Sports and Treatment for Arthritic Athletics

Athletes with Arthritis

One might think that if one is arthritic, the last thing they want to be doing is becoming an athlete.  But it seems that nothing could be farther from the truth.  In many cases, engaging in sporting activities can actually help the athletes.  Indeed there are many professional sports players who play competitively who have various physical ailments that could put them off playing but don’t.  These include: Spurs defender Ledley King (who has chronic knee problems) and England cricketer Andrew Flintoff (who had deep vein thrombosis as well as encountering regular injuries during his sporting career, largely due to his heavy frame and bowling action).

Exercise for Arthritic Would-Be Athletes

In a recent study, scientists from Arthritis Research UK, headed by Prof. Alan Silman, the foundation’s medical director, are now trying to figure out how far athletes can go before risking long-term injury to their bodies.  Researchers from the group are looking to see how best to “achieve a balance between exercise that is good and exercise that is harmful. In general, using your joints is good because cartilage and bone need the stimulus of exercise. Even a little bit of damage is okay because it will repair, but when damage is outweighing the repair mechanism, then it becomes something else." What it tends to become is osteoarthritis.” Sometimes, the wear and tear on joints from playing sports as well as ligament issues can lead to even more serious knee problems.  As well, those with obesity are more likely to suffer from joint problems.  And of course, one way of avoiding obesity is to exercise regularly, but therefore there must be a balance – exercise sensibly and look into the types of exercises that are easier on the joints such as swimming, cycling and walking, as the three combined give one a joint-friendly cardiovascular routine by using big muscles which can also lead to weight loss.

Ultimately though, while there are discussions on how much exercise is good for healthy joints and for this with arthritis or related issues, according to a consultant in sport and exercise medicine at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, Dr. Simon Till, keeping active is the way to go.  But going to the gym isn’t necessarily the way forward; Till believes it’s more beneficial for one to keep active during their everyday activities, like walking all the time, taking stairs instead of elevators, etc.  And this advice is the same even for one with osteoarthritis, slowly building up their cardiovascular fitness.

Helpful Therapies

There are some other helpful therapies for those battling these issues.  One of them is alternative rosehip therapy.  Taking anti-inflammatory medication, natural remedies, and aspirin, has also been known to be good for relieving joint pain.  But alongside all of this, moderate exercise is vital.  Concentrated rosehip can significantly alleviate inflammatory issues (like arthritis) and can even prevent the condition from activating.  This is because it contains a high vitamin content relative to conventionally-dried material and is also shown to inhibit the chemotaxis and oxidative burst response of human peripheral blood inflammatory cells along with the chemotaxis of monocytes.  It was found that this formulation could inhibit the chemotaxis of human peripheral blood inflammatory cells and to decrease the level of C-reactive protein, thereby reducing pain and inflammation for those with arthritis.

So ultimately, it’s all about moderation and combination.  Finding the right exercise and treating inflammation with both western and eastern healing remedies, is the best way forward for arthritic patients or those who are likely to suffer from the condition.

School Sports: Certified Athletic Trainers Amiss

According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, it seems that less than half of all high schools in America have access to a certified athletic trainer, even though a staggering 7.7 million students participate in competitive athletics.  These figures are quite worrying, as Red Bank Regional athletic trainer Christina Emrich pointed out, “athletic trainers are the first line of defense on the fields…They save lives.” 

In some states however, the numbers are much better, such as New Jersey where trainers are working in 86 percent of high schools and 93 percent of public schools.  But this just means that the average figures – as noted above – are indicative of some extremely troublesome low numbers elsewhere.  Perhaps it is therefore not surprising that New Jersey recently held a Certified Athletic Trainer Spring Giveaway organized by JAG Physical Therapy to thank the Athletic Training Community for their hard work and dedication throughout the long athletic season.  The winner was the one judged to have the “most interesting case of the year.”

One student – Keone Osby – knows firsthand how important it is to have these trainers around from when he dislocated his right shoulder during a wrestling match, partially tearing the labrum ligament.  He received immediate treatment from athletic trainer Lee Ann Pearce who thereafter suggested he consult a specialist, even though he insisted the pain had significantly diminished.  The MRI showed a 60-percent tear and Osby therefore underwent surgery.  Had he not have gone this route, he wouldn’t be able to compete in the same way.

Ultimately there are always going to be sports-related injuries and by not employing these special athletic trainers, they may often go untreated, resulting in much greater long-term damage to the athlete, even potentially preventing them from competing later on.

Improving Helmet Technology

Since unfortunately there are still way too many football-related injuries, a team of Americans have developed a helmet boasting improved technology, to provide stronger support.  It seems that as awareness increases on brain injuries occurring from football-based accidents, helmet manufacturers are rising to the occasion.  Indeed, Hanson Group of Alpharetta, Georgia and Protective Sports Equipment – America’s largest helmet manufacturers – are in the process of testing new ways to soften both large and small blows to the head as well as providing immediate relief in the moments following an injury.

Last year it was Model High that was the first high school to try the helmet covers developed by this manufacturer based in Pennsylvania.  The cover has been called ‘The Guardian’ as it sets out to guard against injuries other helmets are unable to do.  It contains 37 gel-filled pockets that fit over a helmet and cushion against helmet-to-helmet blows. These are extremely dangerous; so much so that the NFL has penalized them. 

