Aloe Vera and Sports Injuries

Aloe vera eases, through its anti-inflammatory and healing effects, a wide variety of sports injuries and troubles, including swelling and pain in joints, soreness of muscles, tendonitis, bursitis, strains, sprains, bruises, including bone-bruises, cramps, skin irritations, including shoulder-pad irritation and bra-burn, fungal infections, turf burns, blisters, itching and sunburn. In the less frequent conditions of injury which involve deep trauma and in which surgery may have to be used, Aloe vera also soothes inflammation, eases pain and promotes repair of the injury.

Introduction

Many of the injuries and physical problems which occur through sports are relatively minor, in the sense that they will right themselves anyway within a certain reasonable time span and do not entrain the threat of any continuing disability. Nonetheless, they may give rise to much discomfort and pain in the shorter term, together with the obvious disadvantage of non-availability for future events. If, indeed, one is passed as fit, one may suffer discomfort during the events and lose performance.

Every trainer or sports physiotherapist knows, therefore, that treatment for each sports injury that arises poses a challenge to his or her skills to minimize discomfort and pain, to accelerate healing and to ensure that healing occurs in a favourable fashion which does not prejudice future performance.

In the fortunately few cases where sports injuries are more serious they may involve broken limbs and collar bones, blows to the head with concussion, damage to eyes, mouth or teeth, blows to the body with likely damage to internal organs, and sometimes severance and penetration of deeper tissues. Many of these will involve corrective surgery and all will involve long term absence from the sporting events. In these cases the complete necessity for hospital treatment may for a time exclude the athlete's or sportsperson's usual trainer or physiotherapist from close involvement in deciding the treatment. Even then, the opportunity is likely to arise to influence the recuperative stages and the process of recovery from surgery after discharge from hospital. The chance should also be there to offer natural remedies to help induce the more rapid healing of broken bones.

The Nature of the Common Injuries and Problems

The catalogue of different sports injuries is quite a long one. No list could be comprehensive because some of the injuries are uniquely individual. Others are extremely common and are met in much the same form over and over again. Footballers are obviously especially prone to be kicked about the shins, ankles and knees, while hockey players get hit with sticks. This may involve deep and serious bruising and, in the worse cases, bruising to the bone itself. Rugby players are exposed to a wider range of possible damage and may be kicked or trampled upon almost anywhere on the body. Boxers' most obvious injuries include cutting around the eyes and inflammatory puffing up of the sites of blows upon the face. Cricketers break fingers and twist their hands, but, above all, are prone to be hit by cricket balls travelling at very high speed which may hit them on the thigh, the body, possibly damaging internal organs, the head or face, forearm or hands and fingers.

In the last two games of cricket in which this author played, in two bad identical accidents, the unfortunate wicket-keeper was struck in the mouth by a full-blooded ball hit straight off the bat, with immense damage to gums, lips and extensive loss of teeth, a state of shock and loss of blood. Some of the same hazards exist in baseball and rounders. In any fast moving sport like football, rugby, cricket, tennis, badminton, squash, basket ball, baseball, ice-skating etc., rapid changes in direction of movement make the players prone to twist ankles or knees, giving rise to sprains, or to lose balance and fall, again causing sprains and strains, but in the worst cases falling badly and with enough force to break a limb. In some of these fast moving games unintentional collisions between players take their toll, with rather unpredictable chance outcomes. In these unforeseeable dramas heads may clash together or boot studs make contact with delicate parts of the face or head.

Many forms of jumping, hurdling and vaulting may readily lead to bad falls, while long distance running and cycling, where falls are also possible, are more likely to cause problems through wear and tear and abrasion on body parts or troubles with feet and legs. Sports that involve major work with the arms and shoulders, such as rowing, waterski-ing, tennis, badminton, squash, golf, swimming, pole-vaulting, shot-putting, discus and javelin throwing and hammer-throwing, and bowling or throwing in cricket and baseball are clearly the most likely to lead to either acute injury-type problems to the elbows and shoulders or to wear and tear of these same parts. Sailing competitively is a very active sport with potential to strain and twist most parts of the body and even to deliver injury from accidents in handling the equipment. Horse-riders are mostly prone to falls from their horses. These falls may be very severe in themselves, with consequences for hips, backs and shoulders, but are even worse when this is combined with kicking and trampling by horses while on the ground. The trauma potential of ski-ing, ski-jumping and bob-sleighing is obvious from the high speeds generated without much physical protection.

