FitSugar

My Cat Has a Broken Leg, How Can I Help It Heal?

Pet Community — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:05:36 PST

Readers, Bany19 needs our help! Her poor kitty broke his leg, but she can't stop him from moving around. Read more about her dilemma:

Let me start out by saying that I adore this online group. Everyone in this group is very friendly and helpful . . . it is comforting to have a place to go to with questions and concerns.

Anyway, I need some advice about my cat. Hedwig is 11 months old, and two weeks ago he broke one of his hind legs. I rushed him to the emergency vet and they took x-rays (he sustained a transverse fracture of the tibia . . . fibula was not broken). The emergency vet splinted his leg and said that he needed to be re-checked once a week. When we went for the second check-up the vet took off the splint to examine his leg and determined that the fracture was still moving around too much and needed to be casted.

Hedwig is doing well now and is acting like himself again. My concern is this: the vet told me to keep the cat in a kennel at all times but my cat HATES to be locked up in a kennel . . . he actually gets pretty violent and throws himself up against the walls, bites the wire door (he cut himself) and seriously stresses himself out. As a compromise to Hedwig, I have been keeping him locked up in my small bathroom during the day while I am not at home. When I am at home I have to let him out because as soon as he hears me come in the door he starts to meow a lot and scratch at the door. He is able to hop up on the couch and the bed (which I know he shouldn't be doing and I prevent it if I can catch him doing it in time) and he walks around some with his broken leg trailing behind him.

For the most part, he lays in my lap or on his little cat bed on the floor and does not move around a whole lot, but I am concerned about how much movement is acceptable and what I can do do help his little leg heal. I am wondering if anyone has any feedback about this. Am I doing him a serious disservice by allowing him to move around the apartment? What can I do to make this healing process go by smoothly? We have 3 more weeks to go!!!

Thank you in advance for your help.

Got any advice for helping a pet heal quickly and safely? Please share it in comments! And if you have a pet dilemma you need the community's help with, tell us all about it in the Pet Peeves group in the PetSugar Community.

Kerri Walsh on Maintaining Fitness With an Injury

Guest Writer — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 07:30:35 PST

The following post was written by Olympic athlete and mom Kerri Walsh, two-time gold medalist in pairs beach volleyball.

It's hard to lose weight when I keep getting all these injuries. Of course, the best thing to do with a major injury is rest and heal. But I can't really afford to take time off right now. With nicknack injuries, it is important to take the injury into consideration and modify your workout accordingly.

For leg injuries, swimming is great. The water provides resistance, but it is a low impact workout.
For foot, ankle or lower back injuries, try the stationary bike. The arm bike is also a great workout and will really get your heart going. You can also do a slow walk on the treadmill, but make sure you do it on a steep incline. This will work your muscles and keeps your heart rate up.
Circuit lifting is also good. It allows you to focus on larger muscles not affected by the injury. More muscle means more calories burned and cardio and strength training is a full workout in one.
Yoga is always wonderful. It is zero impact and as long as you do not have a back injury, it will help with muscle strain.

Remember, just listen to your body and do not push yourself too far.

Be sure to catch up and read all of Kerri's great posts on FitSugar!

A Reader's Quick Recovery From a Painful Ankle Sprain

Fit Community — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 04:30:50 PDT

In the RunningSugar community group, FitSugar reader SpaceKatGal shared this story of how she sprained her ankle while running and nursed it back to health.

My ankle gave way to the uneven terrain, and I tripped and flew face-first towards the ground. My first thought was that I had just seriously injured myself.

All of this happened last Friday. They had closed the BU footbridge to the Charles, my usual running path. I was in a distracted mood anyway, and turned to run down another unfamiliar path instead. To be honest, I was listening to my podcast more than I was thinking about where I was running. I ended up planting half my foot on the edge of a flower bed. My ankle couldn't hold my weight, and flopped to the inside, violently tearing the ligaments. I went flying to the ground.

A very nice BU student saw the whole thing happen. She was so nice, helping me up - making sure I wasn't seriously hurt, and even got me a taxi home. I knew instantly that I couldn't walk, much less continue my run home. I called my husband, who left work immediately to make sure I was OK.

Head over to the RunningSugar community group to find out what happens next in SpaceKatGal's journey back to health. While you're there, post your own running story; it may end up right here on FitSugar!

Have You Ever Thrown Out Your Back?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:30:02 PDT

My poor pooch was skunked in the face Friday night, so my hubby and I spent most of the day Saturday leaning over the tub, bathing him over and over trying to get the stink out of his fur. The strong odor has dissipated, but now it's the mister I feel sorry for. He woke up Sunday morning with a body out of commission. This isn't the first time he's thrown out his back, but hopefully it'll be the last. Tell me . . .

The Alter-G Treadmill: Ideal For Bouncing Back From Injury

Fit Community — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:00:04 PDT

Here's how Running Sugar community member YumSugar has maintained her half-marathon training while injured.

In the midst of my training for my first-ever half marathon, I've been suffering from posterior tibial tendonitis, which can be very painful to run with, due to the amount of impact. But I've been rehabbing my injury with lots of great tricks that my physical therapists have turned me on to. One of them is the Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmill, which offers precise levels of partial weight-bearing so that athletes can train with less pressure on their joints. Usually, I run for 30 minutes on the Alter-G at 70 percent weight, which I suppose is what it would feel like if I were running 30 pounds lighter. It's not as simple as it sounds: Because you're not at normal weight bearing, you have less control when running, which means you need to use more core strength when running to keep everything tight and together. Still, when I'm running on it, I don't feel any pain - and it's easy to run much faster than normal. Lots of fun, and a great way to build back your cardiovascular and running strength when bouncing back from injury!

