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MOMS TEAM
I have the honor of being named to the
Team of Experts of the wonderful website called
MOMSTEAM. This website is dedicated to educating parents and about
what they need to know about the sports their children play. It covers
topics like sports injuries - it has a phenomenal amount of information
about cardiac issues and the importance of learning CPR and how to
use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). I teach CPR and the use of
AEDs and believe that every parent and child should be trained.
Other topics include psychological issues, diet and nutrition, product
recalls, equipments needs, rules changes, support groups and everything
you could want to know about individual sports.
Please add
MOMSTEAM to your list of "Favorite Places" as it is a must for
every parent!
MARYLAND COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS
As many of you know, I have been the chairman of the
Maryland Council on Physical Fitness for almost two years. We are
giving our second Maryland is for Movers conference on
Thursday, May 6, 2004 at the Maritime Institute in Baltimore.
Rick "DOC" Walker of Redskins fame will be giving our keynote address.
Melissa Johnson, Executive Director of the President's Council
on Phyiscal Fitness is speaking as well.
We are sending invitations to those in the fitness field who work with
a county, state or federal health department, work in workplace fitness,
or work with a school system or recreation department. If you are
interested, please call me at the office 301-622-9000.
BOWFLEX RECALL
From Physician and Sports Medicine March 2004, pp.11-12
Bowflex in cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is
voluntarily recalling about 420,000 Bowflex machines to fix two safety
problems. These machines have been sold from 1995 through 2003 at a
cost of between $1200.00 and $1600.00.
There have been "at least 70 reports of the backboard
benches breaking, causing at least 59 back, neck, and shoulder injuries,
andt at least 18 reports of the "lat tower" rotating forward and falling,
causing at least 14 injuries about the head, neck, shoulders, and face,
someof which required stitches." "Consumers are urged to stop using
the backboard bench in the incline position and the "lat tower" on
the machine."
See
Bowflex for more information. Notice that the recall is in tiny
print on the bottom of the homepage.
What's the message here: DON'T BUY A BOWFLEX! A fitness ball
(about $30.00) and dumbells (about $30.00 for 1 pair of 5lbs, 10lbs, 15lbs
and 20lbs dumbells- that's $30.00 for all 4 pair!). A ball is the best
piece of exercise equipment you can buy and you can do hundreds of
different exercises with one. Call our office to find out how to use
a fitness ball!
HOW SWEET IT ISN'T?
From Obesity Research November, 2003
In the US, daily consumption of soft drinks and sugared fruit drinks has
increased by 83 calories from 1977 - 1996 for all individuals age 2 and
older. This increase will cause an almost 9lbs. per year weight gain!
How sweet it isn't!
See
Obesity Research for more information.
VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY MAY CONTRIBUTE TO
MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN
From Mayo Clinic Proceedings
"All patients with persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain
are at high risk for the consequences of unrecognized and untreated
severe hyovitaminosis D." Becase osteomalacia [softening of the bones]
is a known cause of persisent, nonspecific non-musculoskeletal pain,
screening all outpatients with such pain for hypovitaminosis D should
be standard practice in clinical care."
HEAT ILLNESS AND HYDRATION GUIDELINES
With the summer just around the corner, now is the time to learn how to
improve your performance in the heat and avoid heat illness. With all
the information available, there are still errors made in hydration at
the Olympic and professional level of sports down to the little league
level. Heat illness is related to the body's ability to adapt and
adjust to an increased core temperature occurring with exertion.
It can manifest as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Heat cramps begin can begin as twitching of the muscles and progress to
localized contractions of the muscles of the legs, arms, or abdomen.
Treatment involves rest and drinking mildly salted fluid.
