muscular concerns and antibiotics

If you have followed my posts you know that I am a firm believer in fitness.  For me, my family history forced me to take a hard look at my own personal fitness in my late 20's.  My father died at age 64 of heart disease and my mother died at age 64 from breast cancer.  My oldest sister died at age 60 of lymphoma cancer.  My fraternal grandfather died in his 40's and my maternal grandfather died of heart disease in his 60's.  In my late 20's, after losing both my parents, examining the health history of my family line, I decided to be intentional about my health.

Diet, exercise, and stress management are essential to my personal fitness program.  Multiple blog posts give evidence to this.  Even then, also documented is my struggle with GERD and other health concerns.  Some things just happen!

For the last several years I have struggled with an ear problem causing pain and discomfort, especially during sinus drainage events (which, thankfully, I don't have much of).  I am blessed NOT to have any struggles with allergies.  I find that a good hard run usually clears up many of my sinus problems.  However, this persistent ear problem has been a challenge.  Finally, after multiple attempts to solve my ear problems my family doctor referred me to an ear, nose, and throat specialist.  I am pleased to say that progress is being made. Regrettably, because of the ongoing ear problem, I have lost about 15% of my hearing in that ear.

All of this to say, that during the course of treatment for my ear problems, I was put on the antibiotic Levaquin, a strong drug used to treat pneumonia.  Coincidentally, as the weather turned much colder I began to experience muscle pulls in my calf muscles.  I thought it was due to the colder temps so I began wearing running tights and used cut-off sock tops to keep my calf muscles warm during my runs.  I also did extra pre-run stretching of my calf muscles, which I still do.  For over a month I experienced extreme frustration with my calf muscles pulling and getting tight during my nightly runs.  After my runs I iced down my calfs on both legs.

Toward the end of this period of calf muscle problems I was referred to the ENT specialist for my ongoing ear problems.  My doctor happens to be a runner also.  During the exam and while reviewing my medical history he noticed I was currently taking Levaquin.  He asked if I was experiencing any muscular problems in my legs regarding my running.  Of course, I unloaded telling him about my frustration with pulled calf muscles for the last month.  Then he laid a bombshell on me.  He said I should limit my running for the next 4 weeks until the Levaquin gets out of my system (I was about to finish the prescription).  He said that Levaquin has a known side effect of causing pulled leg muscles, especially Achilles tendon tears!  Holy smoke!!  He said I was probably lucky I had not ruptured my Achilles and to be very careful.

So, I did curtail my running for a month.  I gradually resumed my running regimen 3 weeks ago and have gradually worked my way back up to my normal workout.  Thankfully, the problem with muscle pulls in my calf has gone away and I now have confidence that I am not going to rupture my Achilles tendon, at least as a result of Levaquin.  I still try to stretch my Achilles properly pre and post-run just to be sure.  I am thankful for a doctor who recognized my dangerous situation because he was a runner also.  I hope you don't have a similar problem with pulled muscles related to the consumption of antibiotics!

glucosamine experiment

After many months of trying to decide whether or not to try the glucosamine regimen for joint therapy I finally decided to start a daily dosage yesterday and continue for 3 months.  As a runner I do suffer from some soreness in my knees.  It's not very bad and comes and goes.  After 30+ years of running, sore knees are to be expected.  However, I suspect my sore knees are more a result of football injuries from high school rather than running, per se.  


Here is an impressive article on the effectiveness of glucosamine on sports injuries, particularly runners:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-286-289-8138-0,00.html


My bigger reason for trying glucosamine is for treatment of my elbows.  Six years ago I fell while running and broke my left elbow after hitting it on the curb.  My right elbow suffers from many years of sports abuse related to being a pitcher in baseball, lots of tennis as a young adult, and softball church league play.  On rainy days my elbows get so sore I can hardly touch them.  Yes, humid weather bothers my elbow joints.


In researching glucosamine and chondroitin I decided to take glucosamine sulfate without chondroitin.   Most articles said to purchase a name brand and try for 90 days to see if it works for you.  The evidence is not convincing medically, however, many people, including athletes, testify as to its effectiveness.  My own mother-in-law has found it to be very helpful in treating arthritic pain in her hip.


