The document discusses muscle soreness experienced after beginning a new exercise routine. It states that soreness is normal and not a sign that one has overexerted, but rather that the muscles are adapting to the new activity. Light exercise is recommended to help alleviate soreness. The document also discusses muscle cramps and provides tips to help prevent them, such as staying hydrated and stretching regularly.

1. healthbeat
6| Winter 2004
Keep Those Muscles Moving
Thinking about skipping today’s workout because you are a bit sore from yesterday’s exercise
routine? Keep moving and do not take that break.
Contrary to popular belief, muscle soreness is not an indication that you have worked too hard.
It is just your body’s way of getting used to your new fitness regime, according to the American
College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
The dull aches and stiffness that typically come a day or two after starting a new exercise
program are caused by microscopic damage to muscle or connective tissue. The aches should be
minor and should not interfere with normal activity, said Carol Torgan, Ph.D., an exercise physi-
ologist and ACSM fellow. In fact, moving the muscle with light exercise will help alleviate the
problem.
“Don’t interpret soreness as sorely out-of-shape,” Torgan noted. “Some people think they have
no business exercising because exercise is ‘painful.’ That’s not the case. The soreness is simply there
because your muscle is learning something new,
and the benefits of exercise far outweigh any ini-
tial discomfort.”
To minimize that discomfort, Torgan suggested:
Y Gently stretch or massage the affected area
Y Apply balms, creams and/or ice
Y Take a warm bath
Y Take a product containing ibuprofen
It is normal to be a little sore, especially after
trying some new moves. But if you are concerned,
talk to your health care provider or exercise
instructor.
Preventing Cramps
Another concern that keeps some would-be exer-
cisers sitting on the couch is muscle cramps—
those painful spasms that typically occur toward
the end of a long workout.
Cramps may be caused by dehydration or loss
of minerals through sweat, but it is most likely
caused by muscle fatigue after many repetitive
movements.
While muscle cramps cannot be cured, these
tips may help reduce the risk:
Y Stretch regularly
Y Drink plenty of water
Y Eat a well balanced diet
When cramps occur, Torgan suggested stretch-
ing the muscle and holding it in that position
until the cramp subsides. Urban legends for curing cramps include drinking
pickle juice or pinching the upper lip or nostril. While no scientific evidence
supports these methods, some athletes swear they work.
Source: American College of Sports Medicine, www.acsm.org
Botox, the drug
best known
for reducing
wrinkles, may
provide relief for some of the 30 million
American adults who suffer from
migraine headaches. Ask your doctor
for more information.
Source: University of Michigan Health System, www.med.umich.edu

2. Aspirin May Protect Against Colon Cancer
Taking daily doses of aspirin has been touted as helpful in preventing heart attacks and strokes.
A new study, led by researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.,
found that low daily doses of aspirin also may offer protection against colon cancer.
In the study, low daily doses of aspirin helped prevent precancerous
growths called adenomas found in the large bowel. When a group of
1,121 patients with a history
of adenomas were given either aspirin or a placebo, the group that took
81 mgs of aspirin a day had 19 percent fewer adenoma growths.
For patients with advanced colon lesions, the results were even
better. Those who took low daily doses of aspirin reduced their cancer
risk by 40 percent. Taking higher doses of aspirin did not provide any
greater protection, according to researchers.
“The study suggests that aspirin reduces the risk of colorectal adeno-
mas and, by implication, the risk of colorectal cancer,” said Robert
Haile, Dr.P.H., a professor of preventive medicine at the University of
Southern California in Los Angeles and one of the study’s authors.
If you would like to start a daily aspirin regimen, talk to your health
care provider to see whether this treatment is right for you.
Source: University of Southern California, www.usc.edu
Winter 2004 7
New Treatments Offer Relief From
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Arthritis, a disease that causes joints to swell or deteriorate, comes in more
than 100 forms. One of the most common is rheumatoid arthritis, an autoim-
mune disease that affects nearly 2 million Americans.
In rheumatoid arthritis, the body’s immune system attacks the lining
of joints, causing them to become stiff, swollen and
painful. Symptoms—which can include joint pain and
swelling, loss of appetite, and a low-grade fever—can
appear in anyone at any age, although the disease is most
likely to begin between 30 and 60 and is twice as common
in women as in men.
There is no cure for the debilitating disease, which
affects patients for the rest of their lives and often worsens
year by year. But some exciting new treatments offer tem-
porary relief, including a new group of drugs called tumor
necrosis factor (TNF) blockers.
“TNF is an inflammatory molecule that’s produced inside
the joint in rheumatoid arthritis,” explained David Fox,
M.D., division chief of Rheumatology at the University of
Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor. “With the new
medications available, we’re able to neutralize that
molecule and reduce the swelling.”
Three new TNF blocker drugs were recently approved
for use in the United States. If you suffer from rheumatoid
arthritis, ask your health care provider about these new
options.
Source: University of Michigan Health System, www.med.umich.edu
A Pain in the Nose?
Have you been feeling run down and achy for a while for
no apparent reason? You may want to ask your doctor to
check your sinuses.
A recent study at Georgetown University Medical
Center in Washington, D.C., found that patients with
unexplained chronic fatigue were nine times more likely
to also suffer from sinus trouble. And those with chronic
unexplained pain were six times more likely to have sinus
problems.
Alexander Chester, M.D., a clinical professor of medi-
cine at Georgetown, questioned 297 of his patients about
their health and discovered the connection. His findings
corresponded with an earlier study that said people
treated for sinusitis—inflammation of the sinus cavities—
reported that when their sinus problems cleared up, their
unexplained pain and fatigue did, too.
“Chronic fatigue is a condition that frustrates both
doctors and their patients since treatments directed at
just the symptoms without knowing the cause are
typically ineffective,” Dr. Chester said. “While sinusitis
will not be the diagnosis for
everyone who comes to an
internist with unexplained
fatigue or pain, this study
does suggest that it should be
considered as part of a
patient’s medical evaluation.”
Sinusitis affects 32 million
Americans, according to the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. The rates are
highest among women and
people living in the South.
Source: Georgetown Medical Center,
www.georgetown.edu

