Sports Health: January 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Tried and True Blister Prevention & Treatments

Your Burning Blister Questions Answered

Why Do Blisters Occur?

Athletic blister formations result when body tissue develops excessive heat due to friction and the body’s natural defense mechanism is to create a “water bubble” to absorb the heat and save the tissue.

Where Do Blisters Commonly Develop?

Blisters can form anywhere there is a sustained amount of friction, typically feet, toes, heels and the balls of the feet in runners, basketball players, or other athletes that run as part of the game. People who use their hands are prone to blister formation between the thumb and forefinger where an implement of some sort is held such as a bat, rake or paint brush.

Obviously the best way to treat a blister is to prevent it; be aware of that “hot spot” you are feeling before the need for localized fluid collection into a bubble results.

Are you Susceptible to Blisters?

Certain foot formations may make you more susceptible to blisters.

Pes cavus or high arched athletes spin and spend time on the balls of their feet. Typically a blister will form on the plantar (bottom) side of the big toe knuckle.
Hammer toes project upward and may rub against the toe box of the shoe.

Your Shoes May Cause Blisters

In addition, wearing shoes that are too narrow, too stiff, too short, not broken in gradually or too new and used too quickly may be problematic.

Treating Blisters

There are some basic techniques to treat blisters once they become “hot spots” or when they develop a bubble and before the skin tears open.

Do not open a closed blister; the intact skin is a barrier against infection. Lubricate, protect the area, find the cause of the blister and make adjustments.
For foot blisters: apply foam cushions/pads, petroleum jelly, wear a thin pair of socks under your regular socks, keep your feet dry, and wear fresh, dry socks.
For hand blisters: wear gloves, lighten grip pressure.
For blisters on other body parts: find the cause of the friction; typically friction from a repetitive movement.

When to Call a Professional

Any unusual signs of redness, pus, excessive pain or disability should be seen by your physician or podiatrist. Besides being annoying, blisters can be debilitating and if ignored may become infected.

Over-the-Counter Blister Prevention/Treatment Products That Work

There are many products available to prevent and/or reduce the presence and discomfort of blisters at www.esportshealth.com.

Here are a few tried and true products:

Phil Hossler, ATC has been an athletic trainer on the scholastic, collegiate and Olympic levels. He has authored 4 books and numerous articles and served as an officer in state and regional athletic training associations for 20 years. He is a member of four halls of fame including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Should You Really Be Taking Vitamins?

4 Common Questions About Vitamins

Q. When I feel tired can vitamins give me more energy?

A. Vitamins are catalysts to natural body functions. That is, they help the food you eat become broken down and absorbed for energy. Vitamins, by themselves, do not "pep you up". Active people need a diet high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat while meeting your daily requirements for fruits and vegetables. Vitamins allow your body to do what it is supposed to do. When you ask what vitamin is good for energy there is no single answer. The B vitamins work together to help the body process, produce, and efficiently use energy in different forms, and each one is necessary for good health.

Q. I am lifting weights and exercising every day. Should I increase my vitamins supplements now?

A. The National Academy of Sciences has established Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) as a guide to establish dietary requirements. Megadoses (up to 10 times normal) of vitamins and minerals can be dangerous. When consumed in excess, vitamins can be drug-like rather than body regulators. Fat soluble vitamins (such as A and D) can actually become poisonous when taken in excess over extended periods of time. The vast majority of Americans can met their vitamin and mineral needs by merely eating a better, balanced, and diversified diet.

Q. Are vitamin pills the same as the vitamins in food?

A. Yes. However, food also provides a source of calories to be burned for energy. Vitamins alone do not provide any energy. Food also provides bulk (fiber) which aids in digestion, absorption and elimination to promote regularity.

Q. What should I do if I am still not certain if I should take vitamin supplements?

A. Check your age and look at your diet. A vitamin/mineral supplement may be useful at a certain age (improper or inadequate eating habits as we grow older) or if you have a mild medical condition (calcium deficiency); check with your physician if you have any doubts.
A balanced diet is just that: balanced. It has contributions from fruits, vegetables, breads, lean meat/fish and dairy products. An athletic diet should concentrate on complex carbohydrates (65-70%, with protein contributing 10-15% and fat consumption reduced to 20-25%).

Friday, January 13, 2012

Ideas For Educating the Injured Athlete on Self Care

Are Your Athletes Fully Understanding Their Care Plans?

Today’s athlete must be smarter, more sport sophisticated and rule- conscious than ever before. But in athletic sport medicine realms they often are not students "of the game". As athletic trainers, part of our caring for our athletes is to make them more cognizant of practices and routines that will keep them safe, heal faster and prevent injuries from occurring. As certified athletic trainers, we know firsthand the anxiety and depression that accompanies our athletes when they get injured. We also know that while we are explaining the initial care plans to our athletes, the athlete often can't focus on what we are saying due to the stress of the moment.

Question: What do you do to educate your athletes?

Handouts, posters, and group talks are generally successful and are certainly a mainstay of the training room.
What about getting a guest spot on the local cable station that covers your events? This can be seen by athletes and parents alike and is often aired multiple times.
What about individualized computerized injury instruction?

Using Simple Technology To Educate

By creating Power Point presentations on topics of your choosing that include your own recorded voice, it is as if you were speaking to the athlete and giving them the information you want at a convenient time for both you and the athlete.

To ensure more complete care for my athletes, I set aside a corner of the training room as their area for learning. By placing a computer on the desk with headphones, I can select the presentation that the injured athlete needs to view. Since I create the slides and record my voice onto each slide, I am certain it applies in my situation and school.

I am creating a variety of Power Point presentations on topics such as ankle injuries, stretching guidelines, concussion, student assistants’ guidelines, knee and shoulder care, hydration, use of crutches, shin splints, and pre-season instructions. The inclusion of videos via YouTube and media outlet reports certainly adds to the education being presented.

Sports Health can ease the burden of finding material for you to share with your athletes. In the area of concussion, look at the Sports Concussion Tool Kit for Athletic Trainers and Coaches at www.esportshealth.com.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Is BMI a Reliable Measurement For You?

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is an estimate of your body fat, based on your height and weight. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk of developing such conditions as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes.

BMI Measurements in Adults

Currently the standard definitions of overweight and obesity used by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) says for adults, a body mass index of 25 or more is considered "overweight" and a BMI of 30 or more is considered "obese". Basically a BMI of 19-25 is considered healthy.

BMI Measurements in Children

For children, the charts of Body-Mass-Index for Age are used, where a BMI greater than the 85th percentile is considered "at risk of overweight" and a BMI greater than the 95th percentile is considered "obese".

How BMI Can Be a Misleading Measurement:

Body Mass Index changes with age, obviously in children but also in adults.
For children and the elderly, BMI may be misleading since the muscle and bone to height relationship is changing.
Men and women are different.
Short adult women have higher BMI than taller women.
Race/ethnicity and nationality affect body composition and BMI. In some ethnic groups, such as Pacific Islanders, BMI overestimates fatness and risk.
Muscular people, athletes and bodybuilders particularly, have high BMI values, but are not fat.

BMI can potentially misclassify people as fat, even though their percentage of body fat is not excessive. Therefore, trust your own judgment about your own body because BMI-based body descriptions can be wrong.

Excessive anxiety is not healthy either. Eat smart, use portion size as your guide and make exercise a habit you can stick with.

There are several BMI calculators available by searching the internet. Rather than try to fit your body into a standard chart, you might wish to utilize technology that can be used by you right now. Sports Health has several BMI analyzers available for you and your athletes.