European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Leg pain can be disease symptom by Jane e. Brody new York times bout two hours into her weekend shopping 38-year-old Betsy developed aches in her legs severe enough o cause her to scratch a few items from her list and go Home. Her 64-year-old father never even got to the Slor while he was walking the six Blacks from his car the pains in his legs forced him to Stop so often that he decided 1o turn Bach. Betsy s husband an exercise enthusiast also had aching legs after running 20 Miles one evening. And with their 12-year-old daughter Awakening night after night with growing pains in her legs in seemed to Belay thai her family had been visited by an epidemic. Aches and pains in one or both legs Are extremely common More so than doctors realize because most people Don t seek medical help unless the pain persists Lor months and interferes seriously with daily living. Some people especially the elderly and the very athletic accept leg pain As a natural consequence of their condition or activity rather than seeking ways to prevent or treat it for example Betsy who works As a caterer assumed that her legs should Hurt since she was on her Leet most of the Day. She had put up with the discomfort for almost a year but the pain was so bad that she finally saw the doctor. He diagnosed varicose veins and prescribed remedies that brought significant Relief. Leg pain is a symptom no a disorder its causes can vary from Tho minor and mundane such As overdoing exercise to the life threatening such As Bone cancer or cardiovascular disease. In usually makes sense then to find out what is wrong when leg pain persists. The following Are among the most common causes. Claud cation. When arteries leading to Tho fees become clogged with the fatty deposits of atherosclerosis the blood flow to working Muscles can become inadequate. This deprives Muscles of he oxygen they need. The result is immobilizing cramps or pain while walking similar to the pain of angina in a person whose coronary arteries Are severely narrowed by atherosclerosis. A person with so called intermittent claudication May experience severe pain after walking Only a Block or two. The pain is relieved almost immediately by res. An estimated one million americans Over the age of 50 have this disorder. Diabetics Are four times More Likely then others to develop it. In most people however it is self inflicted the result of bad health habits cigarette smoking a High fat diet and inadequate exercise. The most effective treatment is to modify these habits Stop smoking adopt a diet Low in saturated fats and cholesterol and High in dietary Liber lose weight if necessary and embark on a medically supervised exercise program to gradually increase your exercise tolerance. The doctor May also prescribe medication to improve circulation to the tags. The pain of intermittent claudication should not be ignored in about a Quarter of patients it gradually worsens the blood Supply to the legs May be so restricted that ulcers form on the teat and do not heal the pain occurs even when a patient is at rect. To extreme cases. The leg becomes gangrenous and must be amputated. Under the guidance of the National Council on the aging inc., Many social agencies can assist older men and women in self help techniques. A brochure called step Lively can be obtained by writing to step Lively Box 81, Genera Post office new York . 10001. A disorder that mimics intermittent claudication has a neurological rather then a circulatory origin. It is called pseudo claudication or Neurogenic claudication and results irom pressure on spinal nerves caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal. Leg pain commonly occurs when standing up straight for a Lime but people with this Pobee usually can exercise As Long As they Bend Over slightly As in bicycle Riding climbing stairs or mowing the Lawn. Thus tar treatment for the condition is limited to restricting activities taking Pam medication or undergoing surgery which provides significant Relief in about 60 percent of cases. Varicose veins. When the veins in the legs become Overly stretched they cannot adequately Clear away used blood and deliver it to the heart which sends the blood on to the lungs to be resupplied Wilh oxygen. When standing for any length of Lime blood and fluids Pool in the legs causing swelling and pain. Yoo May even see the bluish veins bulging in Tho logs As they become increasingly swollen with de oxygenated blood. Factors that encourage the development of varicose veins in addition to heredity include pregnancy jobs that necessitate standing or sitting in one place for very Long periods being Over Wrighi wearing constricting garments like girdles and Light Bools inadequate exercise and possibly a Tow fiber diet that prompts straining when moving the bowels. Prevention and treatment include eating More Liber Rich foods losing weight gelling regular leg exercise such As walking running or cycling wearing elasticized support stockings and if possible avoiding standing Tor prolonged periods. When sitting keep tags uncrossed and put them up whenever possible. Ii the condition becomes severe surgery can tie off and remove offending veins or the veins can be blocked Oft by chemical injections. Sore Muscles. Returning to skis for the first time after a serious injury i soon noticed nagging pain in my calf Muscles the result of nervous tension that caused me to stiffen and restrict the blood flow through my legs. The same thing