Bird Feed: Injury Updates

- As most are probably aware, Ryan Anderson is having neck surgery today in Los Angeles. Several days ago, Jennifer Hale succinctly laid out the procedure:

Surgeons will access Anderson's injured discs through his neck, similar to the procedure used to repair quarterback Peyton Manning's neck injury.

Once doctors get a closer look, they'll decide whether to replace the missing tissue with a portion of Anderson's own tissue harvested from elsewhere in his body or use tissue from a donor bank. It's a decision that can't be made until doctors see the exact condition of Anderson's discs.

The Pelicans have high hopes that the maximum amount of time Anderson will miss is six months. Team management firmly believes the team's clutch 3-point man will be ready for training camp.

Send your thoughts and prayers to our sharpshooter. May he return better than ever.

- Last week, Eric Gordon was still being listed day-to-day and Monty Williams stated the Pelicans had no plans of shutting him down. Apparently that plan has changed:

“I doubt that he’ll play anymore this year, but that’s just (my opinion),” Pelicans Coach Monty Williams said of the sixth-year NBA veteran. “He’s getting evaluations on his knee.”

Gordon remained behind in Los Angeles to visit with doctors as the rest of the Pelicans flew to Utah this past Friday. It is unknown at this time the specifics of the results, but it's safe to say the tendinitis in his "good" left knee is more troubling than initially presumed.

- For the last several games, Anthony Davis has been battling back spasms and doctors have been unsure of the cause. Regardless, he has attempted to play through it and undergoing treatments such as dry needling:

Dry needling is a Western method somewhat similar to acupuncture where trainers or doctors use a thin needle to pierce the trigger point of the pain multiple times, in this case the muscle in Davis' back. That should trigger a muscle twitch which releases tension and pain.  Dry needling and acupuncture both rely on the use of a thin needle, but the philosophy behind the two procedures is different. Acupuncture dates back to ancient Chinese practices, while dry needling is based on modern neuro-anatomy science.

The dry needling seems to be having a positive impact: Davis succeeded in starting against the Portland Trailblazers and LaMarcus Aldridge. Sunday, although he stretched out full length on the court to rest his back during breaks instead of sitting upright in a courtside chair. Davis also had to nurse his back through the matchup with heat packs strapped to his body when he wasn't in the game.  

Monty maintains he won't be shut him down but Davis is currently listed as day-to-day.