Ginger: Beat the Pain and Spice up your Workout

Many natural products and herbs are used to treat and prevent health issues. And on the sports front they are sometimes used to naturally aid in performance. Ginger is one of the 10 most popular natural products used as an alternative therapy for a medical problem (Black & O’Connor, 2010) (Article can be ordered from SIRC). It has been used to treat ailments such as asthma, diabetes, nausea, and stroke, as well as pain conditions like rheumatism and toothache. A recent study, however, focused on ginger’s potential to reduce exercise-induced pain and in particular its use to combat delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Ginger has been shown to reduce pain associated with inflammation and this study demonstrated “that daily consumption of raw and heat-treated ginger resulted in moderate-to-large reductions in muscle pain following exercise-induced muscle injury”. While there has been little scientific research comparing ginger to the pain relief of NSAIDs, the side effects of each should be weighed when considering the use of either. The primary adverse effect of long-term use of NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen are gastric ulcers, while the most common adverse effect from ginger consumption was heartburn (Black & O’Connor, 2010). As always it is important to consult with medical and/or dietetic professionals before incorporating new therapies into your routine.

References:
Black, Christopher D. and O’Connor, Partick J. (2010). Ginger: A Spice That May Reign in Pain. SCAN’s Pulse, 29(2), 1-4.
Black, Christopher D., Herring, Matthew P., Hurley, David J., and O’Connor, Partick J (2010). Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Reduces Muscle Pain Caused by Eccentric Exercise. Journal of Pain, Corrected Proof, 26 April 2010.

It's all in the wrist!

It all starts with complaints of an aching wrist, hand or forearm. Then there is a feeling that the hand is going to sleep, or there is constant pain in the palm. This could all be as a result of pressure on the nerve that innervates the hands and fingers. The anatomical compartment where the tendons, nerves and arteries go through the wrist to reach the hand is called the carpal tunnel. From athletes to trades people, overuse of the hands by putting in long hours on the tennis court, golf course, on the bike (holding on to the bars), or anything that requires repetitive and strenuous motion can lead to “carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).” Classified mostly as a sports injury, in fact CTS can happen to anyone when the repetitive stress conditions are right including excessive computer use, electricians, bricklayers, meat cutters, seamstresses and carpenters.

Essentially, the structures in the tunnel run out of space - like too much data through a bandwidth, or six lanes of traffic merging into three. Something has to give, and in this case, the median nerve becomes inflamed and it starts sending messages of pain and discomfort. Attending to this syndrome immediately will prevent going under the knife. Some ways to treat carpal tunnel syndrome include:

• Avoid and/or limit repetitive wrist activities
• Wearing wrist splints to alleviate pain and discomfort
• Using NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce pain and inflammation

However, if conservative measures do not heed positive results, then surgery might be the only solution where the scar tissue will be removed from the carpal ligament to free up some space in the very narrow tunnel. The traditional invasive carpal tunnel release surgery requires the dissection of the layers of the palm and a lengthy incision, while the new advancement called Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release (ECTR) uses an endoscopy or an arthroscopic device resulting in a much smaller incision size. Other benefits to the patient include:

• Reduced pain after surgery
• Less scar tissue
• Quicker resumption of normal activities
• Better cosmetic result for patients.

Please visit SIRC for more information on carpal tunnel syndrome.

Avoiding painful side stitches

Side stitches or exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP) is  not well studied, but it is thought to be caused by a lack of blood flow to the diaphragm which causes pain in the side or shoulder area.  While side stitches occur more frequently in people who are out of shape, most of us have experienced pain in our sides at one point or another.

One study found that although many people believed that age and fitness level to be the cause, neither seemed to be the case.  Instead, it was found that eating and/or drinking before exercise was a factor in getting a side stitch; food and drinks that were high in sugar or salt were more likely to cause problems.

So if a side stitch can happen to anyone, what do you do if it occurs during training or competition?

1. Start by breathing deeply into your abdomen (belly breathing).
2. Try pursing your lips when you breathe out to synchronize your breathing.
3. If you are on the move (e.g. running, or roller blading) you can try to get your breathing to fall in line with your foot movement.
4. Stretching may help to diminish the pain of a side stitch, raise one arm up in the air and lean to the opposite side of where your pain is.
5. If the pain really won't go away, slow down for a bit (five minutes) and continue when you feel well enough to start again.

The best thing you can do to avoid side stitches is to watch what you eat or drink before you exercise.  It is recommended that you avoid high fat or heavy foods and to try having smaller amounts more frequently if you know you are going to be exercising heavily. 

References from the SIRC Collection: 

1. Clark N. Undesired Sideliners: Side Stitches and Runner's Trots. Running & Fitnews. July 2010;28(4):21-23.
2. Erith M. Stitch - exercise related transient abdominal pain. Coach. November 2003;(19):42-45.
3. Morton D, Aragón-Vargas L, Callister R. Effect of Ingested Fluid Composition on Exercise-related Transient Abdominal Pain. International Journal Of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism. April 2004;14(2):197-208.
4. Morton D, Callister R. Influence of posture and body type on the experience of exercise-related transient abdominal pain. Journal Of Science & Medicine In Sport. September 2010;13(5):485-488.
5. Muir B. Exercise related transient abdominal pain: a case report and review of the literature. Journal Of The Canadian Chiropractic Association. December 2009;53(4):251-260.
6. Welch D. `Oh, the pain!'. Shape. October 1995;15(2):23.