Jan 29, 2015

Looking at Rhabdo

On Thursday, attendees will want to check out “Exertional Rhabdomyoysis: Considerations for Athletic Trainers,” presented by Michelle Cleary, PhD, ATC, CSCS, Associate Professor at Chapman University. Cleary will discuss exertional rhabdomyolysis, more commonly referred to as “rhabdo,” and how it affects the physically active population, including individuals with sickle cell trait (SCT).

“Rhabdo affects individuals who are unaccustomed to the intensity or duration of the exercise or who are performing in extreme environments such as while dehydrated, in the heat, or at altitude,” Cleary says. “Athletic trainers, strength coaches, and any other person working with physically active people should come away from this session with information about how to prevent rhabdo from occurring, recognized it when it does occur, and be confident in referring suspected cases.”

Cleary says that rhabdo is caused by a variety of conditions, including exertional heat stroke, but it can also result from extreme exercise or exercise to which an individual is unaccustomed. “Most people know very little about this condition that has caused the deaths of numerous athletes and has resulted in hospitalizations of entire football teams,” she says. ” All professionals working with physically active individuals should be aware of rhabdo and what to look for, should it occur.

“Sub-clinical rhabdo may often be confused with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and in cases of people with SCT, it may be confused with heat cramps,” Cleary continues. “It is essential that an accurate differential diagnosis be performed to correctly identify and treat this condition.”

---

Click here to return to the Web version of the newsletter.

We welcome your feedback on this article. Please e-mail us at: [email protected]