Eyes are always a vulnerable part and many fast-moving sports involve exposure to dust and dirt as well as to excessively bright sunlight. Many of these same sports, as well as others require intense visual concentration, and so eye-strain occurs. Even the quite well protected snooker players may suffer from eye-strain from the intensive concentration in tense situations under bright lights.

Motor racing, motor cycle racing, banger-racing, power boat racing, flying, gliding and parachuting, and, to a lesser extent ballooning, are obviously capable of delivering the ultimate in extensive traumatic injury and, indeed, burns in many cases, with the maximum likelihood that the consequences of injury, if not fatal, will have to be mainly dealt with in hospital. It has been emphasised, however, that it is the commonest sports which generate the most injuries, not only because more people engage in them but also because the more obviously dangerous a sport becomes the higher the standards of safety precautions that are applied to it.

Bowls must be one of the more sedate sports. Billiards and snooker seem safe so long as one avoids poking oneself in the eye with the cue. Croquet appears both sedate and safe apart from the oft temptation, perhaps, to hit the opponent over the head with the mallet in sheer frustration! Given the dangers inherent in almost all sport a special attraction seems to attach to draughts and chess, shove-ha'penny, ludo, scrabble and tiddly-winks!

How the Biomedical Actions of Aloe Relate to Sports Injuries

Among the commonest injuries and problems for sportsmen and sportswomen are swelling and pain in joints, soreness of muscles, tendonitis, bursitis, strains, sprains, bruises, including bone-bruises, cramps, skin irritations, including shoulder-pad irritation and bra-burn, fungal infections, turf burns, blisters, itching and sunburn.

The properties of Aloe vera which are relevant to these conditions are the anti-inflammatory effect and the healing action. All of these forms of local tissue damage give rise to inflammation in the affected area. With this inflammation there is always discomfort, tenderness, soreness or pain, often irritation and very frequently swelling. The first priority is most frequently to relieve these discomforts and reduce any swelling that may have occurred. There is also a clear suggestion in the literature that Aloe may have a direct ability to alleviate pain which is separate from its ability to alleviate inflammation. This would be an analgesic effect as opposed to the anti-inflammatory effect which reduces pain indirectly through relieving inflammation. This is suggested by the paper of Gupta, Singh and Singh (1981) which, though I regret the mention of it may dismay many readers - quite understandably so - used "the rat tail hot wire method" and showed that Aloe exerted an analgesic effect at the very time of inflicting the pain. This was clearly distinct from relief of inflammation because inflammation takes a measurable time to develop following an injury. Thus, injured athletes and sportsmen and women, treated with Aloe, may well benefit from this distinct pain-relieving action. This separate favourable action of Aloe seems likely to augment the benefits of direct action upon the swelling and other effects of inflammation. I am acutely aware that animal experiments deeply disturb most people in the Alternative field and stress that I do not sympathise in any way with such work.

Since all the commonest conditions found associated with sports injuries involve tissue damage, then inflammation is always present, which results in a major part of the discomfort, pain and relative immobility. Since Aloe is an anti-inflammatory agent par excellence, and also possesses healing powers as well, this tends to leave Aloe virtually unrivalled for the treatment, alleviation and healing of these conditions.

Literature references to the anti-inflammatory properties of Aloe have been listed in Issue 2 of these Newsletters and those to the wound-healing properties are in Issue 4, to which reference should be made.

In the less frequent conditions of injury which involve deep trauma and in which stitching may be required for lacerations and surgery, Aloe vera soothes inflammation, eases pain and promotes repair of the injury. As this may be fairly rare in the context of sports injuries, it can be fairly stated that Aloe obviously possesses the properties required for the alleviation of surgical trauma generally. The Aloe literature shows that it has been applied to relief of surgical wounds from dentistry and from otolaryngeal (ear, nose and throat) operations, but there is no reason at all why this same principle should not be applied across the entire scope of surgery, including all abdominal and chest operations where major trauma occurs through incisions made through the body wall.

Finally, within this section, reference has been made to the occurrence of burns in motor sport and flying accidents. As has been said, these injuries do not normally present themselves for attention of sports trainers, but it is worth noting that Aloe vera has been very widely employed for the treatment of burns arising from any assorted causes which may not be connected with sport and there are many medical reports confirming its favourable actions in such cases. As the treatment of burns with Aloe has not been reported upon elsewhere in these Newsletters, the literature references which report use for this purpose are listed below.