Whether you're just starting the Couch to 5k program for beginners or are logging mile training for a marathon the RunningSugar community group is for you. Pace doesn't matter; participation does. Your posts might even find their way onto the FitSugar homepage!

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Botox May Improve Your Tennis Game

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:00:39 PDT

Having tennis elbow is no walk in the park; in fact, it hurts like hell. But a surprising treatment is having positive results on relieving the pain: Botox. That's right, Botox. Widely seen as a cosmetic treatment, the wrinkle-smoothing elixir may help individuals who suffer from tennis elbow. It's not without its flaws though - participants who underwent treatment suffered from multiple side effects, according to the report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

If you're unfamiliar with the pain associated with tennis elbow, it's no joke. The area of the upper arm around the elbow is inflamed, and tendon tears aren't uncommon either. Simple tasks like picking something up can be excruciating for individuals suffering from tennis elbow. Doctors in Iran performed the study on 48 participants who had tennis elbow, and found that those injected with Botox had a "significant" reduction in pain. Unfortunately along with the reduction in pain came a reduction in strength. Some participants even lost the ability to move their third and fourth fingers, albeit temporarily (up to four months). While doctors are not saying Botox is OK to treat the condittion yet, these initial findings do show some promise.

Words From Yogi Tom Lee: Ahimsa, Ahimsa, Ahimsa!

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:30:49 PDT

Here is a healthful reminder from the OnSugar blog yoga off the mat.

About a month ago, I hurt my neck pretty badly while teaching a class. I called out the pose "sundial", and looked around to see a lot of puzzled looks. So, I decided to demo the pose . . . without warming up.

The ironic thing is that just a day earlier I had been at dinner with three friends who are all yoga teachers. We probably had about 40 years of teaching experience between us. During that dinner, I remember telling my friends that teachers should never demo during a class - especially advanced poses.

Most teachers tend to demo on their "easy" side when in front of a class, which means that over time they start to misalign their bodies. Also, teachers aren't generally warmed up to demo the advanced poses that require demo-ing.

To hear the moral of the tale keep reading.

How to Deal With a Sports Injury

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:00:00 PDT

Many of you are excited to kick-start your Spring with some outdoor sports, but if you're a bit overzealous in your return to this active season, you may end up with an injury. The big question is, do you go see a doctor or treat it yourself? Dr. Thomas Best, a doctor and marathon runner told The New York Times, "Know how you typically recover. When you are not recovering as you typically do, that’s the first warning that something more is going on."

Other signs you should seek medical attention include:

You're constantly in pain, even when walking and resting.
The pain gets worse.
Your joints lock.
Swelling or bruising doesn't go away.

If you aren't experiencing the above signs, there are many ways to treat minor injuries at home. Find out my tips when you

Beckham Tore His Achilles Tendon: Are You at Risk Too?

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:30:55 PDT

As a fan of David Beckham and the World Cup, I was sad to hear about his injury from Sunday's game. With a torn left Achilles tendon that will likely need surgery and at least three months recovery time, his ability to participate in his fourth World Cup is probably unlikely. Although he may be sidelined from playing for a while, he's confident that the injury will heal and he'll be playing for years to come.

A torn Achilles tendon is actually a pretty common injury for both athletes and weekend warriors alike. This band of fibrous tissue connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. According to WebMD, "problems with the Achilles tendon may seem to happen suddenly, but usually they are the result of many tiny tears to the tendon that have happened over time."

Are you at risk for a partial tear or rupture (complete tear)? To find out,

read more. Tearing an Achilles tendon is most likely caused by overuse or repetitive movements, either from a certain type of exercise such as running, or a work-related activity such as construction. You're at risk if you:

Take part in sports or activities that involve quickly pushing off or stop-and-go movements, including basketball, tennis, soccer, or softball.
Suddenly change how you exercise in terms of intensity, length of time, or how often.
Don't take enough time to warm up before getting into your workout.
Overstretch the area while exercising or afterward.
Wear shoes that don't have enough arch or sturdy heel support.
Already suffer from inflammation in that area.
Have high cholesterol.
Are a middle-aged adult, or are male.

Treatment can involve surgery (as Beckham is reportedly opting for), physical therapy, or you can wear a cast and let the injury heal on its own. Either way, it's not fun and can take three to six months to recover. So if the above risks sound familiar, take precautions so you can prevent this painful injury.

Are You Running in a Race This Year?

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:47:55 PST

Marathon season is officially under way, woo-hoo! I have to admit I love hearing that so many of you are in training or have completed a race. It motivates me to lace up and hit the pavement even more. Heck, even some of my own friends have finished running in their first long-distance races this year. Kudos!

Since so many of you wrote that running in longer races was one of your fitness goals in our Get Fit For 2010 community group and contest, I'm wondering how many of you signed up to compete. I'm hoping that you're all taking the leap and that your training is going well. I especially hope that you're staying injury-free. If this is your first race and your nerves are starting to set in, don't worry - you will be able to tackle your first marathon with ease, I know it. If you're still looking for a race, head on over to Active.com; they have a complete listing of all kinds of events.

Tell me . . .