Organized sports are a big factor in promoting better physical and mental health, higher grades and better social relationships among athletes. Unfortunately, it is estimated that one out of eight athletes under the age of 18 will be abused or assaulted.
The Safe Sport Initiative is the response of the Olympic community to recognize, reduce and respond to misconduct in sports at every level. Six primary forms of misconduct have been described. They include bullying, harassment and hazing as well as emotional, physical and sexual misconduct.
Hazing and other rituals have long been a part of sports. More recently these rituals have sometimes taken on a more violent, destructive and sexual nature. Coaches and staff must be aware of any hazing practices and be sure that all athletes are adequately protected.
Bullying and harassment are typically directed to athletes who are different. Bullies target all athletes and their actions are often easily mistaken for good-natured teasing. Harassment is more offensive and often linked to discrimination. Targets of harassment are often different based on race, religion or sexual orientation. Sexual harassment has become pervasive in athletics. Some estimates report 57 percent of athletes have been sexually harassed. Both of these behaviors can be detrimental to the performance of a team as a whole.
Trust and power are the essential elements of the coach-athlete relationship. This relationship involves a delicate balance between encouragement and discipline that can easily be misused to an athlete’s detriment.
Grooming is the process where a coach or other potential abuser establishes sufficient trust with the athlete and parents that allows for an opportunity for abuse. Coaches can also establish what an athlete values most and use that as currency for abuse.
Child abuse is among the most heinous crimes. It is only through education and vigilance that it can be stopped.
Dr. Alessi is a neurologist in Norwich and serves as an on-air contributor for ESPN. He is director of UConn NeuroSport and can be reached at agalessi@uchc.edu
Cupping therapy used by Michael Phelps is effective treatment
Ancient medical practices have been rediscovered by modern day athletes as potential tools to speed injury recovery. Among these is the practice of cupping that was recently in the headlines because of its adoption by the most decorated Olympic athlete, Michael Phelps.
Cupping therapy involves placing of cups that are made of a variety of materials over affected areas. These cups are then used to create a suction that draws increased circulation to the region. The goal is to diminish inflammation, reduce pain and provide relaxation through deep tissue massage.
To better understand how cupping works, it is important to know what happens after an injury. The earliest descriptions of acute inflammation use the terms tumor (swelling), rubor (redness), calor (warmth) and dolor (pain).
Swelling appears immediately to physically restrict the affected area from moving and potentially doing more damage. The redness and warmth are reflective of increased circulation. Pain is an important factor that limits activity of the injured muscle or joint.
Inflammation involves an intense cellular response and a cascade of chemical events at the site of injury. Specialized white blood cells called macrophages are responsible for the cleanup of tissue debris during the healing phase after an acute injury. Increasing circulation to an injured area increases the availability of macrophages.
“In various forms, cupping provides a stimulus that reduces tension in muscle, stretches connective tissue, increases blood flow to superficial tissue and may relieve pain,” states Dr. Craig Denegar, professor and department head of kinesiology at UConn. “As with many traditional treatments there is little research quantifying the benefits however, when properly administered, cupping appears to be safe.”
Cupping may be a good complementary treatment along with standard therapy for injured athletes.
Dr. Alessi is a neurologist in Norwich and serves as an on-air contributor for ESPN. He is director of UConn NeuroSport and can be reached at agalessi@uchc.edu
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