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Petras: Methods could help Olympians
With the Olympics on the horizon, is there a place for Dr. Raymond Petras?
The Campbell native thinks so, as do several others, such as Drs. Norman Shealy, founder of the first pain clinics in the USA; Steve Elias, medical director of the Schwan’s USA Soccer Cup; Gary Greenberg, medical director of the University of Ottawa Sports Medicine Centre and Marilyn Wells, former NBA Phoenix Suns physician.
Considering the potential for injuries both before and during the competition, Petras believes his non-invasive methods have merit.
As the London Olympics approach, Petras, a 1972 YSU graduate, keeps a keen eye on electronic sources and an ear on the ringer for calls from someone who might want his services.
Petras, whose trademarked “Talk Away Pain” technique has been used since 1989, has experienced limited success in penetrating the shield that separates outsiders from mainstream medicine, even though, in recently times, it has been progressively better.
“It’s been frustrating getting people to listen,” says Petras, “but those I’ve worked with are obviously pleased.”
One of those people is Bart Schouten, former USA Olympic and National Speed Skating coach, who states: “The possibilities for TAP are unlimited.”
Whether the suffering is temporary or chronic, Petras, the former USA Track & Field Sports Medicine Chair for Minnesota now of Scottsdale, Ariz., says people need to change the way they look at things.
“My methodology needs to be known and used,” he said of cutting-edge treatment in the areas of sports performance and injury/pain management.
“What else can be done besides surgery, medicating and standard medical procedures?” Petras asks.
“Because doping is very carefully monitored in the Olympics, people who are injured can’t take certain medicine, even cough medicine, because it might disqualify them.”
Petras’ method doesn’t require medication, so he said getting an athlete back safely without any side effects is possible.
“I’ve worked on guys and, in minutes, had them back competing,” he said. “My safe, non-invasive methods can be of benefit to everyone. Nobody is doing what I’m doing. It would be of value to our USA athletes.”
Petras is not a medical doctor and doesn’t practice medicine. Instead, his treatment is verbal and bypasses the middleman.
Day-to-day, he sees clients and promotes his work as “a new standard of care,” as Dr. Elias stated.
The steady flow of success stories keeps the 62-year-old plugging away.
Past prime examples are from Olympic bobsleigh and ski team members.
An August, 2005 letter from Gea Johnson recommended Dr. Petras for athletes and non-athletes who want to improve their performance or safely reduce or eliminate pain via drugless techniques.
She wrote: “In about l0 minutes, after months of having limited motion in my left shoulder and working with many therapists, using Dr. Petras’ mental techniques, I was able to, permanently, gain full range-of-motion.
“I have worked with many sport psychologists and have found their methods to be outdated and ineffective. Dr. Petras’ performance-enhancing techniques, however, are unique and have helped me tremendously.”
Kristina Koznick, who was on the USA Alpine ski team in Nagano, Japan in 1998 and a slalom skiier in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, thanked Petras for “showing me what I’m capable of doing.”
With his guidance, Koznick said she was able to alter chronic knee pain.
Petras also worked with her coach, Tony Olin, who also had chronic knee pain.
“I never realized the role that my fear of pain played in the actual pain,” Olin said.
Ron Backes, a shot putter at the 1992 Barcelona Games, saw Petras for his knee pain and said in “A Pep Talk for the Pain,” an article published in the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press on Aug. 1, 1996: “I think it is essential for athletes, especially young athletes, to develop their mental strength as well as their physical strength.”
Additionally, Petras said he has helped football players, a steer wrestler, weightlifters, archers and the average person.
A more man-in-the-street example occurred while Petras was working at a free clinic.
After seeing a physician for a left quadrant pectoral strain from improper lifting, the patient received medication.
Before leaving, Petras saw the individual and brought his discomfort from 85 — on a scale of 100 — to 20, when discussing various topics.
“When working with injuries, you need to deal with the whole person, not just the body,” Petras said. “This can be seen by the reduction in pain from the patient talking about his family and community support [after losing a business]. Positive emotions play a big part in health, too. This was observed when his pain decreased after he laughed when I told him that I wanted his shoes for taking his pain away. When he thanked me [for the pain being decreased], his pain decreased further.”
Most recently, Petras has worked on concussion cases.
“It’s huge,” he said of the problem area. “Other than rest and Tylenol, TAP is the only other method for safe symptom relief.”