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Physician in thick of Triathlons

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Dr. Anthony Houssain, a co-owner of SpineCare, demonstrates an active release technique on his partner, Dr. Sean Caine. It is a technique he used while helping at an Ironman triathlon.

Dr. Anthony Houssain, a co-owner of SpineCare, worked as a team physician for an international Ironman competition. He helped athletes at the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Approximately 1,700 athletes from 30 countries finished the race, which included "a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run in the Hawaiian heat," Houssain said.

While he competes in triathlons locally, the meet in Hawaii was his first role involving "pre-race treatment." He has competed in triathlons for the past four years. This year he hopes to compete in his first half-Ironman triathlon.

For almost 10 years, Houssain has treated spine- and sports-related injuries and recently was certified in active release technique, "a soft-tissue therapy technique specific for overuse injuries related to endurance athletes including tri-athletes," he said. Several of Houssains patients are also devoted to the sport. "They compete at many levels of triathlon distance, including Ironman, half-Ironman, Olympic and sprint distances," he said. "Since Triathlons have become a passion of mine, experiencing the pain involved with endurance training, as well as having to care for myself, has allotted me some insight and empathy in managing injuries related to the sport," Houssain said.

A fellow competitor once put Houssain in humbling perspective. "While I was doing one of my first triathlons, a 56-year old woman passed me during the running leg of the competition," he said. "I realized then that it wasn’t how fast you run, but how fast you run tired."

Houssain said he never appreciated the many chances for injuries during training and the race. Fatigue causes runners to compromise their body’s ability "to protect itself while performing what seem like trivial tasks, such as removing your bike from the bike rack," he said. Using human movements to minimize injury plays an important part in protecting athletes in triathlons, Houssain said.

Houssain and his wife, Elizabeth, a speech pathologist with Restore, have a 3-year-old daughter, Emma.

Houssain and his SpineCare associate, Dr. Sean Caine, will open a second clinic in early 2006. SpineCare is at 3825 Sullivan Street, Suite 1. For more information, call 461-7775.