My experiment is very simple and should be easy to judge results.  If my elbows improve, I'll be a believer!  I'll post results in this column in the future.  Hopefully, it will not adversely affect my GERD.

how to treat running injuries

By Marianne English

Source:  http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/running/health/treat-running-injuries.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+DailyStuff+(DailyStuff+from+HowStuffWorks)#mkcpgn=rss1

The recent influx of super gyms, high-tech treadmills and yearlong marathons reveals an expanding segment of society that lives to run. Whether runners squeeze in a jog outdoors before work or rack up several miles at a whim, running is no longer an adaptation for survival; it's an activity of health, leisure and well-being. The health effects of running and exercise in general are long-lasting, and they're becoming more public with research and media coverage. But what about the drawbacks?

This form of exercise isn't always a walk -- or run -- in the park. Running injuries hinder veteran runners as well as beginners. Most injuries occur around the foot, ankle, lower leg, knee and hip areas. Though there's overlap in treating these ailments, getting back on the track depends on many factors, including the severity of the injury, age, nutrition, biomechanics and the strength of muscles in other areas of the body.

Even considering these factors, all running injuries have one thing in common: pain or some level of discomfort. The prevailing phrase "No pain, no gain" should not be taken literally while exercising. Physical activity often requires you to push your body to its limits -- but not to the point of pain. Your body is adept at signaling when something is wrong, and pain is its language.

So what causes running injuries? Usually, training errors are the top contenders. One estimate states that 60 percent of running injuries are caused by training errors, and some researchers say the percentage is even higher [source: Hreljac]. As one podiatrist notes, people suffer from the "terrible toos … too much, too soon, too often, too fast and too little attention paid to pain" [source: Pribut]. Poor nutrition, incorrect form, lack of stretching and improper footwear can also increase your chances of injury. Fortunately, health experts and researchers are well-equipped to effectively treat these injuries as they arise.

In this article, we'll explore how health care professionals treat running injuries and learn about how to prevent injuries from occurring in the first place. Moving forward, keep in mind that running injuries often stem from problems in your training, biomechanics or anatomy. In the long term, contacting a doctor to find the underlying cause is just as important as receiving treatment.

Let's start by reviewing the process of icing and heating.

Icing and Heating Running Injuries

Let's say you've returned from the doctor's office with directions on how to treat your recent running injury. The note states you should ice the injury to reduce inflammation, but not to apply heat. You wonder: Why ice and not heat?

Since running injuries cause swelling and inflammation of tissues, muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones, the goal is to reduce these symptoms as soon as possible. Luckily, icing the injury is a natural way to cut back inflammation. Heating, on the other hand, is not.

Using ice is recommended for many sports-related injuries, and it's an integral part of the RICE, method: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation [source: Mayo Clinic Staff]. In addition to reducing inflammation and swelling, gentle ice massages can help relax tight or strained areas. Standard ice packs work well, but be sure to place a damp cloth between your skin and the pack to avoid frost bite. Some running enthusiasts recommend using bags of frozen vegetables, as they're light and flexible enough to ice an area without being cumbersome. Injuries on the plantar area on the foot can be iced and massaged simultaneously by rolling the foot over a frozen water bottle [source: Pribut]. Generally, ice shouldn't be applied for more than 20 minutes at a time.

Applying heat is not recommended for a fresh injury. In fact, it does the opposite of ice -- heat increases blood flow, which worsens inflammation and swelling. Before you write off heat altogether, though, you should consider its use for tight muscles before exercise. Depending on what your doctor says, using heat may be an option to loosen up muscles before workouts. Several companies sell heat pads for orthopedic use, but a wet towel with hot water will suffice, as well. Heating a problem area for a maximum of 20 minutes will make stretching those muscles easier and more productive. Don't apply heat after a workout.

As noted in the RICE method, compression is another well-known treatment for running injuries. Become versed in the art of wrapping injuries next.

Wrapping Running Injuries

To Wrap or Not to Wrap?

