Comeback hopes pinned on Gold Medallist

As soon as I knew the extent of my foot injury, knew that three metatarsal bones were broken, I targeted this Cheltenham meeting for my comeback. Among those who considered me optimistic at best, completely mad at worst, was a bone specialist, who told me it could take eight weeks to heal, rather than my projected two.

He, though, was looking for a complete mend, of the type a footballer with a similar injury might need. As a jockey, I had to weigh up when I could do my job properly without putting anyone else at risk. By the middle of this week, I could walk, ride out and even school horses without pain and I met my target yesterday, albeit without the winner I longed for.

This is a bad time of year for a jockey to be absent - just ask Ruby Walsh, who has seen his deputy, Sam Thomas, win big races on three successive weekends. At least I haven't had to suffer quite his level of mixed emotions. Indeed, Dream Alliance - the horse I would have partnered in the Hennessy Gold Cup - ran so well in second that I was excited to anticipate the Welsh National after Christmas.

Denman was a hugely impressive Hennessy winner and he has been dominating racing debate ever since - almost to the point where his brilliant stablemate, Kauto Star, is being overshadowed. This, to me, is a dangerous over-reaction.

If the Gold Cup was run next week, and I could ride either of the two, I would definitely still choose Kauto Star. Denman may turn out just as good, especially now that the quirks of his hurdling days seem in the past, but he still has to prove it.

Kauto has been amazing for more than a year and he remains the horse everyone has to beat.

By contrast with all the hype over the Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle has provoked little excitement so far. The death of Detroit City at Ascot last month was a big blow to me and his connections and it is hard to see the Irish stranglehold on the race being broken from what we have seen so far this season.

That could change today, in the race we used to know as the Bula. Cheltenham may bring Katchit back to his best, after his defeat at Newcastle, but Straw Bear remains a horse I like, for all his inconsistencies, and he could yet shake up the market.

I'll be a spectator for that race but I'm keen on my chances in the other feature, the Boylesports.com Gold Cup. Palarshan has fragile legs and he's a hard horse to keep sound but he has a lot of ability, as he showed last month in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

He would have been at least second that day if he hadn't been badly hampered at the penultimate fence. Henry Daly is happy he's come out of it well and that running advertises his chances in what does not look quite such a hot contest.

The most exciting ride I have today, though, should be Gold Medallist in the novice chase. He's been given two years to get over a leg problem and there are things you have to take on trust after such an absence. But he was so good beforehand, and he has schooled so well, that I'm hopeful he could go right to the top over fences.

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/racing/article3053386.ece

Austin breaks bone in right foot, will miss season

Missouri State guard Lamont Austin, a Highland Park product, will miss the remainder of the season with a broken bone in his right foot, coach Barry Hinson said Monday.

Austin landed on a teammate's foot during practice Sunday, Hinson said. X-rays confirmed the broken bone. Hinson the school would seek a medical redshirt on Austin's behalf.

Austin has played in two games for a total of 14 minutes without scoring. Hinson said plans were to increase Austin's playing time in five games prior to the start of Missouri Valley Conference play Dec. 30 at Southern Illinois.

Source: http://www.cjonline.com/stories/121207/pre_224827111.shtml

Baggies without Kiely for three weeks

West Bromwich Albion will be without former Ireland goalkeeper Dean Kiely for up to three weeks after the veteran netminder fractured his toe.

Kiely has been ever-present for the Baggies this season but sat out Saturday’s win at Leicester City having been diagnosed with the injury.

The 37-year-old could miss as many as six games during the busy Christmas period.

He said: “I injured my little toe and the x-rays have revealed that it is broken. So I now have to just let it heal for a week and allow the bone to fuse back together, which will be frustrating.

“If it hadn’t been broken I could have just played through it, got on with things and stayed in the team, but because it is broken I’ve got no choice but to sit out and wait for it to heal.

“It’s going to be tough because I’ve been lucky throughout my career that most weeks I have been playing first team football for one club or another. But in these circumstances I don’t really have any choice.”

Source: http://www.eleven-a-side.com/acrossthewater/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=30317

Broken bones set right by herbal medicine

What could be more miraculous for those with fractures who can be cured without painful surgery through Ayurveda? Sounds interesting!

A bone-healing centre in Tamil Nadu state is gaining popularity among orthopaedic patients who believe that traditional therapy has miraculous healing powers.

A family runs the clinic located at Puttur, 100 km away from Chennai, for over 125 years, where the traditional doctors heal the patient.

Having satisfied with the therapy Hameed, one of the patients said, "I met with an accident two years ago and fractured my thigh. I immediately came for this treatment. I got treatment for six weeks and now I am cured and alright."

This miraculous treatment has made the family a household name and patients not only from the State but also from the neighbouring States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnatka and Kerala regularly visit the clinic.

Gopala Raju who discovered a medicinal plant by chance set up the clinic in 1881. He experimented the medicine on a rabbit whose back was broken and after that started treating patients from nearby villages, which include mostly labourers from construction sites and poor children.

Subramaniyaraj, a doctor at the clinic said, "We are running the clinic for past 125 years, and I belong to the fifth generation. Our treatment is for 45 days and we apply herbs and eggs as medicines. After three bandages, the patient is cured."

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=2ed10d82-81aa-4ff6-a0a7-28756e0f846d&ParentID=609e7b1b-8513-42ef-aab2-ad5946a78f77&MatchID1=4604&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=7&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1157&MatchID2=4575&TeamID3=8&TeamID4=2&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1147&PrimaryID=4604&Headline=Broken+bones+set+right+by+herbal+medicine

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Depression Raises Osteoporosis Risk For Premenopausal Women

A woman who suffers from depression is more likely to reach the menopause with a higher risk of bone fractures (osteoporosis), compared to a woman who does not have depression. In a study published inArchives of Internal Medicine it was found that 17% of women with depression had less bone mass in a section of their hip, called the femoral neck, compared to 2% of women who did not have depression.

Low bone mass in the lumbar spine was found in 20% of depressed women, compared to 9% of non-depressed women. An X-ray technique called DXA scanning was used to measure bone mass.

The researchers, from the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) explained that women with depression have immune systems which are overactive. Their bodies overproduce a chemical that leads to bone loss - this chemical, known as IL-6, also promotes inflammation.

The study involved 133 women, 89 depressed and 44 non-depressed. They were aged 21-45. All the women had the same risk factors, with the exception of depression. They had similar intakes of calcium, caffeine, alcohol - their use of tobacco was also similar, as were their levels of physical fitness, use of oral contraceptives, and their age of first menstrual period.

The scientists found that the hip bones of depressed women were especially susceptible to thinning - these bones fracture more frequently among older people with osteoporosis. The lower bone mass puts the patient at higher risk of costly, and sometimes fatal fractures.

NIMH Deputy Director Richard Nakamura, PhD, said "Osteoporosis is a silent disease. Too often, the first symptom a clinician sees is when a patient shows up with a broken bone. Now we know that depression can serve as a red flag - that depressed women are more likely than other women to approach menopause already at higher risk of fractures."

During our youth bone mass reaches its peak - after that it continues slowly thinning for the rest of our lives, thinning at a faster rate after a woman's menopause, the researchers explained. The authors stressed that the factor linking premenopausal osteoporosis risk in their study was definitely depression.

There was no association between the severity of depression and the amount of bone mass loss.

The immune-system imbalance experienced by some depressed women may be linked to excessive adrenalin, the researchers say. It is well know that depressed people produce more adrenalin - adrenalin can over-stimulate the immune system.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91132.php

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