QUESTION: My teenager is a faddist. Whatever is new, he is leading the parade. He now is into shoelessness. He simply does not wear shoes except when absolutely necessary. He wants to run barefoot. He is on the track team. Do you think it wise? I don't. - Mrs. O.O.
ANSWER: Personally, I don't either. I am not comfortable without shoes. I fear stepping on things and getting puncture wounds.I have heard of this. In fact, there have been barefoot winners of Olympic marathons, so athletes can adjust to shoeless running.
Dr. Steven Robbins of Montreal feels that barefoot running is healthy. He sees fewer injuries in patients who run barefoot. He feels that barefootedness builds stronger feet, that without support, arches get stronger. You use muscles that go unused in shoe running.
If your son insists on unshod running, he has to be careful about injuries, the kind from stepping on sharp objects.
QUESTION: I have been running for 20 years, and now a new wrinkle has developed. I get a headache about 10 minutes into a run. It stops an hour or so after stopping running. What can I do about this? Am I going to pot at age 45? - T.I.
ANSWER: New and unusual headaches are too important to go unreported. Let's find out what might be causing yours.
If it is exertional headache, it can be prevented. This kind of headache does tend to come on after age 40. Some believe they arise from tensing of scalp and neck muscles. Anti-inflammatory medicine taken before running can avoid the problem.
QUESTION: Not to put a fine point on it, doc, what do you do if one of your junior football kids gets his bell rung and is dazed for a couple of minutes? - J.Y.
ANSWER: Getting your bell rung, as they say, means the person has suffered a minor concussion. Let me be careful about this. We're talking here about a youngster who has no loss of consciousness and no loss of memory. He is momentarily dazed, period.
If this happens once, it is OK to resume play after a five-minute rest and observation period. If it has happened twice to the same youngster, that player should not play or practice for a whole day. If it has happened three times, then a week of rest and a doctor's examination is necessary.
These are general rules. Ultimately, the decision is yours, the trainer's or a doctor's to make based on common sense evaluation. Damage from brain injury, however slight, can take a toll, especially when there have been multiple episodes. I'm glad to see you so concerned.
QUESTION: I have conflicting opinions. Does exercise make the heart grow new blood vessels? I have had bypass surgery and am doing supervised exercise. Am I growing new blood vessels? - M.H.
ANSWER: We know the heart can sprout new blood vessels. Whether exercise itself brings about new vessel growth is an unsettled issue.
Even if you are not growing vessels with your program, you are keeping your heart strong, your body also. You are helping blood pressure and also reducing mental stress. You feel better.