19 October 2007
Getting out of your Kayak
18th October 2007
In the event that you have to get out of the kayak in the Challenge, follow these simple instructions and practise as a pair before the 17th November 2007. Practise will allow you to be more relaxed in the event of the kayak capsizing.
Step One.
Find a calm stretch of water where the sea floor is deeper than you can stand in, but the shore is close enough to swim to without much trouble. Wear a life vest to be on the safe side.
Step Two
Sit in your kayak and check that the spray skirt release strap is outside of the cockpit. It helps to reach forward and feel it while you are still dry and see it easily.
Step Three
Take a deep breath and lean to one side allowing the kayak to capsize.
Step Four
Release your paddle and relax, letting the boat settle into the upside-down position. This step can be extremely difficult the first time you try it,but remember: the whole process will take less than ten seconds, and you can hold your breath for far longer than that.
Step Five
Locate your release strap and pull it out towards the tip of the boat and then down, away from the cockpit. You'll notice the spray skirt pops of the coaming quite smoothly.
Step Six
Lean forward,straighten your legs,and push the kayak away from you as your legs slide out. Again you'll be surprised at how easy it is to get out when you're suspended in the water.
Step Seven
Hold the kayak as you pop up to the surface. Make certain that in all conditions you keep a grasp onto your boat as a wave or slight wind could otherwise leave you alone in the water.
Step Eight
Look around for your paddle and swim to it while holding onto some part of the kayak. You will then be picked up by the rescue boat and taken to safety.
Step Nine
Practice this drill until you feel comfortable with being underwater and are ready to practice this with your challenge partner.
Tips and Warnings.
If you find yourself uneasy with the idea of flipping over the first time, try the whole process without the spray skirt on. Once you are ready to use the skirt during a wet exit,try releasing it several times above the water to get the feel for removing it quickly
The kayaks used on the Challenge are sea kayaks which have a good level of stability and are very robust. In simple terms they are user friendly for all standards of kayakers.
15 October 2007
Dehydration
The human body is about two-thirds (approximately 70%) water. Water is essential to the normal working of your body. It lubricates the joints and eyes, aids digestion, flushes out waste and toxins and keeps skin healthy.
Dehydration occurs when the normal water content of your body is reduced. This leads to a change in the vital balance of chemical substances in your body, especially sodium (salt) and potassium. In order to function properly, many of the body's cells depend on these substances being maintained at the correct levels.
Even though your body is mainly made up of water, the amount of water in your body only has to decrease by a few per cent, for dehydration to occur. The effects of dehydration can be serious and, in extreme circumstances, they can be fatal.
Symptoms
Dehydration occurs when there is a 1% or greater reduction in body weight due to fluid loss. Depending on the percentage of body weight lost, dehydration can be described as mild, moderate or severe.
Mild dehydration - even if there is a relatively low level of fluid loss (causing a 1-2% loss of body weight) mild dehydration can cause the body to work less efficiently. However, mild dehydration carries few risks and can usually be easily treated by replacing lost fluids.
Moderate dehydration - is a 3-5% decrease in body weight due to fluid loss. This level of fluid loss can result in a substantial decrease in strength and endurance and is the primary cause of heat exhaustion.
If
dehydration is
chronic (ongoing) it can affect
kidney function and may lead to the development of
kidney stones. It can cause dry, wrinkled skin and be harmful to your
liver,
joints and muscles. It can also cause
cholesterol problems, headaches, reduced
blood pressure (hypotension),
fatigue and
constipation.
Severe dehydration - is a decrease of more than 5% of body weight due to fluid loss. A 10% or greater reduction in body weight is extremely serious. If not treated immediately, this level of
dehydration can be life threatening. Hospitalisation and an
intravenous
drip may be necessary to restore the substantial loss of fluids.
It is important to remember that thirst is not a good indicator of dehydration. If you are thirsty, you are already likely to be suffering from the effects of dehydration.
The signs of dehydration in adults include:
- dry mouth
- chapped or dry lips,
- dry eyes,
- dry, loose skin with a lack of elasticity,
- sunken features, particularly the eyes clammy hands and feet,
- headaches,
- light-headedness,
- dizziness,
- tiredness,
- confusion and irritability,
- loss of appetite,
- burning sensation in your stomach,
- feeling of an 'empty stomach' or abdominal pain,
- low urine output, and
- concentrated, dark urine with a strong odour
15 October 2007
Hypothermia
What are the symptoms?
Hypothermia is classified as a temperature below 35°C (96°F).
Watch out for the 'tumbles': stumbles, mumbles, fumbles and grumbles. These are symptoms that show a gradual reduction in coordination of muscles and movement, and a falling level of consciousness.
Symptoms progress as the person's temperature drops:
- Initially, involuntary shivering, loss of complex motor skills (but still able to walk and talk), shutdown of blood vessels in the hands and feet.
