Compounding for Sports
Trainers and physicians have similar perspectives on sports injuries, but a common goal: healing the injured athlete. Over the years, many of these trainers and physicians have consulted with the compounders at Share ‘n Care Compounding Pharmacy about the process of healing their athletes.
Treating sports related injuries has always been a challenge, but with the help of our pharmacists, we can offer new therapies that will minimize tissue damage and get the athletes back on the field. We have formulated compounds for pre-game use to help get the body ready for competition, and preparations for use immediately after an injury to speed healing.
Some Common Sports Compounds
Ketoprofen 10%, 15% or 20% in Pluronic lecithin organogel
(PLO) to treat sprains, strains and inflammation. A pea-sized
amount of the PLO gel is rubbed with a moist fingertip into
the skin three to four times daily. An aqueous solution of
that drug can also be administered by iontophoresis, or the
medication can be prepared as an ultrasound gel for use
in phonophoresis.
Dexamethasone 0.4% in an aqueous solution for iontophoresis
to treat sprains, strains and inflammation. That
concentration of dexamethasone can also be prepared in PLO
for application immediately after a sports-related injury to
minimize inflammation. In those cases, a pea-sized amount of
the gel is rubbed with a moist fingertip into the skin.
Acetic acid 2% or 4% in an aqueous solution administered by
iontophoresis to reduce scar tissue.
A combination of baclofen 5%, lidocaine 10% and guaifenesin
10% or 20% in PLO to prevent muscle cramps.
Lidocaine 4%, epinephrine (adrenalin) 0.05% and tetracaine
0.5% (LAT) in a spray or hydroxyethylcellulose gel to treat
cuts and abrasions. This preparation is applied immediately
after injury.
Muscle relaxants such as guaifenesin (usually 10% or 20%) in
PLO or cyclobenzaprine 0.5%, 1% or 2% in PLO. The
mechanism of action of those drugs determines which is
selected to treat muscle strain. Cyclobenzaprine in PLO is
administered topically or by ultrasound, and guaifenesin in
PLO is applied topically three to four times daily until relief
is noted.
A staff member of the Clemson athletic department for more than 20 years, Danny Poole now oversees 18 intercollegiate sports programs for men and women, including football, volleyball, basketball, swimming, soccer, baseball, golf, tennis, and track. Approximately 550 students who range in age from 18 to 22 years participate in Clemson sports. Poole was quoted as saying:
“Nothing available over the counter comes close to the effectiveness of compounds. They are prescription based medications prepared specifically for the injured patient”.
Poole went on to say:
“Compounds definitely have a place in the treatment of the injured college athlete. The customized topical that we use for sports injuries are not commercially available. Athletic trainers should work with a compounding pharmacist and a physician to devise treatments for the injuries their athletes usually sustain. They should also keep an adequate supply of those medications on hand for immediate use or long term therapy. It is our goal to put athletes back into their field of play as safely and quickly as possible, and the compounding pharmacists can often help. They can provide us with therapeutic tools to restore the injured athlete to pre injury fitness”.
Iontophoresis and Phonophoresis
Iontophoretic and phonophoretic treatments with anti-inflammatory drugs are most commonly used in soft tissue injuries, most notably tendonitis, muscle pulls and tears, ligament sprains, arthritis, plantar fasciitis, bursitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Phonophoresis uses ultrasonic waves to transmit molecules of drug through the skin, Iontophoresis uses low level electric current.
The use of iontophoresis to move ionic drugs greatly increases the penetration rate over the use of transdermal drugs. Some of the problems that iontophoresis treats with great success:
- Tennis Elbow
- Heel pain from bone spurs
- Inflammatory pain of muscles and tendons
- Plantar fasciitis
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
Phonophoresis uses a combination of topical drugs coupled with ultrasound to penetrate the skin directly to the target site. The medicated mixture in gel or cream is massaged with an actuator head, which also increases absorption significantly and delivers the medication to the exact location that it is needed.
You can trust Share ‘n Care compounding pharmacists to prepare your medications for either procedure exactly as your doctor has prescribed.
