PhD, Associate Professor V.F. Lutkov¹
PhD, Associate Professor L.L. Miller¹
PhD, Associate Professor G.I. Smirnov¹
PhD, Associate Professor D.I. Shadrin¹
PhD, Associate Professor N.V. Lutkova^1
1Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health, St. Petersburg

Keywords: disadaptation, sanogenesis, chronic overstrain, risk factors, homotoxicology, prevention, integrative medicine.

Background. The modern athletic training system is characterized by high amounts and intensity of training and competitive loads (risk factors), which may lead to overstrain of the adaptation mechanisms and thus to different diseases of the bodily systems and organs. In most cases, athletes suffer from overstrain of the musculoskeletal system, which is diagnosed as a microtraumatic disease. One of the pressing problems in modern sports is the prevention and rehabilitation of athletes diagnosed with overstrain of various parts of the musculoskeletal system [6]. Biological medicine has developed integrated means to prevent the humoral, reversible stage of overstrain of the musculoskeletal system. However, the application methodology of these means in different sports has been developed insufficiently [3]. Rehabilitation and health restoration necessitate the intensification of non-specific sanogenetic mechanisms: overall resistance, immunity, adaptation, regeneration, blood and lymph microcirculation, detoxification. The biological medicine means and methods are aimed to "support" sanogenesis [7]. Among the methods of biological medicine is homotoxicology - a holistic direction of the synthesis of allopathy and homeopathy developed by the German physician and scientist G.G. Rekkeveg [4]. According to his theory, the balance in the human body may be disturbed by the buildup of toxins, which if excessively accumulated in the body tissues cause diseases. The staged nature of clinical manifestations of the body’s counteraction to homotoxins and compensation can be expressed in 6 phases. In the humoral phases, toxins can be removed by the body itself through various drainage systems and detoxification. The onset of the musculoskeletal system disorders in athletes corresponds to the humoral, reversible phases of homotoxicosis. The therapeutic treatment is meant to minimize painful manifestations and accelerate the process of detoxification of damaged tissues. In allopathic medicine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used for this purpose; their prolonged administration is accompanied by adverse side effects in the form of systemic allergic reactions (bronchospasm, hives, edema). In biological medicine, antihomotoxic complex preparations have a mild stimulating effect directed at the physiological activation of the body’s protective systems. The preparations were developed taking into account the phases of homotoxicosis, which can make the treatment more effective. In terms of its formula, the antihomotoxic medication "Traumeel S" is characterized by complex pharmacological effects on the connective tissue: anti-inflammatory, antiexudative, immunostimulative, regenerative, analgetic, antihemorrhagic, venotonic [5]. "Traumeel S" is on the list of drugs allowed by the WADA’s Athlete Committee. According to 226 Russian sports doctors, "Traumeel S" is an effective and safe preparation and an alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases [2].

Upon the recommendations of N.V. Kornilov et al. [1], the sub-clinical early stage of overstrain of the musculoskeletal system should be diagnosed by the functional tests using thermal imaging, angiography, and EMG, treatment method - laser therapy; the clinical stage of chronic overstrain - electromyography, osteometry, treatment methods - electromagnetic therapy. Thus, for the early functional stage of the musculoskeletal system overstrain, thermometry is to be used to identify the "cold" zones within the overstrain region due to the microcirculation disturbance.

Objective of the study was to substantiate the use of the antihomotoxic medication Traumeel S to prevent local blood circulation disorders in tennis players during trainings aimed to improve their special working capacity.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were 12 tennis players qualified from Class I to Masters of Sport. Microcirculation was assessed in various parts of the upper limbs using an infrared thermometer (model DT-635). A complex antihomotoxic medication "Traumeel S" by Heel was used to prevent microcirculation disorders under the training loads.

Results and discussion. At the first stage of the study, we assessed micro-circulation in various parts of the upper limbs. The temperature was measured using an infrared thermometer (model DT-635) with a measurement accuracy of ±0.1ºC. The temperature dynamics was determined before and after the training loads corresponding to the rate of 20 bpm, which is consistent with the current model of working capacity of tennis players.

The results of measurements obtained in the group of athletes before and after the training session with a specified load intensity are presented in Table 1. The data obtained showed that the temperature decreased by more than 0.4^оС at three out of five measuring points after exercise. The values did not differ statistically significantly but indicated an unsatisfactory response of the musculoskeletal system to physical loads.

Table 1. Temperature distribution across upper limbs of tennis players before and after exercise prior to experiment (^оС)

Table 2. Number of tennis players with different temperature reactions in the musculoskeletal system after exercise prior to experiment

The identified temperature reactions in the individual parts of the upper limbs is an indication of the non-conformity of the external training load to the functional state of the "working" upper limbs. This is a sign of a training violation, a violation of the physical load individualization principle, and incomplete recovery of the musculoskeletal system after exercise.