- As temperature falls below 35°C (95°F), violent shivering, impaired consciousness, loss of fine-motor coordination, especially in the hands, slurred speech, illogical behaviour, loss of emotional cognition - an 'I don't care' attitude.
- As core temperature falls below 34°C (92°F), the effects becomes life threatening, shivering become intermittent and then stops, the person curls into the foetal position, muscles become rigid, pupils dilate, pulse rate drops.
- By 30°C (86°F) the person looks dead. Although still alive, they're in a state known as the 'metabolic icebox', breathing becomes shallow and erratic, consciousness is lost and the heart becomes vulnerable to deadly arrhythmias.
Shivering is one of several symptoms that can be used to assess hypothermia. If the person is able to stop themselves shivering, their hypothermia is only mild. If it can't be stopped voluntarily, the person has moderate to severe hypothermia.
Another quick test is to assess higher brain functioning by asking the person to count backwards from 100 in multiples of nine. This sort of cerebral ability is soon lost as temperature falls.
A sign of severe hypothermia is loss of the pulse at the wrist, a result of the circulation shutting down.
Who's affected?
Hypothermia is one of the greatest threats to people participating in outdoor sports, such as walking, mountaineering and sailing. The particular risks include:
- Cold and windy weather - windy conditions speed heat loss (wind chill)
- Failing to wear suitable clothing and equipment
- Getting wet - water conducts heat away from the body 25 times faster than air
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Dehydration - fluid levels, fluid loss and heat loss are interconnected
- Inadequate food intake
- Lack of knowledge - alcohol causes vasodilation, for example, which aggravates heat loss
What's the treatment?
The basic principles are to stop heat loss and preserve the heat the person has, and provide body fuel to generate more heat. If a person is shivering, they can warm themselves at a rate of 2°C an hour.
Put on additional layers of clothing and replace wet clothes with dry. Get them moving to increase their activity and ensure their surroundings are as warm and still as possible.
Provide food, initially as hot liquids. Carbohydrates provide a rapid source of energy while fats can provide a prolonged source of fuel. Add warmth with a fire or heater, or by body-to-body contact.
27 August 2007
Abseiling
We will have abseiling sections on the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge 2007. This is a new experience for many and a discipline that has many old wives tales attached. However as the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge 2007 is designed to be an enjoyable and memorable experience let me concentrate on the background knowledge you will need to complete this task. Firstly abseiling is the most tried and tested method of descending a cliff or slope. For that reason it is a discipline that attracts well qualified and experienced staff and helpers. So a priority is to listen and understand the advice they are giving you.
Let me run through the abseil, you should be all clipped in standing at the top of a slope with your back to the scenery. The abseil rope should run from the device one side of the body. Hold the rope in your hand - and allow your hand to rest beside your backside. This is your control arm in which your brain stays in constant contact with to ensure confidents in your decent.
The speed of descent is predominantly controlled by where the rope is positioned. It is a myth that how hard you grip controls your descent. Swing your control arm away from the body and you will speed up and move your hand against your backside and you will stop.
Stand at the top with you toes on the edge of the cliff – feet about shoulder width apart – keeping the legs straight – lower yourself keeping your feet in the same place until you are at right angles to face of the cliff and your heels are touching the face – only then start moving your feet and body down.
I would recommend that you walk quickly down the slope rather than jumping. At this stage in the challenge unless you are an experienced climber no advantage will be gained. Always be aware of the bottom of the descent as this is where the most likely place is for injuries due to an over confident descent. When at the bottom if you can, walk backwards until the end of the abseil rope has fed through you device it’s quicker than untying it all and enables the next racer to prepare up top. Move away as soon as possible – rocks fall down cliff like you. Don’t remove your helmet until you are safely away from the face.
In case of any snag or stoppage in the rope on the descent do not attempt to clear the problem yourself. Signal to the control staff that you have a problem by raising your free hand and tapping your head several times. This will alert the staff of a problem and they will abseil down to assist. If you have the opportunity to practice abseiling before the challenge take advantage of this opportunity. It will not make you faster but it will instill a level of confidents that will make the experience more worthwhile.
22 August 2007
KNEE PAIN - by World Adventurer Championships Chartered Physiotherapist Dave Waugh
Do you have the bee’s knees?
Probably not. Adventure sports and knee problems come hand in hand (please excuse the anatomical mess).
In this article, I aim to describe the relationships between what an athlete may feel as their knee symptoms, the signs that may be picked up by a clinical assessment and the general concepts of knee injury management.
Knee problems are often associated with pain, stiffness, giving way, weakness and swelling. Other mechanical symptoms such as catching, clicking or locking are also common.
If a physiotherapist is asked to diagnose the cause of the problem they will ask the athlete about their symptoms (what they feel), as well as the mechanism of any trauma.
The history and management of the injury to date, combined with aggravating and easing factors will make up the subjective component of a physiotherapists assessment.
The physiotherapist will then conduct a series of physical tests looking for signs (known clinical tests) that will allow them to identify specific structures connected with the knee joint.
