The end of Tommy John?? Is this for real?

It would be prudent to be very skeptical and do a lot of research before you accept this as gospel.

I would certainly agree on doing your homework, however...

The gentleman running the pitching academy my son attended, is a physical therapist. He offers this treatment, and from what he has written - has gotten some very good results.  In my interactions with him, I've gotten the opinion that he researches something and tests it extensively before being willing to endorse it.

With that said, it does have the feel of one of those too good to be true type things.  I think it's something that definitely should be followed to see if the results hold up over time.  If it can keep even a small percentage of pitchers from needing surgery, I think that's a good thing. 

If this was legit, wouldn't you think Yu Darvish of the Rangers would be having this procedure, since he is essentially in Dallas?

From what I have read, I don't think it's an "end Tommy John surgery" like the article is titled.  It seems more suited to treating cases of extreme inflammation or maybe partial tears. That's certainly a good result, but even in the article it says that the technique can't heal full tears.  So, it's not an end to Tommy John for sure.

I guess time will tell if it ends up being an effective technique or not. 

I would certainly give it a try before going under the knife,   good news especially for the many younger players that seem to be having arm issues where you would rather avoid TJ. 

Yes, but I think the Yu Darvish situation is not a full tear.  I hope it is something that can truly work, but I am skeptical.

I hope this is all true, but still very skeptical.  I read that article with interest and started to feel good about things, and then I read the last paragraph.

Don't remember exact words or numbers but they claim something like 600 NFL players and two thousand elite athletes are using this?  That seems like a lot.  Once again, I hope it is for real, MLB will be their #1 customer.

I do know the ARP Wave is gaining ground in therapy and is being increasingly used in sports therapy. It goes, I believe to a lot of what Kyle Boddy is currently bringing to the forefront - that the small muscle groups around the ucl can be conditioned to take more of the load off of the ligament. The ARP Wave works off of that concept. However, the title of this article sets the reader up for a fall and builds unreasonable expectations.

My skepticism is raised by the way the press release:

--attempts to validate the effectiveness of the treatment by means of testimonials instead of published research.

--does not describe the conditions it treats or explain how it works.

--relies on anecdotes for support while providing no information about what changed medically in these cases.

--offers testimonials from people who either profit from the treatment or whose qualifications don't seem relevant (e.g., wouldn't you hope to see the opinion of an orthopedist rather than a chiropractor to evaluate a treatment for UCL injuries?).

--provides no information about the director's qualifications or experience.

--offers "ignorance and old school thinking" as the only reasons MLB hasn't adopted the therapy.

--offers a testimonial from a pitcher who is described in the press release last fall as throwing at max velocity but who does not appear now in the stat sheet for the JUCO the release says he would play for.

Not to mention that it isn't "new" technology exactly.

I in NO WAY support ARP Wave. I have VERY strong opinions about their business that I will make known in the near future once I have collected enough data.

I didn't mean to tie you in with ARP Wave pesonally - just the concept that Dr. Buffi is currently advancing regarding the relative iportance of muscle groups on ligament protection. I also am not clear from your post whether you think ARP therapy (and the surrounding concept) is what you have trouble with or business practices of ARP Wave. Either way, I have no dog in the fight. I have no experience with it or knowledge outside the general concept.

I know - obviously you and I have a (positive) history in the past. But for those who don't know, I just want to make it very clear that I in no way support the use of ARP Wave at all, or their business practices.