Pamela Morrison Physical Therapy, P.C.

Some Quick Fixes for Common Sports Injuries

Backache: Some backaches need immediate medical attention, but some are just run-of-the-mill sprains, strains or pulled muscles. For these more typical kinds of problems, try getting off your feet! Your back may just need a rest. During the first two days, use ice packs. After that, switch to a heating pad. And don't lounge too long. In fact, it's best to get out of bed as quickly as possible (in one to two days) unless the pain is severe, in which case you should call your doctor. When you do get out of bed, roll out carefully and slowly. For chronic back pain, especially if the pain varies throughout the day, certain exercises and stretching can be beneficial. Talk to your doctor and health club fitness expert about them. Bruises: Use an ice pack to treat any injury that might lead to a bruise. Apply the pack as quickly as possible after the injury and keep it on for 24 hours at 15-minute intervals. After 24 hours, you may use heat. Elevation also helps. If you bruise easily, it may be a good idea to add more vitamin C to your diet. According to research done at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, people who lack sufficient vitamin C tend to bruise more easily, and their wounds heal more slowly. Knee Pain: The first thing to remember after any activity that causes knee pain is to RICE – rest, ice, compress and elevate – for 20 to 30 minutes. For example, when you return from working out, prop your leg up, wrap an Ace bandage around it (compress) and put an ice pack on for 20 to 30 minutes. Ibuprofen can also help to relieve the pain. If there's any swelling in the area, don't use heat. You can help keep knee pain from becoming chronic by keeping your weight down, strengthening the muscles and ligaments in the area with appropriate exercises, and, if you run, changing to a softer surface. Never buy or use a knee brace without first consulting an orthopedic specialist. Muscle Pain/Strain: The best way to get your muscles back in comfortable working order is to give them a break. Let pain be your guide. A cramp may require only a few minutes rest, but a severe strain may need a few days or even weeks. Ice is still the best first line of defense against swelling, and it should be used immediately after injury (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off for 24 hours). After the first day of ice, heat can be applied. Ibuprofen and aspirin-based creams also help to reduce pain and inflammation. Shin Splints: Hard road surfaces, bad posture, poor foot gear, fallen arches, insufficient warm-ups, overtraining, and poor running or walking mechanics can all cause shin splints. Symptoms include pain in the shin of one or both legs during and/or after activity. Aside from working to correct some of the key causes noted above, the best thing you can do is to RICE (rest, ice, compress and elevate) for 20 to 30 minutes. Athlete's Foot: This is a fungus that affects couch potatoes as well as avid exercisers. The symptoms can come on suddenly and usually include cracked skin, oozing blisters and an on-and-off burning/itching sensation. This common ailment should not be ignored because it can become a more serious infection. Quick fixes include keeping the foot uncovered and at rest, and using cold compresses to ease pain and inflammation (there are nonprescription powders that can be mixed with water to create an effective compress solution). After intense symptoms subside, soak your foot in a mixture of 2 tsp. of salt per pint of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes at a time and follow this with an application of antifungal cream (also available without a prescription) two to three times a day for two to four weeks. Also, remember to remove dead skin. Once the infection has cleared up, you can help keep it from returning by continuing to apply the antifungal cream (less frequently), choosing shoes that “breathe” and changing those shoes often (don't wear the same shoes two days in a row). Be sure to dust the inside of your shoes with antifungal powder regularly and let them air out!

Fitness Trivia

What are some of the best calorie-burning exercises? Any exercise is good, but some of the real high-burning varieties include bicycling, aerobic dance, jogging, stair climbing, jumping rope and swimming. Done vigorously, these aerobic activities pack a calorie-burning wallop. Your best bet is to vary your routine so that you don’t get bored or burned out. Does exercise really help PMS? Most experts say, “yes!” In general, keeping healthy through exercise and diet helps women to weather the hormonal changes of their monthly cycles. In specific, research has shown that aerobic exercise such as brisk walking or cycling may reduce individual symptoms such as bloating and irritability. Choose an activity you enjoy and don’t overdo! How do you prevent blisters during workouts? A simple and effective solution is to wear two pairs of socks. This works because the socks rub against each other rather than your skin. Try wearing one thin sock (or ankle-high nylon) beneath your usual thicker workout sock so that you don’t experience tightness or bunching. If you already have a blister but want to head to the gym, put a small amount of antibiotic ointment over the affected area and cover it with a bandage. Then, layer socks as usual. A broken blister can lead to infection, so be sure to keep the area clean, dry and as friction-free as possible. Does heavy sweating during exercise mean you’re out of shape? Nope! In fact, the better shape you’re in, the more effectively – and profusely! – you perspire. Fit folks tend to sweat sooner than those who are unfit. Regular workouts train your body’s perspiration responses to activate sooner, thereby helping to keep you cooler during your workouts. If sweating is accompanied by nausea, weakness, dizziness or irregular heartbeats, stop immediately, rest and consult the fitness experts at your health club. You should also make an appointment to see your physician. Headaches during exercise – a concern? Usually not. In fact, most exercise-related headaches are harmless. However, you should see a doctor if: the pain is severe; you don’t normally get headaches; you smoke; you’re over 50; or you have any of the heart disease risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, family history of heart disease or diabetes. Once neurological (brain-related) causes for the headache have been ruled out, your doctor may want to give you an exercise stress test to determine if it was a “cardiac headache.” If it was, treating your heart disease should help.

