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four times per day for 3 to 4 days. Frequently, players were hospi-
talized for their severe acute joint or muscle problems. They were
immobilized, iced, and elevated for 48-hour periods during which
DMSO would be applied in the fashion prescribed. Over a total of 5
years, DMSO was used approximately 20 to 30 times per year.
Some of the players who used the drug were Ben Davidson, Tom
Keating, Daryle Lamonica, Fred Belitnikoff, Jim Otto, and Bobby
Moore. Its greatest value was in its application in the first 3 to 4
days of an acute injury of a muscle or joint having severe swelling.
Our experience was significant reduction occurring 70 percent to 80
percent of the time with these injuries. Probably the most dramatic
was in a severe elbow contusion to Bobby Moore after a pileup
during a football game. During the initial application immediately
after the game, actual dimpling was observed as the swelling was
reduced. Dr. Robert Rosenfeld, our team orthopedist, again dis-
cussed this unusual response as recently as 4 days ago. It was also
noted that significant pain reduction was experienced. Therefore,
primary benefit to the player was in rapidly diminishing swelling
of the muscle or joint and reduction of pain which, after 48 hours,
allowed us to hasten our rehabilitation activities. Player's usual
estimate of benefit was 50 percent to 75 percent quicker return to
playing than from his previous injury experience. Double blind
studies were attempted and found to be absolutely of no value due
to the specific aspects of the drug. A 10 percent DMSO solution was
used but the effect of the placebo was to have much less clam-type
breath, only minimal type redness of the area treated, and drying
faster than usual in the 70 percent solution.
[See app. 9, p. 136, letter from Daryle Lamonica.]
Dr. REEDY. Just a bit of a vignette. We had a player, Fred
Belitnikoff, who had a shoulder contusion and an ankle contusion
in a pileup. Seventy percent was applied in the ankle and only 10
percent in the shoulder. He very quickly told me, Doctor, that is
not the real stuff, it is not red and it dries too fast. So double blind
studies were not able to be completed.
Our experience and usage of DMSO in chronic pain problems or
joint disabilities was not especially helpful. However, we may not
have given it a good try. We abandoned the use of the drug very
soon when we experienced minimal response and had read that it
was not as effective in chronic injuries.
This may well have been premature, however, because the drug
did not always have a seemingly dramatic response on all people.
Some 20 to 30 percent seemed to have only minimal benefit from
its use for no explainable reason. This may have been merely an
idiosyncrasy to accept or reject the drug. Interestingly, fair-haired
and fair-complected players seemed to experience skin reactions
sooner than those of darker coloring. It should be stated that the
degree of skin reaction was not proportional to the beneficial re-
sponse of reducing swelling.
In summary, our particular drug indications were for acute
swelling due to trauma of any joint or muscle, particularly of the
extremities, especially the ankle, elbow, hands, or wrist.
The adverse effects were: One, clam-oyster breath, unresponsive
to a myriad number of breath deodorizers. Two, local skin reac-
tions, usually by the 3d to 4th day or by the 9th to 16th treatment
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