07-03 - OFF Week - Cycling injuries..

Cycling is a great, low-cost and low-impact way to stay fit. Just looking around the Northern Virginia / DC / Maryland environment, and you notice that it is very cyclist friendly. (Paved roads have an extra lane for cyclists, there are designated "biking" trails all throughout the cityscape, there are even bicycle tours that allow a group of people to tour our Nations' Capitol.)

Quick Tips for city-bikers!

How to bring a bicycle on a DC Metro Train: (WebLink:)

Always keep a map handy!

Make sure you are familiar with hand-signals.

When in DC, always always secure your bicycle with a locking mechanism.

How To Bike in a Busy City
Uploaded by Howcast. - NASCAR, F1, tuning and drift videos.

But it isn't without the risk of pain and serious injury. Just like any other sport or athletic hobby, improper fitting of the cycling equipment or poor riding technique can greatly enhance the cause of an injury. The list of cycling injuries is huge! Cycling can cause a love/hate relationship, here is a list of the most common types of injuries associated with cycling:

List of common injuries:

• Knee Pain


• Osteoarthritis of the knee


• Muscle cramps


• Sprains and Strains


• Achilles Tendonitis

Here are the best practices that a cyclist should take in order to prevent injuries:

Item:	Description	Cost:
	Footwear = Properly fitted shoes are important in avoiding plantar fascitis and to minimize the discomfort associated with biking. There are specific cycling shoes that snap onto the pedals of your bike, forcing the foot to stay firmly attached to the pedal, allowing the biker to stay in full control.	Ranges from $40-$150 dollars (the cleats pictured will set you back $312 dollars)
	Bicycle seat = The best tip is to make sure your riding saddle fits your body and is positioned properly. Improper sizing can cause prostate problems (men) and urinary track infections (women).	Fairly inexpensive, ranges from $20-$50 dollars
	Helmet = Having and wearing a helmet is imperative for preventing concussions or other head injuries. Over 90% of all fatalities involves a cyclist who rode without a helmet.	$25-$200 dollars
	Bicycles = most bicycles are mass produced to be comfortable for the large majority of the population. (It is recommended that each bicycle undergoes minor adjustments to perfectly fit it to your physical standards.) Next to the helment, adjusting your bicycle is one of the most important ways to prevent these riding injuries.	$150-$1000+

07-02 - OFF Week - Swimming and you..

As the summer season comes in full bloom, many people are hitting the pools for some rest and relaxation. Swimming, compared to other sports, is one of the least injury-prone sports. However, with continuos repetitions and high level competition, the body becomes susceptible to injury.

One of the more common injuries that occur from swimming is shoulder tendonitis. There are a variety of ways to give yourself a shoulder injury in swimming. "Overuse" is often what doctors / fellow-swimmers and coaches will often tell you. Here are other ways to induce this type of injury:

• Improper Technique


• Reaching too far and over-rotating


• Sudden increase in training distance or intensity


• Swimming only freestyle at every workout


• Unbalanced strength development

Some common symptoms of shoulder tendonitis:

• Pain in shoulder that is present in both with activity and rest


• Pain with overhead activities


• Decrease in the range of motion with the shoulder


• Loss of strength in the shoulder


• Noticeable swelling in the front part of the shoulder area

How to prevent shoulder injuries:
Overuse and over exertion is the main cause of this type of injury. Try to incorporate different strokes to balance out your workout.
Another good tip is to warm up and stretch before any sporting activity. Jumping jacks, stationary cycling or running or walking in place for 3 to 5 minutes will help the warming up process.


Here is a video clip of properly executing Popov's swimming technique:

07-01 - OFF Week - Bowling tendinitis?

I've decided to change things up for this week. I will introduce injuries that are sustained while playing non-mainstream sports. These "non-mainstream" sports can range from cricket to pogo jumping.

This week, I will be doing a blog on bowling. Yes, Americas' favorite and family friendly pastime! Where players attempt to score points by knocking down pins with a bowling ball. The sport was found to have existed in ancient Germany and Finland. (dating back to AD300) The most widely played version today is called "tenpin", in which players try to knock down a total of ten pins within a total of ten frames. The sport of bowling has since grown in popularity from the 1950's and 1960's. Even Hollywood has had their fair share of bowling-centric movies. (i.e. Kingpin and The Big Lebowski)

Each year, there are tens of thousand bowling tournaments that are played on any given day. With the biggest tournament of them all, PBA World Championship, being hosted in Allen Park, MI from August 30 - December 13. (Varies from year to year.)

Just like any major professional sport, the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) has a ranking structure that is based on calculations from various events and play throughout the season. Each athlete that wants to position themselves towards the top of the "power rankings" must compete in events to earn points / winnings. The rigors of participating in so many events can lead to a multitude of injuries.


One specific injury that I wanted to focus on is a condition that was coined "bowler's tendonitis".