Head of the manufacturing group Hanson, sent out 600 samples to players to test during the 2011 season.  In 2012, it hopes to sell around 200,000 of them, at about $60 each.  It seems that no player who used these in the 2011 season reported a concussion.  As well, Wayne State University testing found “the product reduced the amount of shock felt through a helmet.”  So it really looks like this is the way forward for football fanatics who want to stay safe.

Social Media to Assist Sports-Related Injuries

In recent years, more youths have encountered sports-related injuries, despite the fact that there has been an increase of awareness on how to prevent them in high schools throughout America.  The problem is, similar education has been lacking at home and thus students who are recovering from sports injuries are not getting access to the proper care they need. 

How can this change?  One way is with the help of social media: students can support and inspire each other when going through the same injuries.  Helpful ideas can reach many  more people through a worldwide network – the Internet.  For example, on Facebook there is a sports injuries support group and through an online search, one can find the athletes toolkit.  These are just two of the many available resources online that can link athletes to others to give and receive great advice and support.  As well, parents and friends of those suffering from a sports injury can garner support and tips like this.

Physical Help Through the Web

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, connecting online in this way can also help the physical side of recovery.  Various medical experts have seen that with such a social support network, recovery is aided.  People share their woes and worries on blogs, which almost immediately attracts others looking for athletes in the same situation to share their experiences.  This way the one going through it at the time, does not have to feel completely isolated.  No matter how supportive their doctors, carers, parents and friends are, there’s nothing quite like getting the support of someone who has gone through the same thing; quite simply because they’ve just been there.

While gaining online support is not new (according to Wikipedia, the Internet “has provided a new and successful venue for support groups since at least 1982”), with the recent and continuing increase of the presence of social media, there is just easier access these days and more resources available.   And, as Martha Ainsworth on Wikipedia was recorded to have said, “the enduring success of these groups has firmly established the potential of computer-mediated communication to enable discussion of sensitive personal issues.”  In addition, people often find the anonymity that is offered by the Internet to be much easier than attending support groups in person.

With sports injury blogs, people feel they have access to all those following their blogs and can thus interact with them and ask for opinions, advice, resources etc. which they can access pretty immediately.  Indeed, when Proactive Physical Therapy was set up in New Jersey, it also came with accessibility to staff members through Apps; again showing how social media is becoming an integral part of recovery.

This is not only helpful but potentially extremely inspiring and exciting to see someone who has encountered an injury get up again and resume their sporting activities.  Seeing this will definitely inspire those in the moment, work even harder at their recovery.

 

Dealing with an ACL

Celebrity Sports Injuries

An ACL is what happens when one tears their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).  This often happens to people engaged in sporting activity.  It can be especially detrimental to those who have made sports their livelihood and career.  That is exactly what happened to Bernard King of the New York Knicks back in 1985. 

As reported in Fitwar, at the time, nearly 30 years ago, it ruined him.  He did come back some years later to his team and came in third in the NBA scoring in 1990-91 with 28.4 points for each game, but it was never the same.  Ultimately it was the ACL which resulted in his early retirement.  He had to have further knee surgery to remove his cartilage as well.

ACL’s Today

Nowadays things are quite different.  Rashean Mathis of the Jacksonville Jaguars recently endured the same injury but he’s doing just fine.  There are so many more rehabilitative options available for him than there were for King.  Thus Mathis is currently working out at his team’s facility.  He said, “'I'm not ready to let go of my guys yet - the locker room, the camaraderie we have.  That is still a part of me. There will be a day where I wash my hands of it and say, 'The Lord has allowed me to do great things,' but that's not there.”   The expectation today is that Mathis will return to football and re-sign with his team even if at some point later on, he moves to a different team.  He does plan on going back to professional football though.  It seems that his fate will be quite different to that of Bernard King a few decades ago.

Cheerleading Injury Prevention Tips

Cheerleaders commonly experience accidents while training and performing.  Many of these injuries can be minimized and prevented with the proper care.  First of all, cheerleaders should limit their stunts.  When doing pyramids, cheerleaders are supposed to adhere to the guidelines of only having two body lengths in high school and 2.5 in college with the base cheerleader in contact with the surface where they are performing. There are other strict guidelines for basket tosses, mat use and other tips that help to prevent injuries.

When training, it’s also important for the cheerleaders to have a qualified coach and to have proper training before trying out any stunts.  Certainly, when training, cheerleaders should use resistance exercises to gain strength, regular stretching, and only returning to play when clearance has been offered by a medical professional.

All of this should help cheerleaders to stay safe and to properly prepare for their performances.

Martial Arts Injury Prevention

Martial arts are a wonderful form of exercise, and it’s also a great way for children to learn discipline.  It comes with potential injuries, however, and it’s important for children and adults alike who do martial arts to be aware of these potential issues.

Common issues with martial arts include concussions, head/eye/ear and nose injuries, neck injuries and injuries to the extremities.

How can these be prevented?  First, before beginning martial arts, you should have a physical exam done to make sure that you are healthy and ready for this sport.  You should learn about the potential risks for the sport before you look into exactly which type of martial arts to do. 

You should always be training and practicing under the supervision of an experienced teacher. Make sure to do your warm-ups and cool-downs properly and to wear the proper equipment. This might include gloves, mouth protection pieces, headgear, padding, etc. 

With these tips, you should be able to keep yourself safe while enjoying your martial arts experience!