Sports Med
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Wheelchair racing is one of the most popular sporting activities of individuals with spinal cord injury. Athletes with this impairment have unique changes in metabolic, cardiorespiratory, neuromuscular and thermoregulatory systems, which reduce their overall physiological capacity compared with able-bodied individuals or individuals with other types of impairments. This review on spinal cord injury: presents the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation classification of wheelchair athletes; describes methods commonly used to characterise anaerobic and aerobic fitness; presents the findings of physiological studies that have evaluated wheelchair racing performance; identifies the risks associated with temperature regulation when competing in wheelchair races; and discusses special conditions that can influence wheelchair racing performance. ⋯ The use of anti-gravity suits to increase lower-body positive pressure can increase the peak oxygen uptake, cardiac output and stroke volume. However, the use of abdominal binders does not influence these physiological responses. An effect of either of these techniques on wheelchair racing performance has not been demonstrated.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Return-to-work interventions for low back pain: a descriptive review of contents and concepts of working mechanisms.
Low back pain is a major medical and social problem associated with disability, work absenteeism and high costs. Given the impact of the problem, there is a need for effective treatment interventions in occupational healthcare that aim at the prevention of chronic disability and the realisation of return to work. These so-called return-to-work (RTW) interventions are becoming increasingly popular. ⋯ No concepts were described for ergonomic measures. Finally, the plausibility of the described concepts is discussed. Future RCTs on this topic should evaluate the underlying concepts of the RTW intervention in addition to its effectiveness.
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Alpine skiing is a popular sport with significant risk of injury. Since the 1970s, injury rates have dropped from approximately 5 to 8 per 1000 skier-days to about 2 to 3 per 1000 skier-days. The nature of the injuries has also been transformed over the same period. ⋯ There is no evidence to demonstrate that traditional ski instruction reduces injury frequency. More specific programmes focussed on injury prevention techniques are effective. The question of pre-season conditioning to prevent injuries needs further research to demonstrate efficacy.
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Chest pain in the athlete has a wide differential diagnosis. Pain may originate from structures within the thorax, such as the heart, lungs or oesophagus. However, musculoskeletal causes of chest pain must be considered. ⋯ Both conditions eventually settle spontaneously although a corticosteroid injection may be useful in particularly troublesome cases. The intercostal muscles may be injured causing tenderness between the ribs. Other conditions that should be considered include epidemic myalgia, precordial catch syndrome and referred pain from the thoracic spine.
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Exercise-related leg pain is a common and yet difficult management problem in sports medicine. There are many common causes of such symptoms including stress fractures and muscle compartment syndromes. There are also a number of less common but important conditions including popliteal artery entrapment and nerve entrapment syndromes. ⋯ It is clear from clinical experience that the outcome of surgical management of such syndromes fares much better where a clear dermatomal pain distribution is present or where focal weakness and/or sensory symptoms appropriate for the nerve are present. In many situations, however, nonspecific leg pain or vague nonlocalising sensory symptoms are present and in such situations, alternative diagnoses must be considered and investigated appropriately. As mentioned above, many different pathologies may coexist in the lower limb and may be a source of confusion for the clinician or alternatively may be the reason for poor treatment outcomes.