AAMC Reporter: May 2009
Neurosurgeon Masters His Domain
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T. Glenn Pait, M.D.
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When T. Glenn Pait, M.D., started hitting golf balls as a teenager,
he never thought the hobby would lead him to one of the world's
most prestigious golf tournaments.
But it wasn't a powerful swing that got Pait to the Masters tournament
in Augusta, Ga. It was his pen.
Pait, a neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery professor at the University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, coauthored a book on the orthopedic
problems that haunt golfers. Pait and his coauthor, former Masters
Golf Tournament Chair Jackson T. Stephens, signed copies of their
book at the preeminent tournament.
"The opportunity to see some of the greatest athletes play in such
a demanding environment was just incredible," he says. "And to have
a book you authored be at the Masters."
Pait says he and Stephens, a former patient and friend, decided
to write the book, "Golf Forever: The Spine and More: A Health
Guide to Playing the Game," because they found that people often
underestimated the physical challenges of golf.
"The golfer has to be an incredible endurance athlete, because
it's just you and your caddy out there," he says. "And a lot of
people take up golf at an older age, when their spine is not the
best anymore."
The book, Pait says, covers issues like when to avoid playing and
how to return to the game after a long absence. It provides exercises
for strengthening and flexibility. Although it focuses mostly on
golf-related back problems, the book also delves into golfers' hand
and wrist injuries and appropriate nutrition.
"The whole point of the book is that the more you know about golf
injuries, the better you can play and keep yourself healthy," Pait
says. "This book allows golfers to play forever."
—By Elissa Fuchs
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