Shepherd Center Physician Explains How to Prevent Diving Injuries

A decade's worth of Shepherd Center statistics shows diving has historically been the fourth leading cause of paralyzing spinal cord injury among patients treated at the rehabilitation hospital. These injuries are also among the most preventable.

Now, thanks to the efforts of Shepherd Center physician Herndon Murray, M.D., and the hospital's injury prevention program, Shepherd Center has seen a dramatic reduction in the past 18 months in spinal cord injuries caused by diving.

Diving is simply not worth the risk, Dr. Murray says. The only safe dive is the one you don't take. Listen to this 10-minute podcast as Dr. Murray explains the injury prevention program and why diving is such a dangerous activity. This podcast and others are available at shepherd.org/news/radio or can be downloaded as an MP3 file from the link above. A transcript of the interview is also available on the Shepherd Center Radio web page.

Dr. Murray is medical director of orthopedics and a consulting orthopedist at Shepherd Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Tulane University. He completed his orthopedic training at Georgia Baptist Hospital, Scottish Rite Children's Hospital and Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in California. Dr. Murray is a member of the American Spinal Injury Association, the Medical Association of Georgia, the Georgia Orthopaedic Society and the Medical Association of Atlanta. He is also a clinical instructor of the division of orthopedic surgery at Emory University. Dr. Murray was recently named to U.S. News & World Report magazine's Top Doctors list.