June 2009 Archives

By Annette. M. Zaharoff, M.D.

There are many types of treatments used in sports medicine to help injuries heal. Taping is one such treatment that has been used by athletes for many years. Recently, advances in taping techniques and materials have allowed even more effective treatment options to become available. Kinesio taping is one such method. Kinesio tape is used to facilitate healing and support areas that have been injured to allow athletes as well as weekend warriors to return to activity as soon as possible.

If you watched any of the 2009 Olympics, you may have noticed athletes from around the world sporting multi-colored tape like a badge of courage or a newly born tattoo. The tape which is intertwined around joints and ligaments as if to keep them from falling apart actually has a specific purpose and technique.

Kinesio tape is an elastic tape placed on the body to relieve tension support muscles and joints to allow them to heal. The Kinesio® Taping Method is applied over muscles to reduce pain and inflammation, relax overused or tired muscles and support muscles in movement on a 24-hour-a-day basis. It is not a restrictive type of taping and allows for full range of motion. In contrast, traditional sports taping is wrapped around a joint strictly for stabilization and support during an athletic event. Kinesio® Tex tape is used to treat anything from headaches to foot problems and everything in-between. Examples include rehabilitation from sports injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back strain/pain (subluxation, herniated disc), knee and shoulder conditions and more.

This taping method requires a tape that is patient and skin-friendly, possesses optimum elastic qualities, is the same thickness and elasticity as the skin and that is durable enough to stay on for multiple days, even through sweating and showers.

Tape application

Without getting too technical, the tape is applied over the affected area with the muscles in a stretched position. Then the tape is applied from one end of the muscle to the other with very little to no stretch on the tape. The tape is applied from the origin to insertion of the muscle for support and from insertion to origin to reduce tension. There are also multiple applications to support joint motion as well.

There are many different colors available for Kinesio tape but there is no physical difference between the colors. Color choice is a matter of individual preference. Kinesio tape will not affect bio-mechanics of the patient. Latex-free, Kinesio® Tex Tape is safe for sensitive skin and for populations ranging from pediatric to geriatric.

If you are injured, talk to your sports medicine physician and find out if Kinesio tape may be helpful in your rehabilitation program. You can also visit my Web site, www.drZmd.com, for more information.

Dr. Annette Zaharoff is a sports medicine physician specializing in the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of injuries. She maintains a private practice in San Antonio and may be reached by calling her office at (210) 616-0646 or visiting her Web site www.drZmd.com

National Running Day - June 3
 
By Bonny Osterhage

Did you know that June 3 is National Running Day? People all across the country are lacing up their running shoes to hit the road to better health.

According to the Web site www.runningday.org, the mission of National Running Day is to "designate one national day to promote running as a healthy, easy and accessible form of exercise."

If you've never tried running as a form of exercise, June 3 is an excellent day to start. The Running Day Web site offers the following tips for beginners and novice runners:
•    Relax
•    Think positively
•    Buy quality gear
•    Train with a plan
•    Run at "conversation" pace
•    Include cross training if possible
•    Aim for a race

The site also points out that it is OK to begin with walking until you are able to build up to a comfortable running pace.

If you are still daunted by the idea of beginning a running routine, simply wear your running shoes to work on June 3. Not only are you showing support for this grassroots cause, but who knows? That simple act alone might prove to be just the motivation you need to get you on track.

Dive into fitness this summer

By Bonny Osterhage


When temperatures soar in South Texas, many of us turn to the neighborhood pool for some relief. But rather than just utilizing the pool for a heat reprieve, why not use it as a wonderful addition, or warm weather alternative, to your existing exercise regimen?

You can get a fantastic cardio and strength-training workout in the water without putting excessive stress and strain on your joints.

Why is swimming so effective? Water provides more than 700 times more resistance than air.

Why does that matter? Because it is like adding a full set of weights to any cardiovascular workout.  It's like getting a two for one -- all without significantly raising your body temperature!

The best part is that almost anyone can perform water exercises. All you need is a pool and a willingness to try something new.  Most gyms even offer water aerobics for all fitness levels to get you started.

So go ahead: Dive in to a new form of fitness this summer!

Helping you get back on track

By Janis Turk

Are you a cool cat who loves to cycle in San Antonio?

Then why not join the Cool Cats Cycling Club, The San Antonio Wheelmen or the Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club, or any one of many other local clubs for cycling enthusiasts in our area? It's a good way to get some support as you get back on the bike this summer and get in shape or just have some fun. You don't have to be an expert cyclist at all--most welcome even novice cyclists. All you need is a bike of some kind, a desire to ride, and the interest in sharing the experience with others.

While you're getting back on track, there are some other helpful organizations that the Cool Cats Cycling Club Web site says may be helpful to you, too:

•    Bicycle Texas www.bicycletexas.com - This Web site will give you lots of useful information on cycling in Texas, including a good calendar of upcoming rides.