Heat exhaustion is a form of shock and is the third leading
cause of death among young athletes. It is the inability to continue
exercise in a hot environment and primarily results from sweat loss
and/or inadequate fluid intake. Signs and symptoms can include: profuse
sweating, "heat sensations" on the head/shoulders/chest, weakness,
"rubbery" legs, chills, anxiety, irritability, nausea, vomiting,
muscle cramps, fainting, rapid and weak pulse, pale or flushed skin,
disturbance of vision and incoherence. Treatment consists of rest in
a cool environment, elevation of legs, pouring cool water on the skin
and replacement of fluids orally or intravenously. Recovery is usually
complete within 12 to 48 hours, without further complications. Athletes
suffering from heat exhaustion should not be allowed to practice or
compete for the remainder of that day.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency requiring rapid diagnosis and
treatment. It is an elevated core temperature above 104 degrees F
(by rectal thermometer) and altered mental status. Other signs include
hot and dry skin, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, disorientation,
confusion, combativeness, decreased responsiveness, coma or seizure.
Heatstroke can occur when the air temperature is as low as 41 degrees F
and often occurs during the early morning. The key to treatment of
heatstroke is rapid cooling. Stopping the activity, removing excess
clothing, getting into the shade, checking the core temperature and
other vital signs and calling 911 must be done immediately. Ice water
immersion or pouring ice water on the person has been described as the
most efficient and rapid method of core temperature cooling. The
majority of patients recover completely within one to six months.
Hyponatremia is a decrease of sodium in the blood and is caused
by over-hydration. Slower runners, 41/2 hour plus marathoners, are
affected more frequently; but this is not absolute. Mild cases may be
asymptomatic, but moderate or serious cases may cause elevated BP,
vomiting, altered mental status, bloating, respiratory distress,
seizure or coma. No fluid should be given until urination has begun
and salty foods are encouraged.
Hydration Guidelines
Thirst alone is not a good indicator of the need for fluids. Research
demonstrates that exercise in hot adverse conditions can cause
dehydration in as little as 15 minutes. It takes at least 7-10 days
to acclimatize to the heat. Loose, light colored clothing should be
worn. No rubberized suits! Weigh yourself before and after training and
replace each pound lost with one pint of fluid. A 1-3% weight loss will
decrease performance.
Pre-event Hydration
Check the
Heat Index Tables to see if it is safe to train or compete.
1. Athletes should consume 50 to 100 ounces of cool fluid above and
beyond their normal intake the day before the event.
2. The athlete should consume 16 to 32 ounces of water 2 hours prior
to the event.
3. Eliminate your bladder 15 minutes prior to the event.
4. Drink cool water during the event as it is absorbed faster and cools
the body better than warm water.
During-event Hydration
1. Drink no more than 8-10oz per 15-20 minutes. Do not take any
ephedra products. Sip the water, do not gulp it down.
Post-event Hydration
1. Replace each pound lost with one pint of water.
2. Sip the water, do not gulp it down.
3. For multi-day events: Weigh yourself before the event and every
morning. If you lose 1%-3% of body weight, re-hydrate by drinking 16oz
per pound lost. If you lose 3%-6%, re-hydrate and back off on your
training intensity the next day. If you are light-headed, fatigue more
easily or sweat profusely, STOP training and do not train the rest of
the day or the next day. If you lose greater than 7%, you must seek
medical attention immediately!
For more information see:
USA Track and Field Hydration Guidelines
Momsteam: Fluid Guidelines for Young Athletes
Heat Illness Prevention Tips
Nourishing Traditions,
by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, PhD
Great cookbook and nutrition text.
SPECIAL PRODUCTS WE OFFER
· Custom Orthotics
· Carolla's Bees Wax: the best foot and hand ointment we've found
· The Stick: the ultimate warm-up and cool-down tool
·
Interhealth Massage Chair
· Stetch-Out Strap: flexibility strap
· Biofreeze: pain relief rub
· Traumeel: homeopathic analgesic rub
· Citricidal: grapefruit seed extract
· Fitness balls
· Heel lifts
· Foam rollers
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Maryland Sports Injury Center