Bradley Sandella, DO

Physician Lead Medical Subspecialty Service Line ChristianaCare

  • Wilmington DE

Dr. Bradley Sandella is a practicing physician and director of sports medicine at ChristianaCare.

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Trailblazing treatment by ChristianaCare physical therapists catches attention of NFL

ChristianaCare physical therapists have developed a trailblazing treatment to prevent muscle strains that has caught the attention of numerous sports teams, including the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens. The treatment involves using a screening tool called the “core sling screen” to test the strength of trunk muscles, also known as core muscles, and is combined with a specialized exercise program to strengthen those muscles. Weakness in those muscles can lead to common athletic injuries such as strains in the abdomen, groin, quadriceps and lower back. A study on the treatment’s success was published this spring in the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. Following that, ChristianaCare physical therapists, Brian Catania, MPT, SCS, ATC, and Travis Ross, PT, DPT, who co-authored the study and spearheaded the treatment, presented it to the NFL’s Professional Football Athletic Trainer Symposium. Athletic trainers with the Los Angeles Rams and the Baltimore Ravens met directly with Catania and Ross to learn how to use it to prevent their players from sustaining muscle injuries. “The research by ChristianaCare Rehabilitation Services regarding core slings is an extremely effective approach that is based off of sound reasoning and practical application,” said Jon Hernandez, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC, CSCS, physical therapist and assistant athletic trainer for the Rams. “The principles of the sling activation series are incorporated into our daily, clinical practice. Whether it be our injury prevention programs, corrective exercises, or rehabilitation practices, the sling activation series is applicable to a myriad of conditions we see in an NFL athletic training room.” Catania and Ross care for patients at ChristianaCare Rehabilitation Services at Glasgow, in Newark, Del. They began working on ways to increase resilience in core muscles nearly nine years ago. Through their research, they developed a screening tool, that they call the “core sling screen,” which detects weakness in those muscles. Strains are among the most common sports injuries, according to the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. “We reasoned that if we could identify ways to improve the strength of the core muscles, common lower extremity injuries would be less likely to occur,” said Catania, who also is the program manager at ChristianaCare’s Rehabilitation Services location in Glasgow. “But it had to be a two-part approach. We needed to develop a reliable screening tool to examine the core muscles and then also come up with a targeted exercise program to strengthen those muscles.” The study was conducted by ChristianaCare’s departments of Rehabilitation Services and Sports Medicine. “At ChristianaCare, we are relentlessly curious and we continuously look for ways to innovate,” said Bradley Sandella, D.O., director of Sports Medicine at ChristianaCare, who also co-authored the study. “We don’t want to just treat injuries – we want to prevent them from ever occurring, even if it means that we have to come up with novel and progressive approaches.” A randomized-control study was performed to test out traditional exercises and compare them to a newly developed exercise program that involved rotational movements of the torso, known as rotary-based exercises. The study found that the rotary-based exercises increased the activation of targeted abdominal muscles and could make adjacent areas of the body, such as the groin, less injury-prone. The study included 31 female and male students from the University of Delaware. Catania and Ross have provided further instruction to both the Rams and Ravens. In May, they visited the Ravens’ facility in Owings Mills, Md., to personally instruct Ravens athletic trainers and physical therapists on how to perform the treatment. The treatment also has been presented at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association. “It has been meaningful through this research to contribute to the ongoing evolution in the field of physical therapy and sports medicine,” Ross said. “We are always looking for ways to protect our patients, many of whom are athletes, from injury. It makes physical therapy better, it makes patients better, and it makes players better.” To learn more about this treatment and the expertise ChristianaCare is bringing to organizations like the NFL contact Bradley Sandella, D.O., director of Sports Medicine at ChristianaCare. He's available to speak with media, simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Bradley Sandella, DO

Biography

Dr. Bradley Sandella oversees ChristianaCare’s premiere sports medicine program and former co-director of the Strong Bones Program. He is a practicing physician, faculty member and director of sports medicine at ChristianaCare. Dr. Sandella also is cofounder of the ChristianaCare Concussion Clinic. He is frequently asked to provide expert commentary by media for sports medicine-related topics.

Areas of Expertise

Osteoporosis
Musculoskeletal Injuries
Family Medicine
Sports Medicine
Bone Health

Education

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

D.O.

2006

Multimedia

Media Appearances

The Warning Signs Your Injury Is Serious Enough You Should See a Doctor

Lifehacker Australia  

2018-09-29

We spoke with Dr. Bradley Sandella, the program director of sports medicine at Christiana Care Health System, about how to know what common injuries you can handle on your own and when you should see a pro. Here are the warning signs to watch out for:

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When Kids Focus on 1 Sport, Overuse Injuries Rise

WebMD  

2018-08-22

Dr. Bradley Sandella, program director of sports medicine for Christiana Care Health System in Wilmington, Del., wasn't surprised by the findings. "This has been kind of an ongoing, hot-button topic among sports medicine doctors for some time now," he said.

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Concussion clinic opens in 'underserved' Newark area

The News Journal  

2017-06-12

Dr. Bradley Sandella, the director of Sports Medicine at the University of Delaware, has examined concussions up close, whether it’s on the sideline of a college football game, the bench near a basketball court or an office setting. Not all are handled the same.

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Selected Papers and Publications

Olecranon Stress Injury in an Adolescent Overhand Pitcher: A Case Report and Analysis of the Literature

Sports Health

2015
Upper extremity stress fractures, which are relatively rare, have become increasingly common, with olecranon stress injuries representing a subset primarily affecting throwing athletes. Olecranon stress fractures have been classified to fit specific radiographic patterns, with most of these injuries typified by a fracture line.

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Sport: Field Hockey Progressive Numbness of Distal Lower & Upper Extremities

International Journal of Exercise Science

2014
21 year old collegiate field hockey player who initially presented with 6 months of exercise-induced numbness & pain in her distal lower extremities. Testing consistent with exertional compartment syndrome. Diagnosis ultimately was nerve entrapment of multiple nerves bilaterally underwent subsequent surgical decompression & nerve release. Now presents with numbness & tingling of her distal aspects of her hands one year later.

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Antibiotic Precautions in Athletes

Sports Health

2013
Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment for bacterial infections in patients of all ages. Athletes who maximally train are at risk for illness and various infections. Routinely used antibiotics have been linked to tendon injuries, cardiac arrhythmias, diarrhea, photosensitivity, cartilage issues, and decreased performance.

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