3. kidsnotes Kids are back in school and, more than
likely, carrying heavy loads in their
backpacks. Make sure your child’s
backpack has wide, padded shoulder
straps and a padded back to avoid pain
and restricted
circulation.
Source: American Academy of
Pediatrics, www.aap.org
Eye Care
for a Lifetime
For strong vision to last a
lifetime, it is crucial for your
child to have good eye care at a
young age. “Many people asso-
ciate eye problems with getting
older. Although seniors are at a
higher risk for eye disease, these
problems may have started ear-
lier,” said Hilary Beaver, M.D., assistant professor in the
University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual
Sciences. “Preschoolers, senior citizens, diabetics and others
with risk factors for eye problems all need regular eye care.”
One way to protect your child’s vision is to have routine
exams. Infants and toddlers should be screened for common
childhood eye problems such as strabismus (crossed eyes) and
amblyopia (lazy eye) during their regular pediatric
appointments. Vision testing is recommended for all children
beginning at age 3.
Some warning signs that your
child may have a vision problem
include wandering or crossed
eyes, a family history of
childhood vision problems, a
disinterest in reading or viewing
distant objects, and squinting or
turning the head in an unusual
manner while watching
television.
“Most children and teenagers
have healthy eyes, but they still
need to take care of their vision,” said Dr. Beaver. “The major
danger to the eyes at these ages is accidental injury.”
Dr. Beaver recommended that children wear protective
eyewear for all activities that present a risk of eye injury.
Protecting your eyes from accidents and early detection
and treatment of eye problems are the best methods for
protecting your family’s vision throughout their lives.
Source: University of Iowa Health Care, www.uihealthcare.com
10| Winter 2004

4. Winter 2004 11
When children are sent home from school
with a case of head lice, or nits as they are
sometimes called, parents are often
mortified. These pesky pests are parasites
that typically infest the scalps of school-age
children. A recent review in the British Med-
ical Journal dispelled many myths about how
to treat head lice.
Lice attach their eggs to hair shafts near
the scalp and lay five to six eggs a day. The
most up-to-date medical research has shown
the following:
Y Head lice are harmless
Y Head lice on clothing or furniture cannot
infect a person
Y Cutting hair or tying it back is not helpful
Y Banning children with nits from school is
ineffective
There is no evidence to support that
cleaning sheets and clothing of those
infected with lice or treating furniture with
insecticide sprays will get rid of the parasites,
said Beth Nash, physician’s editor for the
British Medical Journal. Lice that are visible
on chairs, pillows, and hats are dead, sick or
elderly, or are cast skins of lice that cannot
infect a person.
Many people believe that cutting hair or
tying it back will help, but this is actually
ineffective and even could increase the infes-
tation. In addition, head lice are probably
more common in girls because girls are likely
to have close contacts during play—not
because they have longer hair.
Nash also added that banning children
with nits from school is not a sensible meas-
ure to control the spread. About half of chil-
dren sent home for head lice do not have
them, and many public health experts
believe that “no-nits” policies in schools
should be abandoned.
The most important information to know
about head lice is that they are harmless. If
detached from their host, they are vulnerable
and effectively dead.
According to researchers, chemical treat-
ments such as malathion, lindane,
permethrin and pyrethrins are likely to get
rid of the lice. However, treatments that
need further study include using herbal
preparations and aromatherapy and mechan-
ically removing lice by combing.
Source: British Medical Journal, http:bmj.com
Sleeping on Back Reduces Fevers and
Ear Infections
If your baby experiences frequent ear infections or fevers, the way she sleeps may be the cause.
Health professionals have recommended that parents and children’s caregivers place infants on
their backs to sleep to reduce the incidents of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However,
researchers also have found an additional benefit.
“Placing infants to sleep on their backs ... also appears to reduce the risk for fever, stuffy
nose and ear infections (otitis media),” said Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
In a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, researchers
found that at 1 month of age, infants sleeping on their backs were less likely to have fevers
than infants sleeping on their stomachs. At 6 months, those placed on their backs to sleep
were less likely to develop a stuffy nose than those who slept on their stomachs.
At 3 and 6 months of age, back sleepers visited the doctor less often for
ear infections than stomach sleepers.
Researchers are not certain why babies who sleep on
their backs had fewer symptoms than those that sleep on their
stomachs, but one theory is that babies put to sleep on their
stomachs have higher mouth and throat temperatures than those
who sleep on their backs. These higher temperatures may help promote
the growth of the bacteria that causes colds and otitis media.
Source: National Institutes of Health, www.nih.gov
Head Lice
Don’t Be Such a Nit Pick