Oct. 7--There are sportsmen and women who report to sports physicians with health conditions they think are as a result of participation in sports but are, in real sense, not related to sports.
In most cases athletes complain of shortness of breath, sore muscles and painful joints as symptoms that are a result of "running hard" only to discover that a problem that was ignored has turned out to be serious.
It is therefore important to recognise that not every symptom pointing to a particular health condition is correct.
It is mandatory that sportspeople take a good medical history and undergo a detailed physical examination on a regular basis lest disease advances to irreversible effects. There is always a common assumption that the warning on tread mills and other gym equipment belong the old and those above 400 pounds but is it always the case?
A physician should recognise diseases to carry out appropriate investigations.
If, for instance, an athlete feels pain along the tibia bone of the leg, it may be due to a lot of calcium deposit on the bone.
Many physicians would otherwise order an X-Ray to look for stress fractures which would be of no help, whereas a simple history of weight loss, occasionally coughing blood associated with abdominal pain would indicate a likelihood of cancer of the lungs.
On the other hand, if a basketball player experiences shoulder pain associated with arm tightness and on physical examination, one notices prominent superficial veins around the shoulder joint, it should point out to a clot in the axillary vein rather than doing a scan to detect muscle injury.
If one finds a condition that does not fit in the pattern of sports injuries during history taking and physical examination, then the person should consider other alternatives and less common conditions.
Therefore, a successful diagnosis of masquerading condition can be made through recognition of a discrepancy between the athlete's clinical features and the normal procedure a physician takes during clinical experience.
An example of bone and soft tissue tumors, ganglion cysts as well as that of malignant tumors will give further insight.
Bone and soft tissue tumors are primary malignant tumors.
They are, however, rare but when they occur, are mainly in the age groups of between 10 and 30 years. Common tumors occur at both ends of long bones, mainly in the lower limbs.
The athlete will experience joint pains aggravated by activity. Malignant tumors (for example breast, lung and prostate cancer) may spread to the bones and be presented as limb pain.
But breast cancer may present itself as a frozen shoulder. The signs for malignancy or infection include prominent night pain, fever, and loss of appetite, weight loss and general malaise.
There are also ganglion cysts, which contain fluid and are mainly found in the wrist, hand, knee and foot.
They are mainly attached to the joint capsule or tendon covering.
In most cases, they are asymptomatic but may occasionally cause cosmetic deformity.
Al Gondi, is a medical practitioner, and board member of the East African Regional Anti-Doping Organisation.
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