At the second stage, an antihomotoxic medication "Traumeel S" was used to prevent the microcirculation disturbance under training loads.

The results of the measurements of the temperature reactions in individual parts of the upper limbs of the athletes before and after the training session with a specified load intensity using "Traumeel S" ointment are presented in Table 3. The data obtained indicated a temperature decrease by less than 0.3 ^оС at each of the 5 measuring points after loading. The figures did not show any statistically significant differences but testified to a satisfactory response of the musculoskeletal system to physical loads, which exceeded the detected responses of the musculoskeletal system of the tennis players prior to the experiment.

Table 3. Temperature distribution across the upper limbs of tennis players before and after exercise with the use of  "Traumeel S" ointment (^оС)

Then we analyzed the detected temperature reactions in the upper limbs of each athlete in the 1st min of recovery with the use of "Traumeel S". Table 4 presents the number of tennis players with different temperature reactions of the musculoskeletal system after training loads. The results indicated that the temperature reactions in the individual parts of the upper limbs did not change in the majority of tennis players, while 8 tennis players were found to have an increase in the temperature in their wrist extensors. These temperature reactions characterized high load tolerance that prevented the overstrain of the musculoskeletal system.

Table 4. Number of tennis players with different temperature reactions of musculoskeletal system after exercise with the use of  "Traumeel S" ointment

The comparative analysis of the pre- and post-experiment indicators showed that the exercise performance with the use of "Traumeel S" ointment causes positive reactions of the tennis players’ musculoskeletal system to physical loads. The stability or increase in the temperatures at the measuring points while using the ointment showed that the early stage of the overstrain of the athletes’ musculoskeletal system did not develop. The observed dynamics proved that "Traumeel S" may prevent circulatory disturbance in tennis players during trainings aimed to develop their special working capacity.

Conclusions. The findings showed that the use of the modern antihomotoxic medication "Traumeel S" under the training loads contributes to the prevention of local blood circulation disorders in the upper limbs of athletes. It is reasonable to use this antihomotoxic medication during trainings to improve special working capacity to prevent overexertion of the upper limbs of tennis players at an early stage. Local blood circulation disorders can be detected during the preliminary diagnostics of overstrain of the musculoskeletal system using an infrared thermometer.

References

1. Kornilov N.V., Anisimov A.I., Kanykin A.Yu. et al. Overstrain of musculoskeletal system in athletes and its treatment. St. Petersburg, 2002. 114 p.
2. Russian doctors’ opinion about Traumeel S medication and NSAIDs: doctors survey results. Biologicheskaya meditsina. 2013. No. 2. pp. 4-5.
3. Ordiz I., Eocheaga J., Dell Valle M. Mesotherapy of sports lesions in soft tissues with antihomotoxic drugs. Biologicheskaya meditsina. 2003. No. 1. pp. 21-24.
4. Rekkeveg G.G. Basic teachings, homotoxicosis. Biologicheskaya meditsina. 2010. No. 1. pp. 5-7.
5. Rikken K.H. Inflammation: key function of healing process. Transl. from German. K.X. Ricken. M.: Arnebiya publ., 2005. 80 p.
6. Chashchin M.V., Konstantinov R.V. Occupational diseases in sports. M.: Sovetskiy sport publ., 2010. 176 p.
7. Heine H.H. Textbook of Biological Medicine. Transl. from German H.H. Heine. M.: Arnebiya publ., 2008. 244 p.

Corresponding author: nataliya_lutkova@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to substantiate the use of the antihomotoxic medication "Traumeel S" to prevent local blood circulation disorders in tennis players during trainings aimed to improve their special working capacity.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were 12 tennis players qualified from Class I to Masters of Sport. At the first stage of the study, we assessed micro-circulation in various parts of the upper limbs. The temperature was measured using an infrared thermometer (model DT-635) with a measurement accuracy of ±0.1ºC. The temperature dynamics was determined before and after the training loads corresponding to the rate of 20 bpm. Further, we analyzed the detected temperature reactions in individual parts of the upper limbs of each athlete during the 1st minute of recovery. At the second stage, a complex antihomotoxic medication "Traumeel S" was used to prevent microcirculation disorders under the training loads. Then we analyzed the detected temperature reactions in each athlete during the 1st minute of recovery with the use of "Traumeel S" ointment.

Results of the study and conclusions. The findings showed that the use of the modern antihomotoxic medication "Traumeel S" under the training loads contributes to the prevention of local blood circulation disorders in the upper limbs of athletes. It is reasonable to use this antihomotoxic medication during trainings aimed to improve special working capacity to prevent overexertion of the upper limbs of tennis players at an early stage. Local blood circulation disorders can be detected during the preliminary diagnosis of overstrain of the musculoskeletal system using an infrared thermometer.