Housley’s setback not of Lemieux proportions

The back spasms that have sidelined St. Louis Blues’ defenseman Phil Housley apparently have been caused by a bulging disc. “It’s not a ruptured disc, like Mario Lemieux had,” said Dr. Jerome Gilden, the Blues’ orthopedic surgeon. “(Phil) has no nerve injury or pressure on the sciatic nerve.” Such pressure or injury would indicate a possible ruptured disc and Housley might face surgery. Instead, he’s out on a day-to-day basis. Housley had missed five games through Nov. 7. He resumed skating Nov. 5 and practised Nov. 7. He was expected to return Nov. 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. “He’s getting better,” Gilden said. “He’s getting therapy. We’re waiting to see how he feels.” Said Housley: “It’s still a little tight, but it’s better.” Gilden said Housley hurt his back working out in the off-season, months before…

Top doc aims to cure Soderstrom’s condition

Dec. 4 is circled as D-Day on Tommy Soderstrom’s calendar. That’s D as in done, hopefully done with a rare heart rhythm abnormality called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome that has interfered with the goaltender’s career since he joined the Philadelphia Flyers last season. Soderstrom underwent a fifth medical procedure to have the problem corrected at an Oklahoma City hospital Nov. 3. The next day, doctors told Soderstrom that if the condition, which involves an extra electrical pathway to the heart, doesn’t reappear within a month, he should be in the clear. The Flyers hope that Dr. Warren Jackman, considered the nation’s leading expert on Wolff-Parkinson-White, was able to “bum” the extra pathway, using four catheters. Doctors tried to rectify the problem on four different occasions last season, but it resurfaced each time. This time, the Flyers decided…

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