What is bowler's tendonitis?

Bowler's tendinitis is medically termed as medial epicondylitis and is irritation and swelling of the tendons located medially at the elbow joint, or on the inside and middle of the elbow.

How often does it occur?

This injury is most often seen in competitive bowling. Whether it is youth/adult/senior competitions, the rigors of frequently bowling will prevent the body from its natural recovery / recuperation process.


How to treat this condition:

Relieving pain and reducing swelling can usually be achieved by resting or immobilizing the affected limb. (Motrin (military cure-all) wouldn't hurt either..)

How to prevent this condition:

Bowler's tendinitis can be avoided by staying away from repetitive motion, performing warm-up exercises before bowling and making sure the gear that you are using are of appropriate weight/size.

If you develop tendinitis in your wrist, you can buy these handy wrist braces to protect / prevent / heal:

06-03 - NHL - Washington Capital - Tom Poti out with EYE injury!

Tom Poti was born on March 22, 1977 in Worcester, MA. He has played hockey for most of his life, 12 of those years were spent with the National Hockey League. (NHL) He is currently co-captain of the Washington Capitals, and is coming off one of his career best seasons. Poti is also one of the oldest veterans currently active for the Capitals.

Unfortunately, the Capitals (who were favored this year to reach the NHL finals) came up short of the Stanley Cup once again..)
Poti, who suffered an eye injury during game 6 of the Conference quarter-finals against the Canadiens when a shot was deflected off teammate Shaone Morrison and into his eye. Poti was in shock from being unable to see from the injured eye, and immediately thought that his playing career was over. This injury occurred on May 6, 2010 and still has him listed on the injury report.

After thorough medical examinations, Tom Poti was diagnosed with a hyphema -- bleeding in the front of the eye. He also lost some facial structure due to the high velocity of the hockey puck. In May of 2010, Poti underwent surgery and doctors were able to successfully insert three titanium plates into his face and a support structure was placed at the bottom of his eye socket. (The procedure took nearly four-hours)

What is hyphema? (WebLink)

Bleeding in the anterior chamber of the eye, the space between the cornea and the iris. Hyphema occurs when blood leaks into the clear fluid of the aqueous humor, and is visible to the naked eye that causes decreased vision.

Causes:

Usually caused by trauma to the eye. It may result from any type of object that can come in contact of the eye. (i.e. baseball bat, ball, hockey-puck, etc..)

Symptoms:

• visible blood in the eye


• decreased vision


• elevated eye pressure

Treatment:

Hyphema should not be treated without the assistance of an eye doctor. In mild cases the blood will normally recess back into the body within a few days. Further treatment can consist of: bed rest, eye patching and sedation to minimize the activity of the eye.

Prevention:

Hyphema can occur with any trauma to the eye. Wearing protective eyewear when playing sports is recommended to reduce the chance of injury to the eyes.

06-02 - MLB - Nationals' catcher may be out for the season...

The young and talented catcher for the Nationals Baseball team may sit out the rest of the year, due to a lingering shoulder injury that was initially mis-diagnosed. Jesus Flores originally suffered the shoulder injury on May 9, 2009 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was first thought to be "shoulder tendinitis" and recovery was presumed to be short and sweet. (a couple of months) It has since been upgraded to a stress fracture that also included a torn labrum, which was confirmed by a very notable orthopedic surgeon. (Dr. Andrews, Birmingham, Alabama = amazingly he also worked on New Orleans' Saints QB, Drew Brees. Link ) Once the true diagnosis was determined, Jesus Flores underwent shoulder surgery to repair his torn right labrum. The shoulder surgery was conducted in September 2009, and seems he is now back on the recovery road. Even though his season has ended prematurely, he is expected to bounce back next season stronger and healthier than ever. This is really good news for Nats' fans.


More information on Labral tears:


What is a labral tear?
The labrum is made of a thick tissue that is susceptible to injury with trauma to the shoulder joint. The labrum also becomes more brittle with age, and can fray and tear as part of the aging process.

Symptoms:

• An aching sensation in the shoulder joint


• Catching of the shoulder with movement


• Pain with specific activities

Treatments for a torn labrum:

The treatment will depend on the severity and type of tear that has occurred. If pain persists in the shoulder joint area, surgery may be the best option. If the pain is non-occurring, then rest is normally the key.

06-01 - NFL - Jeremy Shockey leaving on a midnight train to Georgia...

This weeks' blog will focus on one of the toughest NFL players that is still active. (next to Brett Favre of course! Link to my blog about Brett Favre) A true "iron-man" in my opinion, is an athlete who participates in the most roughest / demanding sport and is able to endure multiple injuries for the love of the game.

