joyner, M.D., Mayo Clinic Physiology Researcher) “These so-called anti-aging clinics that give people hormones, you might be ahead for a while and people might get themselves a bit buffed up, but there’s not long-term evidence that this stuff works. And who knows what it’s going to do when you’re 70 or 80 years old?”  :15

Dr. Joyner says research has shown that a short list of healthy lifestyle behaviors will bring more positive results for everyone, regardless of age or athletic ability. He recommends that we don't smoke, be physically active, control our weight, eat wisely - including eating an early breakfast, and be socially engaged with those around us.

The post Mayo Clinic Physiology Expert on HGH Abuses appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

He entered the Mayo Clinic video contest by creating a unique video describing his favorite way to stay healthy. David got all of his friends and family to vote, and he received the highest number of votes of all the videos submitted. You still have the chance to win like David by creating and posting a video on the Mayo Clinic Facebook page. Click here to post, view and vote for your favorite videos.

The post David was Mayo Clinic’s first video contest winner! appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

nThroughout the 2010 season, Mayo Clinic provided on-site health screenings for thousands of fans at Target Field -- including blood pressure and cholesterol checks, Body Mass Index calculations, as well as orthopedic surgery and sports medicine screenings and education.n

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nIn-stadium signage at all Target Field games included health tips read by Twins players, and pregame radio interviews with Mayo Clinic physicians provided more in-depth information on health topics, including:n

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• Four ways to prevent a heart attack

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• Organ donation — Kobe's heart transplant story

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• Minimally-invasive heart surgery

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• Signs of a heart attack

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• Stroke warning signs and prevention

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• Brain cancer research

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• Epilepsy treatment and research

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• Alzheimer's disease research and preventing cognitive impairment

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nTo learn more about the Mayo Clinic-Twins relationship, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/mntwins/. Details on events and activities for next season will be updated as it approaches!n

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