About Trail Walking
Q: I love to walk on trails but I am not sure how to spot poison ivy and poison oak. What should I look for?
A: When in doubt remember, “Leaves of three let them be ...” The compound leaves of poison ivy consist of three pointed leaves; the middle leaf has a much longer stalk than the two side ones. The edges can be smooth or toothed. The leaves vary in color depending on the season: they are reddish in the spring, turn green during the summer, and become various shades of yellow, orange, or red in the autumn.
Just like most allergies, they develop over time with repeated exposure, so you may have already had contact with the plant and not suffered the terrible, itchy rash. Sometimes the rash does not develop for seven to ten days, and thus you may not make the correlation between your exposure and the appearance of the rash.
Poison ivy is not contagious. The oil from the plants, urushiol, is what causes the mayhem. So if you are exposed, immediately wash your hands and clothes to remove any urushiol oil resin. You may need to cleanse the affected areas with alcohol if the resin is not coming completely off. Urushiol oil can remain active on any surface — including your pet’s fur or even a dead plant — for up to five years. And burning or mowing the plant can release the oil, making it airborne. So gardeners, beware.
Contact dermatitis is the official name for the red, blistering, itchy rash of poison ivy and poison oak. Common treatment options include antihistamines such as Benadryl® (diphenhydramine hydrochloride) or calamine lotion to relieve the itching, corticosteroid creams for the inflammation, dressing the area to prevent secondary infection, or applying baking-soda poultices. The homeopathic Rhus Tox has been shown to alleviate the allergic reactions from poison ivy; it comes in pill form and in soap. Oatmeal baths can soothe the itching.
You may need immediate medical attention if you have swelling of the throat, tongue, or lips, difficulty breathing or swallowing, weakness or dizziness, and or bluish lips or mouth.
You may need to consult with your health-care provider if you have severe redness, signs of infection, such as pus, rash in your mouth, eyes, or genital area, and or a rash on a large portion of your body or face.
— Lindsey Nelson
What is Prolotherapy?
Q: As I am upping my mileage I am getting nagging pain in my ankle. I have sprained this ankle many times in the past. A friend tells me that prolotherapy helped her. What is it and how does it work?
A: Prolotherapy, also known as regenerative injection therapy, is a treatment that would very likely help your chronically sprained ankle. It is both a safe and effective technique for treating loose ligaments and tendons that have been over-stretched by past injuries. This simple treatment consists of a substance (sugar water and a local anesthetic) being injected into the damaged ligaments and tendons. The injection stimulates the body’s own healing response and ignites the body’s natural repair process to lay down new tissue and strengthen the damaged tissues. The result is a more stable, less painful joint.
Unlike muscles, ligaments and tendons have a very limited blood supply. When they are injured they don’t get a good chance at healing with the initial inflammatory response, especially since most people will block the inflammation with ice and anti-inflammatory drugs. While these initial treatments keep the injured ankle from swelling up like a balloon and being painful, they also stop the body’s own natural healing process from taking place properly. This can be problematic later on.
Ankles tend to be re-injured easily, due to possible injury of proprioception mechanisms plus ligament damage. The secondary spasm and guarding of the surrounding muscles, along with the possible degeneration of the ankle joint from abnormal repetitive motion, can cause a good deal of pain and instability over time. Anyone with chronic ankle sprains can attest to this.
Prolotherapy is a simple, safe, cost-effective method of addressing the underlying cause of pain and instability. A series of between three and six injections, spaced a few weeks apart, is optimal. The process initiates a secondary inflammatory response that perhaps was never adequate upon initial injury. The process is done in the office, is quite simple and fast, and causes very little down-time from your training. Results are very often permanent. This treatment is effective for nearly every joint in the body!
What I hear most often from patients is, first, how painless and simple the procedure was. Also, how amazed people are with the results. Last, how much they regret having lived so long in pain.
— Tyna Moore
This Issue’s Experts
Lindsey Nelson, ND, is a naturopathic primary care physician and can be reached at 503-279-0205 or lindseyn@clearh2o.org.
Tyna Moore, ND, DC, is a naturopathic and chiropractic physician with a focus on sports medicine for all level of athletes. Moore can be reached at Clearwater Clinic, 503-279-0205.
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