This iron-man is none other than the New Orleans' Saints Tight-End Jeremy Shockey. Jeremy Shockey was born on August 18, 1980, in Ada, Oklahoma. He was an exceptionally gifted athlete in his high school days, which carried over to his college career. In 2001, he helped the University of Miami football program win the National Title vs #2 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. After winning the National Championship and numerous "All-American" titles, he declared himself eligible for the NFL draft. After being selected number fourteen overall in the 1st round by the New York Giants, Shockey went on to have a tremendous NFL professional career. He has claimed the title of NFL Super Bowl champion on two different occasions, the 1st with the New York Giants in 2007 and most recently in 2010 with the mighty New Orleans' Saints. The Super Bowl rings, shared by numerous athletes, all came with a price. The price that Shockey paid was the unending list of injuries that he has incurred since joining the league. (List of injuries since 2002)

He is once again ailed by another injury. This time it has been reported that he experienced a "seizure" type of attack in the weight room. Since the "seizure", Saints' head coach Sean Payton has stated that it is not a seizure and he just fainted due to a low-blood sugar count coupled with dehydration.

This intrigued me so I pulled up more information on seizures:

What is a seizure?
- abnormal movement or behavior due to unusual electrical activity in the brain

Different cases of seizures:

• non-epileptic seizures = are not accompanied by abnormal electrical activity in the brain and may be caused by psychological issues or stress


• provoked seizures = are single seizures that may occur as the result of trauma, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), low blood sodium, high fever or alcohol or drug abuse.


• generalized tonic clonic seizures = (grand mal seizure) a violent jerking of the entire body


• absence seizures = (petit mal seizure) partial or whole boy jerking of muscles but consists of blankly staring into space, rapid blinking or other repetitive movements of the face.

Seizures can happen at any age and with anyone.

Treatment:
Seizures varies widely for each individual. Because of this, there is no single drug that is a "cure-all", and is looked at on a case by case basis.

What to do during a seizure:

• the most important thing to remember is to prevent the child from harming himself / herself


• Place the child on their side to keep the throat clear and allow secretions (saliva or vomit) to drain. Do not try to stop the child's movements or convulsions. Do not put anything in the child's mouth and do not try to hold the tongue.


• Keep an eye on a clock or watch. Seizures that last for more than five minutes require immediate treatment.


• Move the child away from potential hazards such as: stove, furniture, stairs or traffic.


• Stay with the child until the seizure ends. Allow the child to sleep after the seizure if he/she is tired, then try to explain to the child that they are safe when they come to.


• There is no need to bring the child to the doctor or emergency room after every seizure.

When to call for help:

If the seizure lasts for more than five minutes, action should be taken to call 911 while maintaining a watchful eye on the victim.

If the child is seriously injured during the seizure.

If the child is having difficulty breathing and/or the skin is blue after the seizure.

If another seizure occurs immediately after in succession.

05-03 - NBA - Yao Ming - "They call me Mr. Glass..."

Yao Ming was born on September 12, 1980. He is currently the start "center" for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association. As of today, he is the tallest active person in the NBA today, standing at a towering 7ft 6in. Most of Yao's life has been devoted to playing basketball. After dominating most of the Chinese Basketball Association, he committed to the 2002 NBA draft. He was then selected "Number 1" overall by the Houston Rockets. The marriage of Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets went especially well. Although they have yet to advance past the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs, Yao has made the NBA all-star team for all of his seven years in the league. With his staggering height and physical build, his body has been prone to numerous injuries since he joined the league. Yao's first injury came in 2005, when he developed osteomyelitis in the big toe of his left foot. His next injury came on December 23, 2006, when he broke his right knee attempting to block a shot. The next injury occurred on February 26, 2008 when he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot. The final injury occurred during the 2nd round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, this time it was thought to be a simple sprain, but further tests showed a hairline fracture in the same ailing left foot. (Doctors presumed that it could be career ending)

With all of this injury time, Yao Ming is still the most recognized Chinese athletes in the world. With a healthy body, Yao averages a solid "20/10" = 20 pts / 10 rebs per game. Lets look at the injury more in-depth.

What is a hairline fracture? Wiki Article
It is a small sliver or crack in the bone. It typically occurs in weight-bearing bones, such as the tibia (bones of the lower leg) and mostly bones of the foot. It is an extremely common sporting injury.



What causes the hairline fracture?
Bones are constantly attempting to remodel and repair themselves, especially where alot of stress is applied to the bone. If enough stress is continually applied, then it will exhaust the capacity of the bone to remodel.


Treatment:
Rest is the key method in treating hairline fractures.


Prevention:
One method to avoiding stress fractures, is to apply more pressure than normal. Doing this, allows the bone to condition itself to the added stress, and to eventually make the bone stronger. Most long-distance runners are told to increase their distance by 10%, to prepare the bone for the added length in marathons / distance races.

Eating healthy is also a great way to prevent bone decay. (Link to Healthy eating for kids)