Evening star., 1961-06-08
KENNEDY
New Back Injury Not Associated
With Presidents Previous Troubles
Continued From First Page

rest at MS HyanntS Port
(Mass.) home the week end of
May % before leaving on his
European trip, Mr.. Salinger
said. But he said the President
did not use crutches at any
time during that trip and has
not done so since.
Mr.. Salinger said Mr.. Ken
nedy is wearing a small back
brace which he has been wear
ing normally for years as a re-
suit of his previous back injury.
Mr.. Kennedy left the White
House to speak at a meeting
of United Press International
editors at the Statler Hotel at
10 am. and on the way back
told Mr.. Salinger that he felt
he could go through the day
all right without using
crutcheS, the press secretary
later reported.
Slight Limp Noticed
Mr.. Kennedy walked with
a slight but noticeable limp as
he escorted President Youlou
of the Republic of Congo
(Brazzaville) into his office
shortly afternoon today.
Taking DR.. Travell with him,
the President flew by jet plane
this afternoon to Palm Beach,
Fla, for a long week end of
what Mr.. Salinger described as
complete rest" except for ex-
kensive swimming. Mr.. Ken
nedy intends to return Sunday
night.
Mr.. Salinger said DR.. Travell
has recommended swimming in
a warm pool to help speed re-
covery Of the Presidents back
strain.
His hosts at Palm Beach, Mr..
and Mrs. Charles WrightSman,
have a heated pool and the
President plans to use it, Mr..
Salinger said. He said Mr.. Ken
nedy had not been using the
heated swimming pool in the
White House.
Another part of the treat
ment being used by DR.. Travell
on the Presidents back is hot
pads, Mr.. Salinger said. d,
Did Nothing at First
The press secretary said Mr..
Kennedy did not do anything
about the back strain for sew
aral days after he first felt
1t in Canada because he
thought it would go away. 1t
began to bother him seriously
Just before he went to Hyannis
Port May % and DIR. Travell
started treating it there, he
added.
Mr.. Salinger said the Presi-
dent would not be playing any
golf at Palm Beach this week
end. On previous visits there,
he has played golf almost daily.
Mr.. Salinger said DR.. Travell
told him there is no serious
concern about the future Of this
problem and under ordinary
circumstances it would already
be much better"
There has been some i'm
provement in the condition
despite the Presidents rigorous
schedule since his Canadian
visit, Mr.. Salinger added.
The press secretary empha-
sized that DR.. Travell reported
extensive tests showed no sign
Of any ruptured disc and no
sign Of any infection.
He said DR.. Travell is Con
fident this will remedy itself
under proper treatment"
AS she did for his previous
back trouble, DR.. Travell has
used injections of novocain to
help relax the back muscles
and so relieve the muscular
spasm causing pain, Mr.. Sal
niger said.
Two Previous Injuries
He told questioners that the
purpose Of using crutches, as
Mr.. Kennedy did in private at
Eyannis Port and may have to
ho again, is Ito rest the joint"
Mr.. Kennedy has a lot of
experience with back pain. He
burt his back while playing
football at Harvard, and REIN
Rured it during World War II
when a Japanese destroyer cut {
in two the Navy torpedo boat
De commanded. Il
He underwent an operation
in 1945. He still suffered after
that and in 1854 had a second
operation to fuse the lumbar '
spine with a small metal plate.
anfection developed after that '
and it took eight months for
Mr.. Kennedy, then a Senator,
to recover.
It was after his two opera
tions that still left him with
considerable back pain that
Mr.. Kennedy became a patient
of DR.. Travell, an exponent of
medical rather than surgical
treatment for such conditions.
One Leg Shorter ,
She discovered that his left
leg was shorter than his right
leg, aggravating the back con- s
dition, and prescribed a lift on
his left shoe to make up the {
difference.
Under many months of treat
ment by DR.. Travell, emphasiz-
ing the use of novocain inject
tions to relieve pain-causing
muscular .spasms, Mr.. Kennedy
considered himself fully recov-
cred.
NOVA /