An ancient greek pain remedy for athletes: history of pain

TY - JOUR

T1 - An ancient greek pain remedy for athletes

T2 - history of pain

AU - Bartels, Else M.

AU - Swaddling, Judith

AU - Harrison, Adrian Paul

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - While Hippocratic writings make no reference to the actual Olympics, there is frequent mention of diet, exercise, and the treatment of injuries sustained by the athletic participants. Indeed, Galen in his Composition of Medicines gives details of a remedy prescribed for the relief of pains and swellings, which was reserved for use by the winners of Olympic events, the so-called "Fuscum Olympionico inscriptum"-(ointment) entitled "dark Olympic victor's". In a time when the Olympic games have recently returned to their homeland, we examine the potential efficacy of this ancient remedy in terms of pain relief, the novelty of transdermal pain management, and the ability of ancient physicians to attend to the sports-related needs of highly tuned athletes.

AB - While Hippocratic writings make no reference to the actual Olympics, there is frequent mention of diet, exercise, and the treatment of injuries sustained by the athletic participants. Indeed, Galen in his Composition of Medicines gives details of a remedy prescribed for the relief of pains and swellings, which was reserved for use by the winners of Olympic events, the so-called "Fuscum Olympionico inscriptum"-(ointment) entitled "dark Olympic victor's". In a time when the Olympic games have recently returned to their homeland, we examine the potential efficacy of this ancient remedy in terms of pain relief, the novelty of transdermal pain management, and the ability of ancient physicians to attend to the sports-related needs of highly tuned athletes.

KW - Former LIFE faculty

KW - cannabinoids

KW - ointments

KW - opioids

KW - transdermal

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1530-7085

VL - 6

SP - 212

EP - 218

JO - Pain Practice

JF - Pain Practice

IS - 3

ER -