The New York herald., 1922-07-09
GETTING THE INJURED
STAR BACK IN GAME
81 HARRY E. STEWART, M. D.

DIAN
By HARRY E. STEWART. M. D.
a %ANY football championship
NH has been won in the medical
= ' 1 consultation room by the Sc
lection of that type Of treatment which
will return an invaluable player to the
team in time for the final games.
Injuries have been one OF the great
est drawbacks to college athletes espe-
cialiy TO football. Many men have
been seriously handicapped in after
life by them. Any new method of
treatment which will markedly cut
down the disability time and aid In
completely healing these injuries will
prove of great value to competitive
athletics.
Prevention as we'll as cure Is being
emphasized throughout the entire field
Of medical practice. Careful prelimi-
nary medical examination, with pre-
scribed corrective exercises where con-
ditions that may be eliminated by
them are found, is absolutely essential.
OF no less Importance is the reexami-
nation before competition of every
man after illness or injury. however
slight. Many player has returned
to the game whfie heart or kidneys
were still sffectei by the toxines Of
recent disease. The inevitable break
down is mistakably charged up to
athletics. Proper protective apparatus
for the shoulders, ankles and knees
will eliminate many injuries.
Reexamination Needed for
Every Man After Injury
AS regards treatment, there has
arisen during and since the war period
a speciality Of regular medical prac-
tice, termed physiotherapy. which in
cludes the use of electricity. light en-
ergies, massage. exercise and water
m the treatment, especially the after
care. or injuries. Certain phases of
these treatments have long been used
Independently, but it was the Medical
Corps of the Army and Navy. the
United States Public Health Service
and the Veterans Bureaus, which have
coordinated them into one of the most
useful types Of treatment now in the
hands of the regular medical profess
sion. In the after care of recent in
jury from whatever cause once the
initial setting of fracture, replacement
of dislocation or surgical dressing
necessary has been done, our main
dependence in the early return of
function must be placed almost en-
tirely on physiotherapy. With the
proper medical background and at
tention to principles involved, remark
ably fine results may be obtained with
the help of1a small and inexpensive
equipment, as has been demonstrated
by the fine work done by DR.. M. Hines
Roberts with the injuries of the United
States Naval Academy football team
and DR.. Donald B. Sinclair with the
Princeton freshman athletes.
The time is therefore opportune for
a careful study of the type Of injuries
met and for broader application Of
the newer proven methods. in their
treatment.
The types Of physiotherapy most
used in the treatment of injuries to
athletes are: Gl heat, (2) electricity
and (S) massage.
Heat Heat has been applied for
years to injured tissue for the purpose
Of, as far as possible, increasing the
local blood supply and relieving pain.
Moist heat may be used by wrapping
the part in steam towels or immersing
1t in hot water. but we are distinctly
limited in the amount of moist tenn
perature which the skin will stand.
Much higher degrees of heat. with
somewhat greater depth of penetra-
ton, may be secured by the use Of
superheated, dry air in the so-called
gas or alcohol oven. Baking" is
misndmmer, since no heat that the
skin can stand would. in any sense,
bake the tissues.
A STILL more efficient means of su-
perficial heating is with electric light,
o-called radiant light and heat" In
this case, while not obtaining as high
temperatures, the stimulating effect
Of the luminous rays are believed to
penetrate the tissues to a depth
slightly more than an inch and are
very uocLui. n ASW tyPC Vi Ai6H Cdh-
die power lamp, delivering as much
as 1900 candlepower is very useful, as
the patient himself may shift his posi-
ton when the heat is too intense,
which is not possible in other types of
apparatus. Even the small 100 CANDLE
power hand lamps are useful and to
be preferred in most cases to hot air.
At best. however, 1t must be re-
membered that the circulation of the
blood and lymph diffuses the heat di-
rectly beneath the skin so rapidly
that very little depth Of penetration
is possible and that part of the re-
lief [. lain felt Is similar to any skin
counter irritation. 1t is not well to
use iodine on the skin If physiotherapy
is to be employed.
Alternate plunging of the injured
part into water of about so degrees and
al A.