What Ancient Healers knew that science is re-discovering about the treatment of sports injuries.

“… we investigated the use of natural anti-inflammatory agents for neurological sports related and other injuries. To our surprise, many such compounds are available and have been used effectively for centuries to reduce pain and inflammation. Additionally, we were able to find many peer-reviewed articles and clinical trials attesting to their effectiveness.”

From “Natural anti-inflammatory agents for pain relief in athletes”

Joseph C. Maroon et al. Neurosurgical Focus. Vol 21 October 2006.

Department of Neurosurgery, Presbyterian University Hospital. Pittsburgh

In this paper the authors looked at various natural anti-inflammatory agents that may be a good substitute for Non-steroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).

This is a very timely and interesting research paper because if you’re like me, a masters or older athlete or runner we can get a bit sore from time to time. I mean just getting out of bed some mornings can be an Olympian feat for me! This time of year many of us can feel a bit the worse for wear. If you’re a competitive crossfitter you’ve probably just come out of 2 or 3 competitions starting way back in February with the Open. If you’re a runner you may have completed an Ultra Trail or 2 or you might be getting into some serious training for the City2Surf or a half marathon or even a full marathon later this year.

Many master’s athletes use NSAID’s for pain relief and to reduce inflammation due to exercise and competition. However, it is now well recognised that over the counter and prescription anti-inflammatories may have some nasty side effects, especially for athletes.

From Dr Maroon’s Paper-

“Unfortunately, NSAID’s may be associated with significant complications including the following: gastrointestinal haemorrhage, myocardial infarction, and stroke.”

Besides these widely recognised side effects there are less well known but especially significant side effects for the master’s athlete and older exerciser. NSAIDs are still commonly used for the treatment of pain and inflammation arising from soft tissue injuries even despite various studies have shown that these drugs delay muscle regeneration and delay and hamper with healing in all soft tissues including muscle, ligaments, tendons and cartilage.

What can you do if you’ve pic