Michelle Rupp: Jamie Mayo is back with us and we are talking about water safety and injury prevention. If you’re out skiing and you really shouldn’t be skiing because you’ve never skied before, you might feel it the next day. What are some of those injuries that we, you know, whether it’s a pull or strain, we might feel in our back or in our hamstring or calf or something because you know, we’re all still 16, aren’t we?
Jayme Mayo: I am. My brain says I am, but my body says you’re not. That’s a whole other bag of issues. And so, those are some good questions. It’s very common to be out on the water, whether it’s kayaking or canoeing or boating and a lot of people again, like their minds tell them that they can, but their body says something a little bit different. They know the next day. So, a couple of things I would recommend is there’s kind of two ways to go. One is muscular, so you’re sore, you’re uncomfortable, so you’re going to do things that you’ve heard to do which would be to rest. Probably start off with some ice. I would take some an NSAID, so ibuprofen, maybe Aleve or Tylenol is good for discomfort. But then there comes a point when you ask yourself, okay, this has been several days and it’s really not getting better. How do I know is this something I’ve really done? Is it really an injury and I need to see someone about it? That would be the case if you’ve gone several days and it it’s not improving or it’s getting worse. Then I think that’s the time that it is appropriate to go see your doctor and share with them what you did, what you’ve done to take care of yourself? I’ve tried to rest, maybe I’ve done some gentle stretching, I’ve tried some over the counter medicine and I’m not getting any relief. Now I’m here to see if there are further exams that I need to have done.
MR: What are some of the smart things we can do before we find ourselves on the other side of pain?
JM: So, one is to prevent it. Prevent it means making good decisions. So if those good decisions didn’t happen, then again, you’re trying to get ahead of it. So you know you’re going to be uncomfortable when you come in. Maybe you take a warm bath and that kind of helps calm the muscles. Then again you can stretch and then if you need an ice pack after that, then I would certainly recommend it.
MR: Jamie, how can we play on the water and not hurt ourselves?
JM: Some things I would recommend first, and it sounds really easy, is wear sunscreen because if you’re out there all day and you get burned, then you really have a hard time in the evening, you’re uncomfortable. So if you’re, if you’re camping, you’re miserable. You really don’t get to enjoy that time with your friends. Maybe you want to be hiking and you can’t move. So, I would certainly recommend sunscreen. Second, is to make good decisions about the beverages that you consume. Bad things can happen when you are over served perhaps. And then probably just being aware maybe wearing a lifejacket. People forget that having one in your boat, your kayak, your canoe is one thing, but not actually wearing it can really make a situation turn bad and then you end up wrenching your back to help someone or pulling a hamstring.
MR: Jamie, you make a good point. You were talking about if you’re camping and I know a lot of families like to boat and then maybe tie off and go spend the night on the lake. What are some things we need to know if that is going to be in our future, that we will be camping or hiking in some capacity?
JM: I would always recommend a first aid kit. That’s easy to do, quick to put together, inexpensive but really important to have. And I would also say just be aware of your surroundings. Are you in an area known for ticks, chiggers, snakes, bears, you know, whatever you’re going to encounter, this is Arkansas. I would certainly be aware of that and then when you come back in is to have someone do a quick exam for ticks because once they latch on um it can, they can really cause some health problems down the line.
MR: Anything else that we need to know before we head out this weekend?
JM: I would just always say stay safe and have fun. Go enjoy this beautiful state. We’ve got some amazing resources. Take advantage of all.
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