commonly happens to Novice ice skaters when they get on the rink. The answer is to learn to relax and to master the techniques appropriate to the activity. More serious causes of muscle pain in the legs include injuries like tears of the muscle Libers cramps during or just after exercise and soreness noticed a Day or two after strenuous exercise. The most important preventive techniques Are leg strengthening exercises stretching before and after exercise to increase flexibility the gradual increase in the amount of exercise and a commitment to avoid overdoing exercise in any one session. Muscle ears depending on their severity Are treated with rest ice compression and Elevation Rice and gentle stretches after swelling subsides sometimes hospitalization and surgical repair Are needed. Cramps can usually be relieved by gradual stretches and underwater exercises for delayed soreness try Static stretches of the involved Muscles holding each stretch for one or two minutes resting Lor one minute then repealing the stretch. Repeat the entire routine three or four times a Day growing pains. About a fifth of otherwise healthy children and Young adolescents develop deep aches in the soft tissues of the Shin calf or thigh usually in Bolh legs. The cause of growing pains is not known but they Are considered Normal and of no tasting medical consequence. The attacks lasting several minutes to half an hour nearly always occur at night and often awaken the child. They occur intermittently Over several months or years often Between periods of rapid growth. Massage or application of heal wrap the leg in a Towel first and set the heating pad on Low can bring Relief. If attacks occur often a bedtime dose of aspirin for two to three months May help. Acetaminophen should be substituted if the child develops a viral infection such As a cold or flu during the treatment period. Sometimes leg pain in children has More serious origins such As a congenital Bone abnormality stress fracture infection or cancer of the Bone or inflammation of the Muscles or tendons. Therefore parents would be Wise to Consul the child s physician when leg pains persist for no apparent reason. Some teen age students prefer jobs to school by Margaret Haberman associated press studies often take a Back seat to jobs for High school students in Chattanooga ten who want cars to keep up with their Peers and the apparent trend has some educators worried. It s almost like being addicted to said Don Bishop principal at red Bank High school. It s an overriding desire to have a car despite All other things. They re not grown up or not accepted unless they have a students who log Long hours Al work May show a decline in classroom performance said Don Lof tis Hamilton county school superintendent up to half the system s 3,500 juniors and seniors work Many at full time jobs Noflis said. While after school employment is usually constructive he warns that some students overdo it. It l very Poi Lyle they la be Hurt in five years Hurt in their health. Some kids will curtail their education he said others will say Heck i wanted to play basketball but i got this Job i hate to say Don t work it s a valuable experience in dealing with people that we can t give them at school. I Don t want to kill off their initiative. Still their main Job is to go to school and learn something. Their secondary Job is taking away from their main Job he said. Some teenagers take easier classes so they can work longer hours said Bishop who estimated that 400 of 700 red Bank juniors and seniors drive cars to school. They Don t take those classes that might prepare them Tor a better Job and they limit themselves to what they could do he said. Students like adults Are influenced by their Peers monday february 16,19b7 when they go shopping Noflis said. Schools Only relied society reflect the pressure that is All about concerned school officials Are undecided about what action if any to take Loftis said. A proposal to Start classes later to reduce the dumber of hours students could work after school was rejected because it would have interfered Wilh busing Noflis said. Another option is to persuade parents to make sure their children work less than 20 hours a week and get enough sleep he said. This is a significant enough problem to try to get parents attention he said. There s Only a certain amount schools can some students said hey would Welcome efforts by the school system to push for fewer work hours. I Don t have much time to study said Laura Kile a senior at Central High school who works so hours a week 33 a restaurant hostess to pay for her car and insurance. I m missing out on quite a lot. I can t go to basketball games dances and she said she wants to change her work schedule to reduce her Job to 30 hours a week. I feel like i did t know what to expect when i took it she said. I d be culling my own Throat if i worked said David Babb president of the Central senior class. He said he decided not to work during the school year because he s taking College preparatory classes and plays basketball and baseball. Studies Are important. Students need to be Able to devote Lime to them and work wears you out he said. The problem is a National one and the educational system must share some of the blame said Tom Mccullough principal at Hixson High school. We be let pressures Compromise our values he said. If we demand higher things it would Force students to make a Choice Between school and jobs and they would choose school " the stars and stripes Page 17
