"Superman" Sean Lee Progressing With Hamstring Injury, Hopes To Return Early

Speaking on his weekly radio show on KRLD-FM 105.3 "The Fan", Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed the possibility that Sean Lee may only miss the upcoming game against the New York Giants. While early speculation called for Lee to miss three to four weeks due to a hamstring injury, the timing of his injury (right before the bye week) and the middle linebacker's intense efforts might make it possible for him to return for week 13 of the NFL season.

"Sean is Superman, and I mean it. I remember back before the draft, ESPN did a special on him, and I think members of his team called him God. He has such a will that if anybody can come back sooner than what you ought to be coming back from, he can do it. He’s rehabbing at the most intense level you can, and if anybody can get back here in a couple of weeks, he can do it." - Jerry Jones

This is the second time in his career that Sean Lee has missed action due to issues with his hamstring. As a rookie, he missed a pair of games for the same injury. So far, the Dallas middle linebacker is feeling encouraged by the progress that he has made toward an early return. As of Monday, Lee was able to work out on the elliptical and the stationary bike. Outside of his physical activities, the Cowboys medical staff is currently using massage therapy and ice baths to help get Lee back on the field. He is also wearing a compression boot to help reduce the inflammation.

"I feel really good. I think I’ve progressed really well this week. I still don’t know when, but I’ve progressed as well as I can. I’m doing everything I can to get healthy and stay healthy.’’ - Sean Lee

One other thing that Lee is doing to help his body heal faster is spending some time in a hyperbaric chamber; he is undergoing this treatment twice a week in the hope of speeding up the process by which his body heals itself. The hyperbaric chamber allows high levels of oxygen to dissolve into the patient's blood stream which then promotes the healing of certain tissues inside the body. According to the staff at the Mayo Clinic, this elevated oxygen level in the bloodstream serves to stimulate the body's release of substances known as "growth factors", as well as stem cells, which in turn promote the faster healing of damaged tissues.

In a hyperbaric oxygen therapy room, the air pressure is raised up to three times higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather up to three times more oxygen than would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure.

Although hyperbaric chambers were originally developed to treat divers who suffered from the "bends", recent usage has shown that the oxygen rich environment has shown itself to be effective in the treatment of infections and in speeding the recovery of wounds that are slow to heal. Now the Dallas Cowboys, who have actually used hyperbaric therapy since the "Glory Days" of the early 1990's, are hoping that Sean Lee will be the next in a line of athletes from across the sports world to benefit from the treatment.

More from Blogging The Boys:

Follow @BloggingTheBoys Follow @SBNationNFL

• For The Record: Is There Any Precedent For A Dallas Cowboys Turnaround In 2013?
• Entering The Home Stretch: A Look At The NFC East
• 16 Weeks Of Armageddon: Why One Game Can Change Everything In The NFL
• Jason Garrett Asserting More Control Over Offense
• Dallas Cowboys News & Notes: Creative Offense, Healthy Defense?