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 JUNE 2002 Welcome to this month's issue of the Sports Injury Handbook E-zine. Springtime sends more people outside to play sports, and as a result, they suffer injuries. To quote a line from one of our all-time favorite television shows, "Hill Street Blues": Let's be careful out there. We hope you enjoy this newsletter and invite you to pass it on to a friend. 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: How Do You Know When You're Warmed Up? Before playing a sport or exercising intensively, we recommend that you warm up by doing light calisthenics, such as jumping jacks, taking a brisk walk, or jogging lightly. Do any easy exercise that gets your heart pumping and increases blood flow to your muscles. The goal is to raise your body temperature by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit, which leads to warm, loose muscles and joints. How do you know when your body temperature has gone up? Luckily, you don't need to carry a thermometer. The body has its own natural thermometer. When you break into a sweat, your body temperature has been elevated by about 2 degrees. Q & A - Shin Pain Q: I coach a girls lacrosse team, and my players have been complaining of shin pains after practice. What can I do for them? SJ, Short Hills, NJ. A: Anyone who plays a sport that requires running in cleats, including lacrosse, soccer, softball, or football, can suffer shin pain. The cause is usually excessive pronation, or rolling of the foot inward as you run. In contrast to wide, flat running shoes, which help fight pronation, cleats are more unstable and don't provide as much foot support. The solution is to practice in sneakers and wear cleats only for games. An inexpensive arch support, or, if necessary, a custom-made orthotic device (rigid insert), may also help prevent the excessive pronation that leads to shin pain. In the News - Steroids in Baseball When he claimed that half of all major league players use anabolic steroids in the June 3, 2002, cover story of Sports Illustrated, former baseball MVP Ken Caminiti made quite a stir. I think that number is probably a little high, but there are quite a lot of major leaguers using anabolic steroids and other performance enhancers. If there weren't, they wouldn't be so anxious about being tested. Caminiti said he took anabolic steroids to recover from injuries. That's a fallacy. Anabolic steroids do not help you heal faster; that's corticosteroids, which are in no way related to anabolic steroids. Corticosteroids come from the adrenal gland, and are strong anti-inflammatory agents often prescribed for tendinitis, arthritis, and joint inflammation. They don't have any muscle building properties. Anabolic steroids are derivatives of the male hormone testosterone. Along with the poisonous chemicals used to treat cancer, anabolic steroids are the most dangerous group of legally prescribed drugs. In fact, they lead to increases in muscle and tendon injuries because muscles become too strong for their attachments to the bone. The wide-ranging side effects of anabolic steroids include mild ones, such as acne and sterility, which are reversible, and hair loss, which is permanent. Major side effects include high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, severe liver disease, and an increased risk of liver cancer. In a recreational athlete's life, there is absolutely no place for anabolic steroids. Unfortunately, steroid use is a continuing problem among high school and even middle-school athletes who see older players, including professional role models, playing a dangerous game with their health. Book Review - The Fitness Factor (The Lyons Press) by Lisa Callahan, MD Exercise is the single most important choice a woman can make to maximize her health, writes Dr. Callahan, who is Medical Director and Co-founder of the Women's Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. "While I'm sympathetic to the enormous number of daily demands each of us faces, women can't afford NOT to exercise," she writes. This well-organized, comprehensive book helps readers design a personal exercise program and develop a positive attitude about exercising. Dr. Callahan gives reliable information on weight loss, dispels diet-and-exercise myths, and explains the major components of fitness. The book also covers nutrition for active women, training for endurance competition, and the prevention and treatment of women-specific sports injuries. 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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