News :
Summertime injuries don't necessarily mean an end to
fitness fun in the sun
Canadian Press, July 25 2005 TORONTO (CP) -- Bike riding,
tennis, golf, even gardening are all great ways to improve cardiovascular
health or muscular endurance while making the most of the summer months.
But overindulging can cause injury, which may lead some
fair-weather athletes to call an indefinite time out. That's not a good
recovery plan.
"Exercise is definitely a treatment as well as a preventative
measure for good health," said Dr. Julia Alleyne, past president
of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine.
Judy Cline, a physiotherapist in St. Catharines, Ont.,
said it's important to take it easy at first so you don't reinjure yourself.
But she also warns against babying the injury by ceasing all activity.
"Being a couch potato is much more unhealthy,"
said Cline, a spokesperson for the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.
In the old days health professionals would try to immobilize
the part of the body that was injured, said sport massage therapist
Kip Petch from his office in St. Albert, Alta. And while he said rest
certainly has a place, there are other paths that lead to recovery.
"Generally, we like to see people keep moving,"
said Petch. "Over the years we've realized that bodies need movement;
they thrive on movement."
The first thing he does when a client comes in after an
injury is assess the main problem. If it's a muscular problem, where
the muscle is in a perpetual state of spasm due to overuse, Petch will
work on the area. The resulting increase in circulation often gives
the client some relief so they can get back to work. But that can be
short-lived, so most massage therapists would like to see the client
back in a few days.
If the client isn't getting enough relief from massage,
Petch said he'll refer them to a physiotherapist, a chiropractor an
acupuncturist or a doctor.
Physiotherapist Cline wants to get at the reason for an
injury.
"You need to find out if it was improper technique,
improper preparation or sheer bad luck," she said.
Everything from riding someone else's bike or using too
large a tennis racquet to dull gardening tools can cause enough pain
to make even the most devoted summertime fitness buff want to sit it
out for a while.
Once Cline has learned where the client's discomfort is
and what triggered it, she tells the patient what she thinks the problem
is and treats any swelling, pain or stiffness. She then teaches the
client some exercises to do at home to help the healing process.
Depending on the severity of the injury, a physiotherapist
may tell the client to see their family doctor, as anti-inflammatory
medication may be useful in dealing with the pain.
Alleyne, director of sport medicine at Sunnybrook and Women's
College Health Science Centre, sees two trends in summer injuries. One
is trauma from higher-impact summer sports such as soccer, biking, in-line
skating and beach volleyball. But she also sees overuse injuries that,
when coupled with high heat and poor hydration, can cause increased
muscle fatigue.
(source : www.canada.com)
