Recent injury scares for leading international golfers, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie, have highlighted important medical advances in treatments and preventative measures for calf muscle conditions and travel-related injuries.
London, UK, July 12, 2010 — Westwood suffered a bad swelling in his calf and nearly had to pull out of the French Open last week and with other golfers also pulling out of tournaments, focus has been on what can be done to prevent the reoccurrence of similar instances. A technology well proven in clinical medicine has emerged as a vital aid – Graduated Compression. This can significantly help in the treatment of calf injuries and help to prevent some in the first place but only when used and fitted correctly.
Leading supplier of GC Tech (medical grade graduated compression) socks is working closely with many of the golfers in the PGA, assisting with education and the correct application of medical grade graduated compression. Medical Director Akbar de Medici explains ‘the calf muscle is made up of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscle and is an important component of the lower leg, both for its biomechanical properties (i.e. it helps us walk and run) as well as its key function which is to help venous return (moving blood from the legs back to the heart). So in sport and everyday life it is a muscle central to maintaining lower limb heath.’
Dr. de Medici says that elite and professional sportsmen and women are beginning to see compression socks as a vital part of their preparations, both to improve performance as well as aid recovery and support travel conditions. But he also explains that many amateur players are also benefiting from wearing proper GC Tech compression.
‘Calf injuries are common in sport and range from minor strains to large tears. These can often be very debilitating, preventing participation and can take several weeks to recover. The recovery process includes rest, ice compression and elevation to allow healing of muscle and dissipation of the haematoma that forms when the muscle is torn. While in golf the risk of tearing a muscle is much less than encountered in football/rugby/running, the debilitating effects are very much apparent, especially due to the long periods spent standing/walking and the reliance on a steady stance to maintain power and control. This was apparent last week after Colin Montgomerie admitted to lengthy periods of rehab after a minor calf tear.’
Montgomerie now wears the GC Tech socks, confirming they are helping. The socks are available through the website www.evexcomp.com and are dispatched only after measurements of the lower limb are obtained. Partnership Director, Barrington Bent said ‘It has been a very good year for our business in getting the message out that these socks are for everyone, not just the elite. We have worked with the England football team, England rugby team, British Olympic teams and a whole host of international golfers – but calf-related injuries are commonplace at all levels of sport, as well as other walks of life including maternity periods, travel and even normal working. We aim to have our products in the High Street in the next year or two because demand for correctly fitted Graduated Compression socks made to strict compression standards, with genuine medical input to their development, is growing as more and more people realise the benefits.’
DVT is a huge risk to patients in hospital in fact the risk is five time that of the deaths due to AIDS/Road traffic accidents/Breast cancer combined. Thus there is a huge government initiative to reduce this risk and prevent the 10’s of thousands of annual deaths. One cause of this increased risk is the inactivity of thee calf muscle due to immobility experienced in hospital. Research at UCL has shown well fitted below knee medical grade GC Tech socks, compressing the calf properly significantly reduce the risk by speeding up venous return.
On planes a similar risk is found (4 people in a jumbo after a long haul flight will suffer a DVT) again one of the causes is the immobility experienced when flying. Professional golfers fly virtually weekly and are then expected to perform on arrival. Again research at UCL has shown wearing well fitted below knee medical grade GC Tech socks, in flight, by compressing the calf properly significantly reduces the risk by speeding up venous return. Also they eliminate swelling in the lower leg and ankle which when present reduces the ability to perform.
Golfers are particularly prone to these risks due the nature of the game and the travel requirements of the sport. They often board the plane dehydrated and tired which all increases the risk of DVT. Thus IMG invited the medical team from ECAL to advise the golfers about the risks of DVT, how to avoid them and fit those interested with a UCL designed compression sock. ECAL have worked with a range of sports people from England football to the British Olympic team.
DVT and ankle swelling pose a significant risk to golfers – as seen by Lee Westwood’s case this week. A DVT could potentially prevent a player from playing thus affecting their earning ability and depending on the severity this could be for several months, in fact in extreme cases DVT’s can also be fatal if they break off and travel up to the lungs.
The simple interventions* suggested by the medical team at GC Tech, if followed correctly, could significantly help reduce the risk for a pro golfer – keeping them healthy and keeping them on the course.
Interventions:
Keep well hydrated
Keeping moving every 2 hours when possible – at least exercise calves regularly
Avoid alcohol and sleeping pills
Wear well fitted medical grade GC Tech socks
(No need for low dose aspirin)
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Press Contact:
Dr. Akbar de Medici MBBS
GC Tech, Evexar Compression Advisory Ltd
30 Dulwich Road
London, SE24 0PA
0207 326 0900
[email protected]
http://www.evexcomp.com
