ST 291110 Your Pre-Race Preparations

This is the second last column for the ST Sweet 16 Marathon plan and it discusses what runners do for their pre-race rituals. It's on page B11 on today's Straits Times under the Sports section. Go take a look and you'll see Sports Solutions mentioned.

But that's others, having your own is best. Do what suits you and what will best achieve your goals.

Also have a look at this and this.

Sports Solutions 1st Anniversary Lunch

The Physio Solutions and Sports Solutions Teams got together to celebrate SS's 1st Year Anniversary. It's always great to get some time to eat together :) Thank you to all who attended. Here's to many more years to come!

Reference For Article On Tapering

I've had quite a few patients and readers as well asking me about the source of the article I quoted in the Straits Times on tapering in the previous post. Well here it is.

Reference

Bosquet L, Monpetit J et al (2007). Effects Of Tapering On Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise. 39(8): pp 1358-1365.

Email me if you want a copy of the article.

Your Marathon Taper ST 151110

Have a look at the Straits Times (page B21) under the Sports section and you'll see Sports Solutions quoted on what not to do during your taper. Go take a look.

Slightly less than 3 weeks to go before your race day so hopefully you've done your last long run. Nearly there now, hang in there.

Team Singapore Asian Games Athlete Has Compartment Syndrome? No Way

My first patient at 830 am today was an interesting case. The patient (who shall remain anonymous) was told that he/she had compartment syndrome and he/she had so far received acupuncture/ needling with current, massage (many times), electrical stimulation plus other treatment on the leg and foot etc but did not get better at all.

Now my patient is due to fly out to Guangzhou to represent Singapore for the Asian Games early next week and presented this morning with tingling sensations on the lower third of the right leg and the patient also complained there was decreased sensation there and also had pain in the web space between the big and second toe. Now those of you (who are physiotherapists) reading this should already be thinking to yourselves that nooooo, this cannot be a case of compartment syndrome.

If a patient has compartment syndrome he/she will complain of pain, paresthesia (or pins and needles), the limbs (usually legs) being very tight, tense and full of pressure. Temporary paralysis sometimes occurs. It usually happens to athletes at the start of the season after their break when they train too hard, too soon. The muscles expand and they fill up the space in the legs and "squeeze" the nerves there leading to sensations of tightness, pressure or pins & needles as the connective tissue that separates each section or compartment does not stretch hence leading to the term.

Now, my patient is at the tail end of the season (not at the start of the season and certainly not after a break from training), the symptoms he/she complains of doesn't resemble compartment syndrome at all I thought. Why? My patient's pain did not subside after training/ cessation of activity. In compartment syndrome, with cessation of physical activity, the muscles will stop working and subsequently stop squeezing on the nerves and the patient's pain/ pressure/ tightness should settle (but did not).

The biggest clue to me was the pain between big and second toe. This is a definite L5 (deep branch) nerve root distribution (which I confirmed after checking my patient's lumbar spine).

After assessing my patient fully, I treated my patient's spine and nerves, taped his/her foot and taught a nerve stretch and I just found out my patient was better and able to train later.

Well, I am no longer working at the Singapore Sports Council and I can only treat the athletes that come and look for me at our clinics. So my best wishes to Team Singapore at the Asian Games.

All the best at the Asian Games, Team Singapore. Do us proud.

*Picture shows treatment of my patient before coming to see me

Mind Over Matter ST 081110

It's less than 4 weeks to go to your race. I've taken a look at yesterday's (081110) ST Sweet 16 Marathon plan in the Straits Times and found similar points on mental imagery discussed in our blog in the run up to the race last year as well.http://weloverunning.blogspot.com/2009/11/2-more-weeks.html

Go take a look here and here.

Drinking Too Much Water Leads To Hyponatremia ST 011110

Today's topic in the ST Sweet 16 Marathon Training Plan (on page B13 under the Sports section) talks about the perils of hyponatremia or drinking too much. Drinking too much water that is. You mean you can drink too much water? That is probably what most readers will be asking. Yes, you can.

A common reply from athletes (taking part in endurance events) will be that they have drank a lot of water yet still feel thirsty. Their tummy feels bloated and swollen and they have a upset stomach. More severe symptoms can include cramps, giddiness, disorientation, vomiting, convulsions, diarrhoea, swelling in the brain and death in severe cases. Now, you can trust me on this, I had most of the above mentioned symptoms & even spent 2 days in the ICU of a Hong Kong hospital when I drank too much water and had hyponatremia during a 100km running race in November 2000.

I've written on it before, go take a look http://weloverunning.blogspot.com/2009/06/hyponatremia-at-sundown-marathon.html.