European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 19, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Forearms nation said that bolter ski boots have reduced the number of ankle injuries to skiers the ankle consists of a single ankle one the talus connected to the two Bones of the leg like a hinge joint. Between he talus and the leg Bones is a padding of cartilage to protect the Bones from Wear and tear. The Bones Are connected by ligaments tendons and Muscles that move the loot and strengthen the ankle joint. The classic ankle injury is a sprain. Sprains occur most often when the loot inverts or Rolls Over on the Side stretching or tearing the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. One. Two or three of the main ligaments May be stretched or torn. Whether an ankle is sprained or fractured depends on the Speed and degree of the Force and How far the Force is carried across the ankle a sprain can be As debilitating As a fracture because ligaments do not heal Well Hatton said. A ligament heals by forming scar tissue and May or May not Reform a Good ligament. If there is too much motion in the ankle during the Healing process the scar tissue will be stretched forming a ligament that is Loo lax. This can cause chronic pain and instability in the ankle. Treatment of a sprain depends on the degree of the trauma and swelling caused by the sprain and May Range from an Ace wrap to a Short leg cast to surgery. Tendonitis an inflammation affecting the Small tendons of the loot is another common Anta injury. It is caused by overuse of the ankle and foot and is commonly seen in people who participate in repetitive sports such As running and aerobics. Tendonitis is also common in service members who ordinarily have a desk Job but intermittently go to the Field. While in the Field they May be required to do a lot of hiking or engage in other physical a Lively Lor which they ate unprepared. Nation said. In in Dorilis an inflammation develops along the Tendon Sheath. Tendons connect Muscles to Bones. Every Tendon is surrounded by a Sheath which has a Small amount of fluid in it allowing he Tendon to Glide smoothly when it is pulled by a muscle the inflammation of the tissue surrounding the Tendon Sheath causes pain with motion of the muscle to Winch it is attached. There is also a creaking sensation in the Tendon As it moves. Tendonitis usually improves with three to four weeks of rest and Arifi inflammatory medication such As aspirin. However even though the pain has subsided the area is still sensitive and tendonitis can easily reoccur so one must be careful not to overuse the ankle during this period. The Achilles Tendon which connects the calf muscle to the Heel Bone is subject to tendonitis and Tendon rupture. A rupture is a debilitating injury thai usually requires six months of treatment either with a cast or surgery before Normal activities can be resumed Hatton said. The Type of treatment depends on the individual s injury and lifestyle. Sports in which ruptures occur tend to be those calling for sudden bursts of activity such As basketball Tennis and other court sports. The rupture is instantaneous and has been described by patients As a Sharp scaring or stabbing pain a Compamo by an audible snap Hatton said. The victim is then unable to push off with his foot. Self treat enl for ankle injuries As for most sports injuries is to elevate the ankle above the level of the heart to immobilize the ankle and to put ice on it for an hour to an hour and a half at a time. These slops should be followed Lor at Lossl 72 hours if the pain or swelling persists the victim should see a doctor Vor further evaluation and treatment nation said. Those who experience a pop or snapping sound along with the injury should seek medical Trealen sooner so a rays can be taken to determine if there is a fracture. Recurrent sprains Over Many years can Wear away the cartilage in the ankle joint and Lead to degenerative arthritis said Hatton who himself has suffered from repeated ankle sprains. Ankle injuries can be prevented by warming up before participating in sports or strenuous activity and above All by realizing that the older one gets the More essential it is to gradually build into an activity nation said i would be the last one to Tell somebody that when you re Over 30 you can t do endurance sports said nation who is a triathlete. You certainly can. But you can t train your body to do the things you did in a week when you were 16 years old. You have to take a month or two months and build up very gradually to a level of to protect his own ankle Hatton wears Well designed running shoes with a slight Heel flair and a Good Heel Cushion to provide stability when his feel hit the ground while High top sneakers have been touted As a Way to protect the Ankles most commercial High lops do not lace High enough to provide any real Protection irom an inversion or Roll Over Hatton said. High tops need to lace Well above the ankle As far As a Short Boot would tall on the leg. Some basketball shoes do provide such support he said. Taping the ankle if done properly can also reinforce the ankle. Relieving on the Job tension by Elizabeth m. Fowler new York times symptoms of stress in the workplace have increased in recent years and More companies Are recognizing the problem by Selling up employee assistance programs and establishing special Days when workers can Wear jeans and unwind. Stressed managers Are More prone to anger after Small frustrations said or. Martin c. Sampson president of Sampson Neill & Wilkins inc., a management recruiting firm specializing in health care and Allied industries in upper Montclair. . They Are also susceptible to colds and minor infections he added and May complain of exhaustion difficulties in making decisions and feeling a sense of guilt when leaving uncompleted work at the desk even after a full or. Robert Hodges a chemist and senior vice president of the firm said it had been asked to find Many More managers of employee assistance programs. Stress used to be noticeable around age 55, but we find it at earlier and earlier Ages Hodges said. There appears to be a lot More pressure on employees today by employers. For example lop executives have become exceptionally demanding in sales and marketing Hodges defines stress As a personal response to crisis situations. One person might thrive on one Lype of stress while another can suffer he added. Paradoxically the growing interest in workplace stress comes alter years of predictions that corporate life in the 1980s would be easier with Shorter workdays because of new technology. A decade ago there was even talk about a three Day workweek. The reality in the 1980s has been the exact opposite for managers said Daniel stamp president of priority management a training company with offices in the United stale Sand Canada. He pointed out that longer hours had become More common for Middle and top managers possibly involving work on weekends. Now managers average a Day longer in terms of hours on the Job than a decade ago or an increase of about 20 percent he said. Executives travel More now and cover longer distances because of globalization he said. Time for family and social life has been Cut sharply As a result and stress Levels have increased bolstered by More feelings of insecurity about their jobs. The merge and purge syndrome can be blamed for much of the stress. The restructuring of Many companies has eliminated layers of management so that smaller numbers of managers and assistants handle a heavier workload. At the highest Levels opportunities Lor promotion have dwindled. For the future stamp believes that corporations will need More than band Aid solutions like at to s Leisure clothes workdays. Managers will require More training to Cope with their own and their employees stress. A requisites like flexible work time and company provided child care will become More prevalent and there will also be More help Given to employees for financially coping with longer life spans. Managers will need to broaden interests so that they can measure Success in other ways than at work he said. Universities have been taking note of stress factors for some years. Or. Sheldon Cohen professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh found a correlation Between income and stress in a Survey of 2,100 individuals he conducted for the government. The results published last year showed that americans with income Levels of $50.000 and More reported less stress than those with lower earnings. As income increases stress tends to he said. He also found that stress Levels Are consistently higher for women than men and whiles Evan Young employees experience More Job stress. Tuesday september 19,1989 the stars and stripes Page 17
