Comments on: Mizzou’s Pinkel Talks Up QB Franklin’s Toughness; Time To Switch The Focus From Franklin To Painkillers

By: UTMD3

UTMD3 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:48:49 +0000

Agreed. My point once again is the we all have to be careful in the use of the term “painkiller”. Not all painkillers are the same. Paraphrasing George Orwel; All painkillers are created equal, some are more equal than others. The use of Tordal as analgesic, which is most likely the drug in question, is an accepted part of medicine if agreed upon by patient and doctor. My hat is off to the young man for taking control of his personal medical care. The bigger problem, as you alluded to John, is the over prescribing of oral opiates. It is not just a sports problem, this a societal problem. All you have to do is look at the “pain clinics” springing up on very corner in some the Southern states. This is something I deal with on a professional and personal level daily. Thanks for the good work.

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:30:24 +0000

crew…

See above.

Thanks for reading,
John

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:29:45 +0000

@UTMD3

We seem to have gotten a bit off track here, everyone.

I defended Franklin’s right to refuse a numbing shot in his shoulder. Gary Pinkel himself said painkiller. An antiflammatory shot — which I’ve had for a torn meniscus — doesn’t kick in immediately in my experiences. In fact, my doctor told me it would take 24-48 hours to feel a difference. From others I’ve spoken with it does usually take a day or two for such a shot to work. But regardless of what shot Mizzou offered to its QB, the point I made regarding Franklin is that he had every right to make whatever call he wanted to regarding his body.

However, knowing plenty of ex-athletes, I know that schools often hand over painkillers in pill form, too. Some kids get hooked. Others have been known to re-sell them (something I didn’t mention in this piece).

In my view — whether it’s a shot to numb pain before a game or pills handed over to someone in his teens or early-20s — the NCAA needs to find some way to better monitor and regulate what’s given to athletes and when.

That was the point of the piece and I — and many other ex-players and their parents — feel it would be a wise move.

Thanks for reading,
John

By: UTMD3

UTMD3 — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 19:39:17 +0000

I did not say Toradol is given in the joint, it is given intramuscularly. The reporting from other sources indicates the the young man and family turned down two different medications, most likely an injection in the joint of steriods at some time at the beganing of the week and later a “painkiller” the day of the game which which is most likely Toradol. You would not give a pure steriod injection just before activity in joint, it would have little time to reduce inflammation.

By: Tusk

Tusk — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 19:36:00 +0000

@John at MrSEC @MoKelly1
Come on John, just rub some dirt on it and shake it off. You’ll be fine…

By: crew

crew — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 19:17:43 +0000

@UTMD3
They would not give a Toradol shot in the shoulder, the site of the QB’s injury. Toradol shots are given intramuscularly, usually in the glutes (butt) so it can be slowly absorbed into the blood stream. Same is true with opioid painkillers, not given in the shoulder.

Another article describes QB’s injury as bursa in throwing arm = inflamation = prescribed treatment is a steroid shot. Thinking out of the box, avant-garde treatment might also include the use of Lidocaine, an anethetic, most commonly used in the form of a patch for pain.

By: UTMD3

UTMD3 — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:53:44 +0000

The drug in question is most likely Toradol (ketorolac ) and is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It is not additive but has risks that include increase risk of bleeding, renal dysfunction and bronchospasm. All this said, it is no more dangerous than Motrin. It is important when discussing “painkillers” that apple are compared to apples; opiates vs non-steroidals vs steriods. All have risks and benefits associated with them and oftern are used in combintation.

By: crew

crew — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:54:33 +0000

I agree in general with handing out opioid painkillers, which can be deadly if not taken as prescribed, or consumed with alcohol or other depressant drugs. They also have the potential for addiction.

However, the kind of painkiller mentioned in this article is likely NOT an opioid. Why? Because if is uncommon or rare to inject an opioid painkiller into the area of injury. Pain signals travel from the site of injury to the spinal cord and then to the brain. Opioid painkillers block the pain signals in the spinal cord or brain, and thus are administered to the bloodstream not the site of injury.

Since this case talks about a shot to the affected shoulder, the most likely drug is hydrocortisone. This is NOT a painkiller at all, but rather an anti-inflamatory drug which speeds recovery. It does not have addiction potential, does not react in a deadly way with other drugs (by suppressing breathing centers on the brain stem), and does not make you high or alter your state of mind.

While I am sure that the issue of handing out opiod painkillers is real and troubling in sports, this case is not one of them.

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:28:06 +0000

@MoKelly1

Yeah, that’s a completely different beast. You have surgery — I did last August — and you’re gonna have to take some pain meds. The key is numbing the body before a game. I think Franklin was smart to avoid that stuff.

I took a cortisone shot six months ago for a torn meniscus… but I’m not going out and running on that knee for three hours every Saturday.

Thanks for reading,
John

By: I4Bama

I4Bama — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:02:05 +0000

I agree completely.

By: MoKelly1

MoKelly1 — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:43:11 +0000

Nice commentary. You were quite fair to all involved. I very much liked your last comment on good for Coach coming out and trying to stop a debate he inadvertently started. I do believe it was inadvertent. By the way, an article in the Post Dispatch today did say Franklin said he took pain meds after his shoulder surgery. That, I think, is OK as he did not risk hurting himself by playing a football game due to pain meds.

By: YLHMIZ

YLHMIZ — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:37:09 +0000

For a university that boasts one of the nation’s most prestigious public journalism schools, Mizzou certainly doesn’t fare very well when it comes to managing information output. If it isn’t T.J. Moe or Sheldon Richardson cavalierly spouting off with bulletin board material, it’s Pinkel hamhanding one thing or another. Seriously, Mizzou, it’s not that far of a walk from the J School to the athletic compound; please send some professors over there to give these guys a lesson or three on information management and the media. Some of us alumni are getting a little tired of these constant gaffes.