Symptoms such as pain and signs such as swelling and instability should make diagnosis and management clear to a physiotherapist.
However, it is not always easy to know as an athlete whether or not the pain you are feeling should be pushed through or whether the swelling that you are both feeling and seeing is anything meaningful.
Swelling
Swelling of the knee (often called oedema) normally comes from two main mechanisms. One is sudden physical trauma to the knee that causes some damage to an internal structure. This can result in rapid swelling due to bleeding within the joint (hemarthrosis).
Slower swelling of the knee is normally caused by extra synovial fluid being produced by the synovium (the inner layer of the joint capsule). This may be due to the knee feeling it requires extra lubrication or it may be trying to reduce movement by filling the capsule with excess synovial fluid.
Both swelling within the knee and pain have been shown to inhibit muscle strength and control. It is therefore more likely that you will risk further injury if you are training and competing without controlling your knee swelling. This is why controlling swelling is a priority for knee rehabilitation and knee care in general.
The main short-term components of swelling reduction are: Gentle muscle movement/contractions to encourage venous return and absorption of the oedema. The use of elevation getting your knee as high as you can relative to your heart. Lying on your back with your leg up a wall is not overdoing it. Indirect ice 20mins/2hr and some form of compression covering the whole leg.
Fluids can also be aspirated however; this is normally only a short-term answer and is not recommended on a regular basis.
Instability
I often speak to athletes who feel their knees become less stable with prolonged exercise. These symptoms are often seen in conjunction with slight swelling and it is possible that the athletes are noticing the main knee joint (which is contained within a capsule) changing from a negatively pressurised environment where the femur and tibia are almost sucked together, to an environment that is positively pressurised and inherently less stable.
The knee may also feel less stable when cold. Reasons for this are normally related to a reduced blood circulation to the stabilising structures. The peripheral aspects of the meniscus (the horse shoe shaped wedges that sit on top of the tibial plateau, that cup the end of the femur) are reported to increase in volume, giving greater stability and protection when warm.
Elements within the muscles that give feedback regarding positioning will also operate below their optimum if they are cold. Because of the relationship between cold and instability I would advocate the use of ¾ length shorts or full length bottoms when knees are being exposed to the cold for long periods of time.
Real knee instability is typically cause by a reduction in the knees support structures. Although a very vulnerable joint due to its requirements and lack of bony congruence, the knee is well supported by a cleverly arranged configuration of passive ligaments and active muscles.
Ligament damage is a common occurrence for athletes due to the stresses that are often applied through the knee and often the damage is as a result from a fall or slip or an impact from a second party.
Ligament damage should be clinically assessed and a management judgment made depending on the severity of the rupture. If a rupture is complete then surgery will often be advocated to reconstruct the joints integrity. If the rupture is partial, then good physiotherapy management should see a complete return of capability.
Pain
Knee pain/ache that becomes sharp at certain joint angles is often related to the condition of the bony articular surfaces. Although there are no nerve cells in the surface of the highline cartilage that covers both the ends of the tibia and femur and the back of the patella (knee cap), damage to what is normally a near frictionless surface can expose the underlying surfaces and this can then be the source of severe pain.
Damage to the back of the patella can be caused by excessive use in certain positions and may require specific strengthening exercises to maintain good tracking of the patella within the femoral groove.
Symptoms of not liking stepping down or sudden accelerations are often an indication that an athlete is having problems with their patella-femoral joint.
Checking alignment of the leg, footwear and other equipment is as important as checking the joint itself.
The importance of specific strengthening cannot be underestimated. With every period of injury the knee sustains the less able the muscles surrounding the knee will become.
It is very easy for the knee to fall into the vicious cycle of injury and re-injury without some professional support. Just cycling, will not rehabilitate an injured knee!
Noises
Roughness and the occasional clicking can be quite normal for someone who has worked their knees over several decades. However, symptoms of clicking, locking or feelings of giving (rather than unexpected giving way) should be investigated.
A meniscal tear or some other loose body within the joint is often suspected when these symptoms are described. Although not always the case, meniscus damage is often as a result of a twisting force through the knee. This is normally accompanied by swelling.
Management will include swelling reduction, strength maintenance in a pain free range and further investigation to ascertain the specific cause of the altered mechanics.
An arthroscopy (keyhole investigative surgery) can be used to view and tidy any irregularities. Non-invasive management techniques are always preferred if there is the choice.
The topic of knee problems and their management is huge and it has been hard to limit this article. It is also important to say that information that has been covered within this article has not been prioritised and there are many other knee conditions that need to be expertly assessed in order to prevent further complications.
Please see or speak to a physiotherapist if you have any concerns about knee problems.
Any queries or correspondence can be directed to davewaughski@hotmail.com
Please visit: www.x-sportphysio.co.uk
Dave Waugh is the physiotherapist responsible for X-Sport Physiotherapy Services which is a business offering physiotherapy services to the adventure sport athletes.