Healing Hands

The Health Benefits of Massage Human touch has long been accepted as having a powerful effect. A hug can lift our mood. A parent’s kiss can make even the worst scrape seem survivable. Is it possible that we really do have healing power in our hands? Read on and decide for yourself ... Handle Children with Care – and Often! Studies at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine suggest that 15 to 20 minutes of parent-child contact daily in the form of massage can improve a range of problems including diabetes, asthma and insomnia. How so? Well, in the case of diabetes, studies reveal that children given daily massages for one month were more likely to comply with dietary restrictions and to take their insulin as prescribed. Logically, patients who comply with their treatment regimens have better health outcomes. In children with asthma, massage therapy produced improvements in anxiety levels and in some measurements of lung function. Sleep problems in infants and toddlers were more than twice as likely to be resolved if they received massage therapy. Good for Grown-ups, Too! Adults report the benefits of regular massage as well. More of us than ever are flocking to health clubs, day spas, 20-minute back rub storefronts and even private massage therapists. The message is clear: This is not merely a quick fix, it’s a health fix. “I’ve made regular massages a part of my life for the past year,” says one 32-year-old father of two. “I find I have fewer headaches, and I’m more limber and more energized. Even a day or two after the massage, I just feel better overall. I also feel more relaxed and better able to focus at work.” And that may be the key to the health success of massage therapy: stress reduction. As massage stimulates our powerful sense of touch, it brings us into the present and away from the tension generated by constant preoccupation with problems. Also, loosening of muscle tension – your body’s physical defense against psychological stress – can lead to the healthy freeing of repressed emotions. As the body is relieved of stress, the immune system is able to operate more effectively, helping it fix what’s ailing. In short, we feel better! Related to this immune boost is the fact that massage is known to enhance circulation of both blood and lymph. (Lymph is a bodily fluid that carries impurities and waste away from the tissues.) Improved circulation of blood helps to keep our cells “well fed” with oxygen and nutrients, while improved circulation of lymph helps to clear out the waste from this process. Massage is also known to increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood by 10-15 percent. This finding, which can sometimes be seen just after the massage and probably does not last for a long time, is still encouraging because it means that as a result of massage, our blood is actually able to feed the cells of our body more effectively. While massage does not directly increase muscle strength, it can speed recovery from fatigue that occurs after exercise. In addition, this healthful art of the hands has been shown to have positive effects on the nervous system, enhance skin condition, improve joint function and help prevent sports injuries. What Kind, How Often? Today, there is a proliferation of different systems of massage: “Therapeutic,” “Holistic,” “Swedish,” “Sports,” Neuromuscular” ... and the list goes on! The important thing to remember is that true massage therapy should include some form of kneading, pressing or stroking with the use of pressure and movement, no matter how slight the touch or how often it is used. Most sessions last about an hour and frequency really depends on individual need and the therapist’s recommendations. The best way to find a qualified massage therapist is to get a referral from a friend or a health professional who is knowledgeable about forms of complementary health care. The massage therapist you choose should be accredited or approved by a credible agency such as the Commission for Massage Training.

The \"Skinny\" On Supplements

Are Dietary Supplements A Good Idea? They’re everywhere – natural supplements that promise to improve your health and quality of life. But do they? A recent study by Danish scientists claims that taking three vitamin supplements – vitamins A, E and beta carotene – may, in fact, shorten your life. Conflicting reports on supplements are in the news almost every day. What should you do? The first thing you should do is check with your doctor about the necessity of taking vitamin and mineral supplements, especially if you take other prescription medication. Most doctors will agree that it’s best for you to get all your vitamins and minerals from a healthy diet, but they may also recommend supplements appropriate for you and your lifestyle. Second, examine your diet. For a week, write down everything you eat, even that handful of chocolate chips or six crackers you munched while waiting for the kids to come home from school, and even that cream you added to your coffee. Make a spreadsheet-like chart using the Food Pyramid headings of “Grains,” “Vegetables,” Fruits,” “Fats & Oils,” “Milk & Dairy Products,” and “Meats, Beans, Fish & Nuts,” and list all the foods – and amounts – that you ate. At the end of the week, you should have a good idea of the kinds of foods you’re eating. Now you’re ready to compare what you’re actually eating to what the experts say your body needs. Go to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Web site dedicated to making a healthier you: www.MyPyramid.gov. Start exploring the site, and you’ll find ways to start eating and exercising your way to better health without the questions and fears surrounding dietary supplements.