•    The Texas Bicycle Coalition (TBC) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization dedicated to advancing bicycle access, safety and education in Texas. See their Web site at www.biketexas.org

•    The League of American Bicyclists is a national organization dedicated to advancing the interests of cyclists nationwide. See their Web site at www.bikeleague.org

Using mantras in Yoga meditation

By Janis Turk

At a Hollywood party, a guy calls his guru and says in a panic, "I forgot my mantra." It's a funny moment in a classic movie -- a line said by Jeff Goldblum's character in Woody Allen's Oscar-winning Annie Hall.

Allen was making fun of the 1970s Hollywood crowd's tendency at the time to practice Yoga and transcendental meditation just because it was "in." However, here in South Texas we're not that closely tied to West Coast trends and East Coast cool anymore (if, indeed, we ever were). If we practice Yoga and meditation, it's because we find they're good for both our minds and bodies, and maybe even our souls. But in recent South Texas Fitness and Health stories, we haven't talked about mantras much or even focused on the meditation side of Yoga in a while. In a sense, we've "forgotten our mantras," or at least the importance of them.

So what is a mantra exactly?

A mantra is a sound, a syllable, a word or phrase -- any utterance, really -- that is used during meditation to help us achieve a sense of spiritual transformation or to encourage us to quiet our minds and focus. Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism all use mantras as part of their religious meditation, as do other Eastern meditation and Yoga practices. But mantras aren't some weird Eastern religion practice or 70s-style hippie thing that Texans can't relate to -- you can be a hip, 2009 Christian or even a non-hippie non-believer and still utilize a mantra to help you focus during your meditation. It's just a way of using a word or thought to help empty the mind and open the soul.

Try to meditate for ten minutes, and you'll find you spend the first nine or more trying to turn down the noise in your head. The mind is easily distracted by the worries, reminders, distractions and work loads that fill our minds each day, and having a mantra to concentrate on and repeat, either aloud or in our minds, helps sharpen our focus and drown out other thoughts, keeping us centered and open.

According to several Internet sources, including Wikipedia.com, " The Sanskrit word mantra- consists of the  root man- "to think" (also in manas "mind") and the suffix -tra meaning, tool, hence a literal translation would be "instrument of thought."

That's a nice way of explaining it, as Mantras are just that -- instruments that are often helpful to our thoughts, so they're often a central part of one's Yoga practice. Some say repeating a mantra over and over helps to loosen the body for better breathing and concentration. Others say it helps them remain focused, and some say it even helps them spiritually to move to new levels outside themselves.

Some basic mantras often used in Yoga practice/meditation include:
OM (or AUM), with an emphasis or drawing out of the "mmm" part. It creates a vibration or a hum when done properly.

SOHAM - Say the "sooo" part while you inhale and the "humm" part as you exhale.
Some mantras are sentences with a positive thought message.
Others are a repetition of the name of God.
Others are small "compact" prayers.

Whatever you wish to focus upon that brings you further clarity, better concentration, better breathing and inner serenity is perfectly valid. So find the mantra that works for you -- and remember to use it. When you do meditate and do Yoga properly, it will be an instrument of peace, meditation, and focus, and you'll surely benefit from it. You'll better understand why mantras are so helpful -- then you won't have to phone it in, and you surely won't forget it.

Tips for Nutritious Summer Snacks

By Janis Turk

The kids are home for summer, and they're ready to raid the fridge and your pantry. What will they find there? Ice cream bars, sodas, sweets and salty crackers?

Why not head them off at the pass by stocking up on nutritious summer treats that will be just as tempting on a hot summer's day?

Try having these on hand:
Keep a sealable plastic container full of sliced strawberries in the fridge, along with another full of cold watermelon already de-seeded and cut into cubes. How about a big juicy bowl of cherries and another with plump blueberries, too? They're great for the kids, and great tasting, too.

In the freezer, how about homemade popsicles made from pure lemonade made with only minimum amounts of real sugar (not unnatural artificial sweeteners). Nearby, have a bowl of frozen grapes. Kids think they're cool, and they make great ice-cubes, for that pitcher of passion fruit and raspberry summer tea you should be making, too.

Make kiwis more fun by serving them with little spoons. Show your kids how to cut off the top of the kiwi and then scoop out the fruit inside. They're nature's perfect little containers, and the kids will think it is fun.

Keep plastic jars of dried soybeans or almonds on hand in the pantry. Dried fruits are good, too--tell the boys that the apricots are dried ears. Dried banana chips are a hit with kids, too, but don't let them eat too many--some are made with lots of added sugar.

Let the kids have at a cantaloupe, honeydew melon or watermelon with a melon ball scooper. They're likely to put as many scoops in their mouths as they do the bowl you provide.

Food should be fun, but it should also be good for your kids. This summer, prepare your pantry and refrigerator for all the fun soon to come.

Schools out for summer -- make sure your fridge is ready.