Petras speaks, injuries listen

A Scripps Howard News Service story said that St. John's (Minn.) University wide receiver Blake Elliott was downcast this week while rehabbing a hamstring he aggravated in last Saturday's Division III semifinal win over Rensselaer (N.Y.) Poly Institute.
He was hoping to recover enough to play against Mount Union in this Saturday's NCAA Div. III national championship game in Salem, Va.
Having Elliott at less than full speed will not help.
St. John's coach John Gagliardi said that it may depend on a miracle.
That's why Gagliardi, in his 55th season with college football's most victories -- 413, may want to call on Dr. Ray Petras.
Petras, a Campbell native and 1972 YSU graduate, has helped before.
Gagliardi, in a letter dated Dec. 12, 1994, said about Petras' services: "To me, it was amazing and dramatic to see how effective and immediate the results were."
Gagliardi relayed the enthusiasm of one of his athletes: "It's like a miracle," the young man remarked.
Gagliardi concluded: "Hopefully, your work will become known, so more suffering people can benefit and find relief."
What better time than now.
Overcoming obstacle
The fact that Petras is thousands of miles from Virginia this weekend may not be an obstacle. The fact that tele-medicine exists can't hurt, either.
Tele-what?
Petras, who moved to St. Paul, Minn. in 1975 and now splits his practice between Minnesota and Arizona, is no stranger to the unconventional.
Over the years, he dabbled in pain management and performance enhancement. In 1989, the Ph.D devised the "Talk Away Pain" method to eliminate pain without the use of drugs, surgery or manipulation.
Board certified by the American Academy of Pain Management, Petras has written several articles and has conducted presentations.
His focus is on mind-body relationships.
Lately, Petras has been working with Southwest Pain Management Associates in Phoenix where he gets referrals.
In July, at the Phoenix Civic Plaza, he demonstrated his "Talk Away Pain" technique at the 11th annual International Conference on Thinking. Likewise, in September, Petras was in Denver for an AAPM conference.
There, he said, a rheumatologist offered to do a pre- and post-check of Ray's demonstration on a woman who had severe hip pain and limited range of motion.
After a 10-minute session, the woman was able to cross her previously painful left leg over the right.
"This is highly significant," Petras said of the acknowledgement in the words of the rheumatologist.
Emotional role
Petras has tweaked the TAP technique a bit, but, these days, he's discovered that emotions play a role.
"I'm learning that emotion is a factor in how quickly there's improvement. A happy or positive emotion can help and actually totally eliminate pain," Petras said. "I'm finding what needs to be done so people are more open to the possibility of healing themselves more quickly."
Could he have stumbled upon a revelation in bedside manners?
"Some doctors are asking me to work with them to find out how to speak to patients," Petras said.
He claims to have been successful at tele-medicine -- the transmitting of information to reduce or eliminate pain via phone. "It can be and is effective in certain cases," Petras said.
That's where St. John's and its star wide receiver come in.
Imagine, Gagliardi making a cellphone call on the sidelines to put Elliott in toich with Petras on the other end. Then comes the magic and then the game-winning touchdown!
Sounds like the Joe Horn scenario in reverse.
XJohn Bassetti is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at bassetti@vindy.com.