Bergerie Caroline

Sports injuries affect a number of athletes, both men and women alike. Pain is involved in all injuries that occur while playing games. Studies at the U.S Naval Academy have revealed that sports injuries most commonly occur due to repetitive and excessive use of muscles and bones.

An athlete who is suffering from a sports injury can be effectively treated using physical therapy, one of the effective methods that facilitate speedy recovery and helps athletes to quickly return to sports. Activities like football, baseball, tennis, swimming, and weight training are likely to cause injuries. With physical therapy, various sports injuries including rotator cuff tendonitis, shoulder injuries, jumping/cutting/landing injuries, running injuries, fractures, head injuries, neck injuries and tennis injuries can be treated.

Physical therapy is a hands-on treatment procedure used for treating musculoskeletal dysfunction. This effective treatment plan works well to maintain and enhance fitness, health and quality of life. The physical therapy treatment program makes the body strong and increases the blood flow to the affected areas. This is ideal to promote your healing process.

Physical therapy treatment for sport injuries includes a variety of modalities such as hot packs, cold packs, electrical stimulation and ultrasound to heal the injured tissue. In addition, medical massage is incorporated in the physical therapy treatment plan to increase overall circulation and achieve the best possible health. In a healthy lifestyle, the physical therapy treatment administered for sports injuries helps to

•    Decrease pain

•    Increase function by restoring your physical abilities

•    Prevent further injuries

The physical therapists who know to manage pain through physical therapy sessions will treat the patients for about 30 minutes. Depending on the severity of the injury, the physical therapy treatment program varies.

Physical therapy treatment for sports injuries is the best option for athletes who wish to return to their normal sports activities soon. Physical therapists can also give tips on preventing further injuries.

Shiatsu is an oriental (eastern) therapy of physical and energy rebalance. Usually it is defined as an oriental “massage” but it is much more than that. It acts through pressure with thumbs, fingers and palms applied to determined areas and points of the human body, without the use of any mechanical or of another type instrument, correcting internal dysfunctions, promoting and keeping the health and treating specific illnesses.

Among the diverse benefits that SHIATSU presents to the organism, it will be able to be distinguished:

*Gives flexibility to the skin

*Improvement of the circulatory system

*Gives flexibility to the muscular system

*Aid to recuperate the balance of the bone system

*Facilitation of the digestive system functions

*Improvement of the endocrinous system control

*Regulate the functions of the nervous system

Shiatsu is,in fact, used by health professionals to cure illnesses,normally in combination with other oriental therapies.To cure illnesses, however,isolated SHIATSU is a limited technique. It is of bigger utility to raise the level of energy of the patient, to regulate and to fortify the functioning of the organs and to stimulate the natural resistance of the body to the illnesses.

It is truth that SHIATSU alleviates body pains and solves small organic riots, but its great potential is for the patient becoming conscientious of its proper “body”. And the “body” is not only the physical body, but storing emotions and feelings equally, also reflecting our emotional state.

Shiatsu, being an oriental therapy, is based on the principles of the oriental medicine where the health is a balance question of the diverse existing forces in the human organism. It is not worried in eliminating the illness directly, but in normalizing the vital energy of the patient, creating, thus, conditions to the organism to eliminate the disease through its proper ways, being given emphasis to health and not to illness.

The vital energy, assigned “ki” in the East, is the basic energy of the life of all livings beings, including the man. KI energy flows in the human body in a regular form, forming channels that are assigned “meridians” of energy that are the base of the oriental medicine.

Being the free stream of energy through our body essential for the physical, intellectual and emotional health, always that disturbances in this stream exist, appointedly accumulation or deficit of KI in determined zones of the body, conditions are created that affect our state of health, being able to originate what we know as “illnesses”.

Thus, the therapists act in the meridians with sight to the energy rebalance, appointedly in the called pressure points, with the designation in japanese of “Tsubos”, that are points that condense KI energy and allow us to contact and to act on the energy meridians with a more intense form. Of the scientific point of view,

Tsubos are points that present low electric resistance, or by other words, are good electric conductors, being able to be used in such a way for diagnosis as for treatment, reflecting the internal functioning of the corporal system.

This concept of acting in the energy meridians, appointedly through the TSUBOS, is used in acupuncture that uses needles placed in points in the meridians, in moxibustion where it is applied heat on the chosen points of the meridians and in shiatsu where it is applied pressure on these points and meridians.

The tracing of meridians and location of the tsubos are known since ancient times, having been discovered through the practical experience (by empirical form) and later confirmed by the modern scientific research.

The meridians are represented by a great string of energy that goes up and down covering the human body from the head to the feet, forming a track that can be learned and be used in a systematic form. This string is divided in 12 pieces, being each piece a meridian, related with determined organic functions and certain psychological or emotional features.

In its majority the meridians have the name of the organs that occupy a place of prominence in the meridian functions, but it must be attempted that meridians are not (or do not represent exclusively) the organs.

For beyond this basic system of 12 meridians, which are pairs, or by other words, are reproduced symmetrically in the two sides of the body, there are used more 2 odd meridians that are localized in the body axis (in shiatsu these two odd meridians are assigned “arteries”).

Glucosamine is the precursor to Glycosaminoglycans, amino acids that are naturally produced in your body to help form cartilage. Based on this, Glucosamine, in supplement form, is being used to treat joint pain stemming from osteoarthritis. Glucosamine is becoming vastly popular among arthritis sufferers as it is easily available at health food stores and pharmacies and is less expensive than some prescription drugs for joint pain. Although there seems to be mixed opinions in the medical world about how effective Glucosamine really is, patients have been singings its praises.

Is it safe?

Studies show that as a treatment for minor osteoarthritis pain, Glucosamine has been proven relatively harmless, though long-term use or use in large doses has not been studied enough to have any conclusive results. Some concerns you may wish to bring up to your doctor are if you are diabetic, as high levels of Glucosamine may interfere with blood glucose levels; if you are nursing or pregnant; or if you have a shell fish allergy. Many Glucosamine supplements are made from the shells of shellfish, and while an allergy usually occurs from eating the flesh of said fish, you may want to take precautions when using a supplement derived from the shells. There have not been any recorded problems from allergies recorded, but it is always best to monitor yourself to play it safe. As always, read the directions of the manufacturers and consult with your physician as well.



Does it work?

Early clinical tests in Europe were not well conducted, leaving dubious results; however, recent studies are proving to be promising to those with joint pain. Many doctors are skeptical of Glucosamine’s healing abilities, as the clinic results look as though it works for “some” people “sometimes,” but are not opposed to a person trying it, as it couldn’t hurt. Full clinical studies are available online for you to examine the results for yourself. Other doctors are enthusiastic about its possibilities and would recommend it by itself or in combination with Chondroitin, which is often combined with Glucosamine in a supplemental form. When used in combination with physical therapy and other forms of pain management, these supplements can be very helpful. Often, patients will report that they don’t notice a significant benefit to Glucosamine until after they have missed using it for a day or two. Many people, despite lack of scientific evidence, swear by Glucosamine and its benefits.



Conclusion?

Since Glucosamine is considered safe and has promising clinical study results, it would make sense to at least try it and see if you notice any significant difference in your joint pain. If it doesn’t work for you, you can then try other more aggressive treatments for osteoarthritis pain and consult with your doctor. However, if it does work, you’ll feel less pain in your joints and will be able to resume every day tasks without as much pain and stiffness. The risk is minimal, and the benefits could be substantial.