Aches And Pains

DEAR ABBY: My sister "Dena" has a lot of health issues. She weighs more than 300 pounds, has bad knees, ankles and legs, liver trouble and bad nerves. I love her dearly. She's not only my sister, but my best friend. I feel sorry for her, but I can't take her constant complaining every single day. Sure, everyone has bad days, but Dena complains to anyone who will listen - friends, family, everybody. She never asks how anyone else is doing. I beg her to make a doctor's appointment.

A home game in May at Veterans Stadium can mean only one thing. Time for another trip to the Dr. Phillip J. Marone Medical Update Room, located just to the left of the press elevator. That's what it was like last year, anyway, when 12 players accounted for 17 stints on the disabled list, and Marone's updates often held more importance than a meeting with the manager. Last night, Marone's pregame update included a blessing and a curse. David West, the lefthander yanked from Monday's Braves game in the third inning because of lost velocity, was diagnosed as having "an inflammation on the lining of the shoulder joint," not rotator-cuff damage as originally feared.

With the clock ticking down on his 30-day rehabilitation assignment at Triple A Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre, righthander Tyler Green is returning to Dr. Craig Morgan in Wilmington to determine why he continues to have intermittent problems with his shoulder. Morgan repaired the torn labrum in the shoulder April 5, 1996. "He's having aches and pains," general manager Lee Thomas said. "The reason we want him to go is that it seems like before every start, he doesn't know if he's going to be able to make it. " Green pitched Tuesday night against Columbus and gave up four runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Samuel Dalembert settled his 6-foot-11 frame into a chair yesterday just off the practice court at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and documented his aches and pains: sore right quadriceps, jammed left thumb, assorted bruises. The 76ers' backup center understands that getting hit during a game is a part of playing pro basketball. That's why he can't understand why Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas got so upset upon being on the receiving end of an elbow from Dalembert in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night's game, won by the Sixers.

It was clear early in yesterday's Delsea-Clearview girls' basketball game that neither team would submit easily. There were fouls aplenty, and players needed no prodding to dive for loose balls. Held balls were the order of the day. It was a teeth-grinding game won by visiting Delsea, 54-44. In the middle of it was Delsea guard Becky Petsch, who held her team together and pulled it through the rough spots. Behind the 5-foot-6 junior, the Crusaders fought back from an early deficit and held off the Pioneers' end-of-game rush.

Mike Schmidt has enjoyed the most serene of spring trainings. He is hitting .423 with nine RBIs in 26 at-bats. He has none of his usual spring aches and pains. He feels good about his manager and coaching staff. And with two weeks left in spring training, Schmidt feels good about the Phillies' chances. But there is a hook to that optimism. Schmidt yesterday said what manager Lee Elia and a lot of players have been keeping to themselves - that a good start is vital to the Phils' hopes of being a factor in the National League East this season.

SEATTLE - Charlie Manuel did not sound overly concerned about Placido Polanco, who has seven hits, two extra-base hits, and six strikeouts in his last 44 at-bats. But the manager did say that the veteran third baseman is battling some nagging pains, in explaining why he gave Polanco yesterday off. "He's banged up," Manuel said. "He has aches and pains. He's been struggling some, things like that. He's got little nagging stuff. " Polanco battled a sore elbow throughout last season, then hyper-extended it in spring training.

Even at the wise age of 44, Jamie Moyer learns something every day. Yes, when he takes the mound every 5 days, but more so when he goes home to rest his aching muscles. At least he only is achy. While every other pitcher in the Phillies' Opening Day rotation suffered from everything from shoulder strains to ruptured foot tendons, Moyer was the only pitcher who didn't miss a game because of an injury. Call it what you want, but just don't call it luck. "It's anything but that," said Moyer, who started 33 games this season, posting a 14-12 record with a 5.01 earned run average.

Jay Sigel shook his head and made no bones about his frustration. "This season has been terrible," he said with a certain resignation. "I haven't enjoyed it. I am a better player than I have performed. I'm not sure I'm a better player, given the aches and pains I've had. " In years past, if you wanted to check out how Sigel was faring on the Senior Tour, you never had to run your finger very far down the money list. From the moment six years ago when the Berwyn resident and two-time U.S. Amateur champion turned pro at age 50, he has proven to himself and the world that he can indeed play in this league.

Walk into any locker room and you're bound to encounter the unmistakable odor of liniment. A whiff of the pungent salve is a sure sign that there's an injured athlete around who has rubbed it into sore muscles before going off to play. As popular and as safe as the various liniments may be, their effectiveness and what they actually do to promote relief from aches and pains is still not fully understood by the medical community. Americans certainly believe in liniments. Last year, sales of the muscle balms in this country amounted to more than $130 million.