References to the Use of Aloe for Burns

• Crewe, J.E. (1939). "Aloe In The Treatment Of Burns And Scalds." Minnesota Medicine 22, 538-539.
• Rovatti, B. & Brennan, R. (1959). "Experimental Thermal Burns." Industrial Medicine and Surgery, 28, 348-350.
• Rovatti, B. MD & Brennen, R.J. MD (1959). "Experimental Thermal Burns - A Comparative Study Of The Immediate And Delayed Histo-Pathological Changes In The Skin In Untreated And Treated Thermal Burns." Industrial Medicine and Surgery, 28:8:364-368 Aug.
• Cera, L., Heggers, J., Robson, M., Hagstrom W. (1980). "The Therapeutic Efficacy Of Aloe In Thermal Injuries: Two Case Reports." J. Amer. Animal Hospital Assoc. 16, 768-772.
• Cera, L., Heggers, Hagstrom, W.J., Robson M. (1982). "Therapeutic Protocol For Thermally Injured Animals And Its Successful Use In An Extensively Burned Rhesus Monkey." J. Amer. Animal Hospital Assoc. 18, 633-638.
• Rodriguez-Bigas M, Cruz NI & Suarez A (1988). "Comparative Evaluation Of Aloe Vera In The Management Of Burn Wounds In Guinea Pigs." Plast Reconstr Surg Mar 81(3) 386-9.
• Kaufman T, Newman AR, Wexler MR (1989). "Aloe Vera And Burn Wound Healing." [Letter] Plast Reconstr Surg Jun 83(6) 1075-6.
• Frumkin A (1989). "Aloe Vera, Salicylic Acid, And Aspirin For Burns." [Letter] Plast Reconstr Surg Jan 83(1) 196.
• Kivett WF (1989). "Aloe Vera For Burns." [Letter] Plast Reconstr Surg Jan 83(1) 195.

Reference to the Use of Aloe for Specific Analgesic Effect

• Gupta, R., Singh, B., Singh R. (1981). "Preliminary Study On Certain Vedanas-Thapana Drugs." J. Sci. Res. Plants and Medicines 2, 110-112.

The Best Ways to Employ Aloe vera for Sports Injuries

The first priority in applying Aloe vera to the alleviation and treatment of any of the above problems is usually to get a fully active preparation of Aloe vera into close contact with the surface of the affected part, to leave it in contact and to do anything possible to work it into the skin and promote penetration. In Newsletter Issue No 5 it has been explained that certain distinct advantages attach to using Whole Leaf Aloe vera Concentrate. This is still very much this author's choice at the time of writing this Newsletter No 10. There are forms of Aloe vera Concentrate under development at the present time which may eventually claim even further advantages if they are brought to fruition. If this ever about, the Aloe vera Information Service intends to publish fully about it.

Therefore, a very basic important treatment consisting of saturating a gauze in Whole Leaf Aloe vera Concentrate, wrapping the area thoroughly with it and keeping it in contact for 30 to 60 minutes.

Alternately, if the trainer or physiotherapist is in any case wanting to apply ice to the area, a towel can be saturated with Whole Leaf Aloe vera Concentrate and also packed with ice. In either case, when the gauze or towel shows signs of drying out it should be re-soaked and re-applied. It is often the very best approach to use this very simple method. The Concentrate is always most likely to have its maximum effect when it is used undiluted and without any additions, so that the active components of Aloe vera contact the tissues in the highest possible concentrations. The direct use of the unaltered Concentrate is entirely appropriate in cases of acute strains, sprains, bruises and cramps, pain and soreness in muscles, tendons and joints, swelling and inflammation anywhere and in skin irritations and abrasions.

However, there are times when it is more convenient to use a preparation which has some added viscosity. The Whole Leaf Aloe vera, notwithstanding its polysaccharide content (often mistermed mucopolysaccharide) does not possess significant viscosity. Therefore, unless it is applied as described above, held within the fibres of a cloth, it will just run off the skin. Whenever it is not appropriate to use a cloth, a lotion with some 'body' can be made up using glycerine. A 10% addition of glycerine will give some thickness, a 20% addition will give more. This type of lotion is then applied liberally to the area and rubbed in, followed by more effective massage for 5 to 10 minutes after each application. This procedure is repeated 4 or 5 times per day. This approach is appropriate to use as the first step, but is often best used as a follow up to a period in which the other approach has been used, employing saturated cloths. Bursitis, tendonitis, muscle soreness, joint pain and conditions involving swelling can all be treated in this way. Aloe vera is well noted for its powers of penetration, but this is greatly assisted by the rubbing-in action and the subsequent massage. The slightly thickened lotion may also be used as an effective contact medium for ultrasound treatment, as often used by physiotherapists.