Keep in mind that wrapping an injury with cloth or strapping it with tape is different from bracing an injury [source: Thielman]. Wraps usually offer support, whereas braces such as foot casts provide more protection. Though sporting a wrap may make you feel accomplished, not all running injuries need to be wrapped. This component of treatment is reserved for when it's truly needed, which is at the discretion of your doctor. Wrapping or strapping an injury is not a substitute for rehabilitation, either. Some professional athletes require wrapping on a regular basis, but this rarely applies to everyone.

Strolling down the medicine aisle of any pharmacy, you'll have no trouble finding tape and wraps for the treatment of sports injuries; however, making proper use of them isn't as easy. For running injuries -- especially those with pain and swelling -- tapes and wraps can be valuable tools for treatment. Here's why: As a response to injury, your body will form an edema, or a patch of fluids near the injured tissue that causes swelling. This rush of fluid impairs healing and can deprive injured cells of oxygen. Compressing the area by wrapping or strapping it will force liquids away from the injury site to surrounding tissue [source: Thielman]. The sooner you compress the injury, the better. If your doctor thinks compression is necessary, he or she will provide more information on how to wrap or tape the injured area.

If your physician advises you to compress your injury, here are some tips to maximize the effectiveness of your wrap:

• In a general sense, wrapping usually makes use of elastic or non-elastic, cloth-like material, whereas strapping uses tape.
• Your doctor will determine whether the injured area can still be partially used. If it can, you'll wrap the injury in its functional position, or one that is natural and weight-bearing, but prevents further injury.
• Start wrapping or strapping at a healthy area (not the injured area). Circle the wrap toward the injured area, but be sure to end it at another uninjured area after covering the injury site.
• Neatly overlap layers of the wrap to reinforce support.
• Always discuss wrapping with your physician. You want to do a few practice runs to ensure you're not wrapping too tightly or loosely.

How to Treat Running Injuries with Rest

Injuries and Rest Time

The amount of rest required for treatment varies by person and injury. Recovering from shin splints may take a week or two, whereas bouncing back from an Achilles tendon injury or surgery may take months.

Rest is an extremely important component for the successful treatment of running injuries. In normal resting phases, the body recuperates and remodels itself. But when a runner trains too often or hard, the body doesn't have the time to repair strained tissue or muscle [source: Karas]. Listed as the first component of the RICE method, rest can be described as either "absolute," meaning little activity and no exercise, or "relative," meaning exercise may be possible, but not at the same rate or intensity [source: Pribut].

The road to recovery isn't always an easy trek. It's unreasonable to think that you'll be able to pick up where you left of in your training after a running injury. Runners who want to continue exercise during recovery should talk to their doctors about the possibility of cross-training during relative rest periods. Cross-training may include less strenuous exercises such as light swimming, cycling, running in a pool and other activities. Even if your doctor approves of a run every now and then, the activity should be added to your workout gradually and with care.

In a perfect world, you could prevent running injuries -- or any injuries for that matter -- from happening. Though you can't always control your body's reactions to exercise, these tips could help you prevent an early end to your running season:

• Stretch before and after exercise. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds to limber up.
• Warm up and cool down with a 10 minute speed walk or light jog.
• Don't rush a workout -- your mind will be elsewhere, limiting your focus on pace or form.
• Keep a running log -- it'll allow you to document your mileage, running conditions and how you felt after each run.
• Bring plenty of fluids to drink during breaks.
• Carry a roll of sports bandage in your pocket if your doctor suggests you tape or wrap an area.
• Slow down if you feel you're straining a muscle. Stop running if you feel acute pain.
• Avoid running too often on hills, uneven surfaces or hard asphalt.
• Change running shoes as needed (usually before 500 miles of use).
• Give your body the rest it needs between workouts. Don't feel guilty for taking a day off.
• Stay in touch with your doctor, and don't be afraid to ask questions about your training.

Related Articles

·         Top 10 Common Running Injuries

·         Top 10 Causes of Running Pain

·         How Shin Splints Work 

·         How Running Posture Works

·         How Running Stride Works

·         How to Treat a Side Stitch 

·         How to Avoid Overtraining in Running

·         Does running fight depression?

·         Does running reduce stress?

·         How many calories does running burn?

·         Should you use ice or heat to treat an injury?

More Great Links

·         Starting a Running Program

·         Dr. Pribut's Running Injuries Page

·         Runner's World Injury Prevention