|
|
|
Cheaters - So What Else Is New?
Baseball has seen it's fair share of cheaters. And let me define what I think defines a cheater. Simple: someone that breaks the rules. The list of cheaters in baseball has been legendary. As long as the game has been around there have been...
Listen - The Crack Of The Bat
The other day, as I watched my daughter take batting practice from her new batting coach, my eyes shifted to another batter that was being coached by another teacher. Her swings were slow, the ball was glancing off her bat and trickling into the...
Make A Slam Dunk With Great Sports Gift Ideas
Do you have a sports fanatic in your family? Perhaps you’re just looking for a great gift idea for an acquaintance who happens to live life for sports. Whether you have a big budget or a small one, there are plenty of great sport ideas to choose...
Schilling to the bullpen; it's a "good thing"
Perhaps Johnny Damon’s in a panic (Why are you guys still petrified of the Yankees??) with the news of Curt Schilling’s return to the Red Sox in a bullpen role. But, this latest move by Boston, in the wake of Keith Foulke’s injury and...
Why Hitting a Small Ball Leads to Big Results in Baseball!
Why Hitting A Small Ball Leads to Big Results In all of sports hitting a round ball with a rounded bat is said to be toughest thing to do. It might be true, it might not, but I can tell you that the difference in Major League Baseball between $2...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
What Do Gladiators and the Weekend Warrior Have In Common?
Strip off the tie and grab your running shoes, golf clubs or baseball mitt! The weekend has arrived. You look forward to extra time on Saturday and Sunday to enjoy your favorite sport. And you probably cram in as much activity as possible before Monday morning rolls around. You’re a weekend warrior!
If you find yourself nursing a painful knee or strained muscle at the office, you are in the company of gladiators.
Favored gladiators were considered the sports heroes of their day. If a gladiator survived serious injury, they were attended to by sports physicians for common problems such as sprains, torn ligaments and muscle strains. The first doctor to gain notoriety for treating gladiators was Galen, acclaimed as the father of sports medicine. Living from 129 to 199 BC, Galen traveled throughout Rome bandaging-up gladiators. Although Galen used a form of traction to set bones and was considered way ahead of his time, he was not aware of the simple principle of R.I.C.E. (rest-ice-compression-elevation) to treat sports-related injuries.
Today, it’s easy for weekend warriors to take care of minor sprains and strains using the recommended technique of R.I.C.E. According to the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, “more than 10 million sports injuries are treated each year in the USA. Athletes and non-athletes share many similar injuries…Immediate treatment for almost all acute athletic injuries is R.I.C.E.”
Here is the four-part method for using R.I.C.E.:
Rest: Stop the activity causing pain and allow the injured area to rest for 2 to 3 days.
Ice: To decrease swelling and numb pain, apply ice in the form of ice packs or ice
massage as soon as possible. Treat for a period of 48 to 72 hours after an injury happens. Ice applications should last for 10 to 30 minutes until the point of numbness. Longer icing periods should be avoided as this could result in tissue damage. Allow the skin to return to normal temperature before reapplying an ice pack.
Compression: To decrease swelling and bruising, compression should be applied immediately using a compression or elastic wrap, or athletic tape. Do not apply compression to the point of cutting off circulation (a feeling of numbness or tingling). Compression can also be used at the same time an ice pack is being applied.
Elevation: Raise the injured area to above heart level to minimize internal bleeding and swelling.
Unlike yesterday’s gladiators, today’s weekend warriors who survive the trials of running too hard, pitching a no-hitter or shooting too many hoops, are better prepared. With a reusable ice pack in hand and knowledge of R.I.C.E., every warrior can triumph over pain.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical treatment or consultation. Always consult with your physician in the event of a serious injury.
About the Author
About the Author: Louise Roach is a health and fitness editor, marketing specialist, and product development consultant. She helps others find pain relief through the use of SnowPack reusable, chemical-free ice packs, the SnowPack SportCover and SnowPack Body-n-Ice Kits. Learn more about the benefits of ice therapy at http://www.snowpackusa.com/
Sign up for free health and fitness newsletter at: http://home.netcom.com/~newsflash/
|
|
|
|
|
|