There are also products available which are sold as a thickened product. These may be referred to as a 'Jelly' or, being American, 'Gelly' or 'Gel'. The last term should not be confused with the usual meaning of Aloe vera Gel proper - used in the sense of being a fluid extract derived from the 'filet' of the inside of the leaf. The Aloe content in such a product can be either Gel in this sense or Whole Leaf Aloe vera. These thickened preparations are very practically useful in the treatment of sports injuries as they are suitable for applying Aloe in a way which permits contact to be maintained over a prolonged period. They still have to be applied to the area in adequate amounts and worked in enough to ensure thorough contact. They are suitable for treating sunburn, all types of itching and irritation, skin infections, including fungal infections, blisters and turf burns. It really is most important, however, that the practical advantage of a thickened preparation is not gained at the expense of lost potency. Some preparations of this type on the market contain pitifully small amounts of Aloe vera, being mostly thickening agents and fillers. They may also carry misleading labels. For example, "made with 100% Aloe vera" can legally apply even if only 1% by weight of '100% Aloe vera' has been incorporated into the product. In fact, the meaning of the term "made with" is very loose. Strictly speaking, in making a fruit drink, 'made with fresh oranges' can just mean that there were some fresh oranges present in a nearby part of the factory when it was being made. Therefore it is important that one checks out what proportion of the thickened product is really composed of Aloe vera Extract. The very best products will contain about 75 to 80% of Aloe vera Extract by weight. Any claim on such a product that the content is 100% cannot be true because there would be no room in the product for any thickening agents or preservatives.

Stories of Success

This author has found no medical studies on sports injuries and Aloe. That is probably because such studies would be inherently difficult to arrange. Sports injuries occur sporadically to individual sportsmen and women and the injuries themselves are highly individual. Instead, the literature contains assorted accounts of individual cases from people who were engaged in work as trainers or physiotherapists, generally in America, and as reported in various American publications, such as those of Mr Bill C. Coats and others.

One is an account of a man with a badly swollen and inflamed foot who had not been able to treat successfully with any conventional methods. He then decided to apply a thickened Aloe vera lotion to his foot, following the instructions carefully, applying it generously to both foot and ankle. Within a few minutes he noted that the considerable pain had already gone. After getting ready and going out he recognised that all the soreness and pain had truly disappeared, even when he put weight onto the foot, being able to walk normally wherever he wanted to go.

Another case was of a female runner who had entered her race knowing already that she had some trouble with an ankle. During the race it got much worse, until suddenly something slipped or 'popped' in her foot, almost disabling her. By dint of great will power she had managed to finish, but was then brought in from the field writhing in agony on a stretcher. Aloe vera Extract was applied to the ankle by means of generously soaked gauze for 30 minutes and then a thickened lotion was applied to the area and worked in by gentle massage. The record states that she was able to walk fairly freely again on the ankle within about 45 minutes.

It is also recorded that in one incident at a the Olympic Games in Montreal, four Russian athletes were suffering from Achilles tendon problems. This is a very disabling state which nearly always puts athletes and sports people right out of their sport for a time. All these athletes were expecting only one thing - to be left out of their events after having travelled across the world to participate, with all the accompanying disappointment and frustration. These four were then treated with Aloe vera Extracts and Gels according to much the same principles as already described and the condition of their injury improved dramatically so that they were, after all, able to take part in their events. The end result was that three of the four won Gold Medals and the Soviet Olympic Committee invited the American trainer who did the job to Russia to demonstrate the methods he employed.

Internal Use

All the above methods for application of Aloe vera products to injuries have adopted topical, or surface application. This is very often the best way to treat a local area. In some of the cases reported the response was amazingly quick, showing such a degree of effectiveness that, apparently, no other means of application was needed. However, in cases where the alleviation and healing processes are rather longer term, it is usually best to administer Aloe vera Whole Leaf Concentrate by mouth as well as applying it topically. There is no doubt that it is beneficial to work from within as well as from without, even if the condition is quite superficial. If it is deeper, as is the case with joint and muscle problems, then these tissues can certainly be treated via their blood supply very effectively, indeed, in the mid to longer term. Therefore, wherever treatment with Aloe is going to last for more than half a day, internal, as well as external use is advised.