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 APRIL 2002 Greetings! Welcome to the premiere issue of the Sports Injury Handbook E-Zine. In this periodic newsletter we plan to bring you the most up-to-date information on sports injuries - how to identify, treat, and - most important - how to prevent them. We'll also bring you the latest news from the field of sports medicine, reviews of sports-related books, and more. If you'd like to be removed from our list at any time, just follow the instructions below. We hope you enjoy this newsletter and we welcome your suggestions for improvements and additions. Yours in health, Allan M. Levy, MD and Mark L. Fuerst In this issue, you'll find: The Single Most Important Way to Prevent a Sports Injury Recreational athletes tend to go out and do too much too soon without instruction on how to perform. Many don't understand the importance of warming up and warming down. Too few realize that stretching is the single most important way to prevent an injury. Even those who do understand don't take the time to prepare correctly. A prime example is the tennis player who spends three minutes rallying with his partner before a usual Sunday game, and can't figure out why he tears a calf muscle the first time he rushes the net. The best time to stretch is after the body has been warmed up. Stretching after warming up is more likely to lengthen muscles and improve the range of motion of muscles and joints. Q & A - Shoulder Soreness Q: At my son's first Little League practice, the coach asked me to warm up five pitchers, who threw 50 pitches each. That night, my shoulder was killing me. What do I do to stop the pain, and how do I prevent another sore shoulder? VS, Staten Island, NY. A: Your shoulder is sore because the muscles are in spasm from overuse. The most important thing is to ice your shoulder for 20 minutes every hour or two in between stretching it. Take some aspirin or ibuprofen to help ease any pain. Here are three good shoulder exercises. Hold each stretch for 20 seconds: 1. Raise your sore arm straight over your head. Use your other hand to grab the elbow, and pull the arm over the top of your forehead. 2. Place your sore arm straight across your body and use your other hand to grab the elbow. Pull gently on the elbow. 3. Stretch your sore arm straight out to the side and grab a door frame. Turn your head away from the door frame and gently stretch the front of the shoulder.Before the next practice, do some jumping jacks or jogging to warm up, and do the same three shoulder stretches. Make some soft tosses for 5 minutes before throwing seriously. And use good form when returning pitches. Don't throw from a catcher's crouch - stand up, step in, and follow through. In the News - Ab Stimulator Ban Sought Abdominal muscle stimulators may be popular, but a judge in Napa County, CA, recently issued a preliminary injunction on the advertisement and sale of Gymform Plus stimulators distributed by Industex USA and two other Industex corporations. The device, which costs about $50, is sold over the Internet and in stores as a way to firm and tone muscles. It passes electrical current through a muscle, causing it to contract. State officials are seeking the ban, saying such devices can be used only by licensed doctors and physical therapists and that manufacturers need state approval to conduct sales. I don't think that these machines work to firm muscles. You have to work muscles yourself. There have been physical therapy devices that cause muscle contractions. They do help in rehabilitating an injured muscle, but they have never been proven to increase the strength in a normal muscle. If not used properly, these devices can be dangerous from the electric shocks. There is absolutely no evidence that artificially stimulating a muscle to contract will strengthen it. That leaves crunches and other ab strengthening exercises as the alternative. Unfortunately, you have to suffer a little to have a flat stomach. Machines can't do it for you. Book Review - The Kids' Baseball Workout (Millbrook Press) by Jeffrey B. Fuerst This book lives up to its subtitle, "A Fun Way to Get in Shape and Improve Your Game." It provides a wonderful way for kids who like baseball to get even more into the game. We can see a parent reading the book with a nine-year-old son or daughter, picking out a few of the excellent exercises, and then going to the park to try them out. The book is chock-full of good information told in a humorous, friendly fashion. The opening chapter provides warm up and stretching exercises, which are just as important for young ball players as anyone. We would like to note that this book was written by Mark's younger brother. Writing about sports seems to run in the family. Disclaimer This newsletter is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. We are not engaged in rendering medical or other professional services. If medical advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. |
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