WHO WOULD HAVE suspected that the mere mention of Andrew Bynum's name in the middle of February would be met mostly with rolling eyes and shaking heads? But that is how fans react now that 51 games have come and gone for the 76ers and the prized offseason acquisition has accumulated exactly as many minutes played as a season-ticketholder. Tuesday, the gathered media were given another State of the Bynum address, and for fans hoping for promising news, well, it wasn't exactly there.

As any gym rat knows, January can be a crowded time as health clubs overflow with new year's resolve. But this January is especially tough on thousands of former Bally Total Fitness customers in Philadelphia and around the country, who are feeling a burn unlike the one they crave. At the end of 2011, the oft-troubled Chicago chain sold 171 of its 271 health clubs for $153 million, and with them the contracts of hundreds of thousands of customers. The clubs' buyer, LA Fitness, apparently welcomed some with open arms.

THE INJURIES are starting to pile up for the 76ers. Yesterday at the team's practice at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, coach Doug Collins brought in a yoga expert so his club could work out some of the kinks it has collected during the blitz of an early season that has had them play nine games in 13 days. Gimping around the practice facility were Evan Turner (thigh contusion) and Spencer Hawes (Achilles' strain). Hawes has also been struggling with a strained back recently.

DEAR ABBY: My sister "Dena" has a lot of health issues. She weighs more than 300 pounds, has bad knees, ankles and legs, liver trouble and bad nerves. I love her dearly. She's not only my sister, but my best friend. I feel sorry for her, but I can't take her constant complaining every single day. Sure, everyone has bad days, but Dena complains to anyone who will listen - friends, family, everybody. She never asks how anyone else is doing. I beg her to make a doctor's appointment.

SEATTLE - Charlie Manuel did not sound overly concerned about Placido Polanco, who has seven hits, two extra-base hits, and six strikeouts in his last 44 at-bats. But the manager did say that the veteran third baseman is battling some nagging pains, in explaining why he gave Polanco yesterday off. "He's banged up," Manuel said. "He has aches and pains. He's been struggling some, things like that. He's got little nagging stuff. " Polanco battled a sore elbow throughout last season, then hyper-extended it in spring training.

Even at the wise age of 44, Jamie Moyer learns something every day. Yes, when he takes the mound every 5 days, but more so when he goes home to rest his aching muscles. At least he only is achy. While every other pitcher in the Phillies' Opening Day rotation suffered from everything from shoulder strains to ruptured foot tendons, Moyer was the only pitcher who didn't miss a game because of an injury. Call it what you want, but just don't call it luck. "It's anything but that," said Moyer, who started 33 games this season, posting a 14-12 record with a 5.01 earned run average.

A few days after Christmas break, Michelle Wesh started complaining of a backache. She couldn't swim the butterfly without tremendous pain, so she was content to swim breaststroke instead for the Woodbury/Gateway swim team. Coach Joe Pegues normally doesn't let his swimmers out of an event if they are complaining of aches and pains. But he made an exception for Wesh. "Michelle is one of those kids who doesn't complain unless it's bad and knows to listen to her body," Pegues said.

Samuel Dalembert settled his 6-foot-11 frame into a chair yesterday just off the practice court at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and documented his aches and pains: sore right quadriceps, jammed left thumb, assorted bruises. The 76ers' backup center understands that getting hit during a game is a part of playing pro basketball. That's why he can't understand why Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas got so upset upon being on the receiving end of an elbow from Dalembert in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night's game, won by the Sixers.

Given the math, it adds up. Six practices in three days equals nine wounded 76ers. Because of the injuries, coach Larry Brown decided that the team would have this morning off and would practice just once today at the Bryce-Jordan Center. "It's not good," Brown said last night. "I thought we needed to get our legs back. They've been working really hard, and they deserve it, so we'll take the morning off. " Atop the injury list is Matt Geiger, who, possibly as soon as today, will undergo surgery on the left knee he injured on Tuesday.

Jay Sigel shook his head and made no bones about his frustration. "This season has been terrible," he said with a certain resignation. "I haven't enjoyed it. I am a better player than I have performed. I'm not sure I'm a better player, given the aches and pains I've had. " In years past, if you wanted to check out how Sigel was faring on the Senior Tour, you never had to run your finger very far down the money list. From the moment six years ago when the Berwyn resident and two-time U.S. Amateur champion turned pro at age 50, he has proven to himself and the world that he can indeed play in this league.