Ask most people how to avoid skin cancer and they’ll reply, “Wear sunscreen.” The fact is, although the use of sunscreen is on the rise, so is skin cancer - it now accounts for nearly half of all cancer cases and is five times more prevalent than breast cancer. Startling? Indeed.
The reason? Sunscreen may not be all it has been promoted to be. A new report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found that the majority of sunscreens lack protection from all forms of radiation, that many make false claims or most contain harmful chemicals. Of the 500 sunscreens tested by EWG, only 39 were recommended by EWG.
Yes, sunscreens can protect you from sunburns. But experts are uncertain as to the benefits of sunscreen in preventing skin cancer. Further, scientists are still debating whether UVA or UVB is the most dangerous form of radiation. Most experts believe that it is a combination of UVA and UVB rays that lead to increased melanoma risks.
One of the more inconvenient injuries people experience is “tennis elbow” - pain felt from the outside of the elbow and down the forearm (if the pain is experienced on the inside of your elbow, it is known as “golf elbow”). It can make the simplest things, like turning a doorknob, using a screwdriver, opening a jar, brushing your teeth, lifting a fork, or swinging a racket uncomfortable and difficult.
Despite its name, tennis elbow is most often caused by repetitive everyday actions in one’s life - the repeated contraction of the forearm muscles used to straighten and raise your hand and wrist. Think of carpenters, mechanics, assembly line workers or landscapers who use their arms and hands in a repetitive manner each day. These repetitive motions can inflame or tear the tendons that attach the forearm muscle to the outside bone of the elbow. The result is pain that is exacerbated when you have to move your wrist or squeeze your hands.
A recent study by the Rose Center for Health and Sport Sciences examined anaerobic thresholds for a test group of golfers. They were tested, prior to going onto the golf course, to see at what point their bodies began to burn fuel without the help of oxygen - their anaerobic threshold. Typically, when a person crosses that threshold their body begins to produce lactic acid that builds up in the muscles and can adversely affect one’s fine motor skills - and the finesse of your golf game. Think of what happens to your swing and precision putts when fatigue sets in. Your game goes downhill.
Look around most golf courses these days and you see carts, not caddies. More and more courses are even requiring carts - disturbing when you consider that obesity has risen dramatically over the last 20 years in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the percentage of obese adults rose in 23 states just this past year, according to a recent survey by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health.
Don’t think walking a golf course amounts to much? Think again - plenty of research demonstrates otherwise. Research indicates that walking golfers reduce their levels of bad cholesterol and that four hours of golf is equivalent to a 45-minute fitness class.
As we get closer to spring, more outdoors activities will be in order. Whether one is gardening, playing baseball, or golfing, one may be at risk for a variety of musculoskeletal injuries. Shoulder problems are common, so let’s look at these injuries and treatments.
What is the rotator cuff? This is a group of four shoulder muscles deep within the shoulder girdle around the shoulder blade and collarbone that cover the shoulder blade with tendon attachments under the collarbone. The muscles of the rotator cuff provide full range of motion of the shoulder, including lifting the arm over the head, scratching the back, and rotating inward and outward.
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