Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Birth control pill to reduce knee injury?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Scienceblog link here

Anyone know of supporting studies/data? Helen B.?
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Firstly the numbers in the trial are extremely low. It is not a prospective randomised controlled trial, and there is a difference in numbers between each arm of the study, why? The outcome being measured was statistically significant (so only a 1 in 20 chance that it is wrong then!), but there is no comment as to whether this was clinically significant, and I think probably not.

All in all, frankly a cr*p bit of research which proves b*gger all. Useful to fill column inches in tabloids and nothing else.
ski holidays
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
comprex, I'll look into it, but there may be some truth in it, hormones released during pregnancy slacken the ligaments in preparation for birth.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
But the pill isn't meant to simulate the hormone levels of pregnancy is it?
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Helen Beaumont,
Quote:
hormones released during pregnancy slacken the ligaments in preparation for birth.
, which is why the study results are counterintuitive
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
I think that the idea is that you grip the birth control pill tightly between your knees. This reduces the risk of knee injury and pregnancy.

I may have misunderstood, 'though.
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
you could grow breast and start to lactate , Ill give that one a miss then
snow conditions
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

Anyone know of supporting studies/data


No, but there's a load of research into the negative side effects of (the various types of) the Pill.

And the effects of alternative forms of birth control on knee support????
Dunno about you lot, but a poliet "no thanks" tends to have little effect on my knee's ability when I'm skiing. Perhaps it's the tone voice that matters? Wink Puzzled
snow report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
There is a bit of a contradiciton in what I just said earlier. Sorry, it was early.
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I think that it is quite dangerous to release this sort of research into the public domain. One of the problems with the current push towards evidence based medical practice, is that many medical doctors are pressured to pursue and publish research in order to progress in their career. Although some of this research is of good quality, a lot of it is of rather poorer quality, being viewed as a "hurdle" to be jumped on the path to being a senior doctor, rather than a goal in itself. This is a view that has been repeated to me many times by non-medically qualified researchers who work alongside medical doctors in laboratories, and has also to a greater or lesser extent been my experience with colleagues who have been impelled to perform research in order to gain career progression. Similarly due to the pressure for career progression there is a temptation to "talk up" research that is published.

I believe the article in the link above to be an example of very poor science for the following reasons-

"Contraceptive pills have received bad press in the past -- here's some good news. Not only is pregnancy avoided by taking oral contraception, so is knee injury, according to new researchers."

I can't see anywhere that mentions measuring the incidence of knee injury in either group. If you don't measure the incidence of knee injury, then you cannot comment on the reduction of risk of knee injury!

"The results suggest women on contraceptives have tighter knee joints and may be less susceptible to ligament tears or injuries."

The study does indeed suggest that women on contraceptives MAY (my highlight) have tighter knee joints when measured in controlled circumstances on a specific machine (an arthrometer), however what it does NOT do, is then show that a change in this measurement relates to a reduction in injuries in the real world.

"The women on the pill had significantly less laxity than those not taking the pill."

The total number in the study was 78, however the difference in numbers between the two groups was 6 (36 and 42). In such a small sample the difference in numbers between the two groups is enough that if they had been of an equal size, then the difference may well not have been statistically significant. Unfortunately we will never know.

''Young women athletes may benefit from taking the pill,'' says Martineau. ''Some of these women may be at high risk for knee ligament injuries. Oral contraceptive pill use may reduce this risk and be an option for these athletes.''

The decision as to whether to take the oral contraceptive pill or not is a serious one which can (very rarely) have fatal consequences, and needs to be carefully considered on the basis of current evidence of the risks and benefits. I feel that to suggest that someone should take it based on the evidence above to prevent knee injuries is very poor advice indeed.


Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Thu 18-11-04 21:59; edited 1 time in total
snow report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
So, Kramer, no further studies, published or anticipated?


Like the Chairman Mao sig.
snow conditions
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Kramer, I agree that the pressure to publish research, in many fields, leads to reduced standards. I'm reminded of the old joke about two Roman soldiers at the crucifixion. Soldier 1: "They say he was a great teacher". Soldier 2: "Yes, but how much did he publish?".
snow report
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Comprex, it may well be something worthy of further study, and the effect of hormones in pregnancy on ligamentous laxity is well documented, but this study doesn't do anything to really further our knowledge. As for whether further studies are in the pipeline, who knows? I would be interested to know who funded this study as well...

(I thought that it was a the good, the bad, and the ugly quote, just goes to show my lack of culture!) Embarassed

laundryman, research is a full time discipline in it's own right, far too many doctors feel that they can dip in and out of it as they feel like it. There are also problems in that there are too many journals, each with pressure to fill an issue every month or so.
snow report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Kramer, thanks for your reply. I hadn't had time to read the article, and certainly hadn't heard of it before. Now I canread it properly, I see what you mean.


Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Fri 19-11-04 17:55; edited 1 time in total
ski holidays
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Kramer, your Sig is from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but your quote is not quite right. Here is the Great Man Himself.
(The Quicktime file is quite kosher, so if you get a window asking if you are sure you want to run the file, just click Yes)
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Well i think its rubbish - my left knee always hurts especially when im in very high heels and have been dancing for 4hrs, and the pill makes no difference at all! maybe all the useful stuff is going to the right knee? or maybe the fact that i fall over alot wipes out all the good work!
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Nadenoodlee, I'm confused, do you fall over a lot when you're skiing or dancing? Or both?
ski holidays
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Kramer, all the time! i fell off the bus a few weeks ago, then i fell over outside work last week and really gashed my knee! Im always falling over- generally im most vertical when im drunk and in heels, as soon as im in flat shoes im lost!
latest report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Perhaps you should have some stabilizers?
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Kramer, well according to my boss I need to "take my headfones out of my bloody ears and look where im going"

such a misery guts!
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Nadenoodlee, an unfortunate side effect of getting older is that you feel the need to start doling out "sensible" advice. It's a terrible affliction.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Kramer, luckily as the youngest and most fantastic person in the company i generally get away with murder, excet when i trip infront of the boss' car! Then I get "the advice" , infact i get alot of advice
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I'm sure that it's all well meaning. When I was your age and some old fart gave me unwanted advice then I used to.............blah, blah,blah.
snow conditions



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy