May 12th, 2008 Milan
Some over the counter pain relievers are an effective way to combat the effects of overuse injuries caused by sports activities.
The majority of over the counter pain relievers sold in U.S. contain one of the following ingredients: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin. At recommended doses, all three have about same effect on reducing pain.
For reducing pain and inflammation, only ibuprofen and aspirin are effective.
Aspirin (brand names: Anacin, Ascriptin, Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin, Excedrin)
- is most commonly used anti-inflammatory medication
- sport doctors recommend aspirin to reduce the pain and inflammation seen in the initial stages of most injuries
- aspirin is strong enough to reduce mild to moderate pain caused by inflammation like tendon inflammation, nerve inflammation
- first effects of aspirin are felt in 30 min, although its maximum benefits are experienced two hours after the dosage is taken
Aspirin has well known side effects like tendency to irritate the stomach lining; prolonged use may cause permanent kidney damage; some people are allergic to aspirin and others.
Ibuprofen (brand names: Advil, BayerSelect Ibuprofen, Midol IB, Motrin IB, Nuprin)
- is less irritating to stomach than aspirin
- is effective in controlling the pain and inflammation of sports injuries
- ibuprofen is a powerful drug, and only the amount necessary to reduce symptoms should be used
You should always ask your doctor before you use aspirin and ibuprofen!
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April 3rd, 2008 Milan
A tissue’s response to injury, no matter what the cause or type, is inflammation.
Here are the symptoms of inflammation:
- increased temperature at the injury site, due to dilation of blood vessels and increase of blood flow
- redness, due to increased blood flow
- swelling, due to movement of a fluid into a injured area
- pain, caused by swelling that has put pressure on the free nerve endings (pain=protective mechanism of the body and should not be ignored)
- loss of function, which results from the first four symptoms
What to do:
Immediately apply RICE – rest, ice, compression, elevation.
REST. Rest is necessary to allow the damaged tissue to heal without further injury. Use “relative” rest, which means avoiding activities that stress the injured area, but continuing with activities for healthy parts of the body. For example – when you develop inflammation in your shoulder-tendinitis, you can still work out your leg muscles and the opposite shoulder.
ICE. Ice may be applied in variety forms, crushed ice in the plastic bag mixed with water is common. This pack should be applied for approximately 20 minutes, 3 to 8 times per day for at least 3 days immediately following the injury. Ice reduces inflammation, stops swelling and promotes healing.
COMPRESSION. Compression, usually with an elastic wrap or cloth, aids in reducing swelling, forcing the fluid into the drainage system of the body. Compression is often used when applying ice.
ELEVATION. With the ice pack wrapped in place, elevate the injured area above the level of the heart. Elevation allows gravity to assist in the movement of fluid toward and into the drainage systems of the body.
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February 21st, 2008 Milan
Symptoms of overtraining:
- Elevated morning pulse (10beats per minute higher than normal for several days in a row)
- Consistently elevated blood pressure
- Decreased or lost motivation to exercise
- Increased frequency of colds and influenzas
- Increased frequency of injuries
While some people don’t want to work very hard in the gym, others drive their bodies too hard in effort to achieve their goals more quickly, or just very ambitiously push their bodies to the limit every day. They believe the “no pain, no gain” approach and find themselves plagued with injuries or symptoms of overtraining.
The role of proper rest and exercise program intensity, duration, and frequency is important.
If you don’t train with fitness professional, then your approach to exercise should be “train, don’t strain.” That is certainly the most enjoyable approach to exercise.
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