| We all know that steroid abuse unfortunately exists in | | | | and his shoulder complaint being less of a problem. I let |
| sport. The aim of these athletes is to cheat and gain | | | | your form your own conclusion, maybe the break did |
| an unfair advantage over their fellow athletes. The long | | | | him good. But wouldn't it made more sense for an |
| term use and over use of these steroids results in liver | | | | athlete be able to declare to their sporting body that |
| and other organ damage and can mean the cheating | | | | they had a career threatening injury that expert |
| athlete will destroy their long term health and even can | | | | medical advice said only a course of steroid treatment |
| result in premature death. | | | | would fix. The sporting body could then have their own |
| Steroids exist in the medical world as helpful option to | | | | doctors administer the treatment and impose a ban |
| repair damage cause by injuries (there are many | | | | during treatment a three month to six month ban after |
| different types of steroids and some are used to treat | | | | treatment to ensure that the treatment was from only |
| diseases and medical conditions like asthma, | | | | repairing muscle treatment - not to be a short cut to |
| inflammation, and the like). While the average citizen | | | | improving performance. This would be a more sensible |
| such and you and I have this option in treating serious | | | | approach. It would have to be strictly monitored and I |
| injuries elite athletes are banned. However short term | | | | would think only be an option allow once at most twice |
| steroid use administered by a doctor for the sole | | | | in an athletes career, but it would certainly be better |
| purpose of repairing muscle damage and injury and | | | | than the current cloak and dagger approach. |
| not for performance enhancement would lengthen the | | | | Steroids aren't a magic drug and won't fix all problems. |
| sporting lives of many athletes especially in team | | | | I myself had an injury treated with six months of |
| sports. Whereas in our occupations or businesses we | | | | steroid injections by a specialist doctor and they did |
| have numerous years to work at a career most | | | | nothing to help, with surgery being the only answer to |
| athletes have only about ten years to earn top dollar | | | | my injury. But they are an option open to doctors to |
| before being thrown aside. | | | | consider. |
| A recent example was Shane Warne in the sport of | | | | This article IS NOT approving drug use outside medical |
| cricket. Whilst never found guilty taking steroids he | | | | treatment by a qualified doctor. Rather its arguing for |
| was banned from his sport for a year for having | | | | sporting bodies to allow their athletes to be more open |
| taken a masking agent. It was well known that Shane | | | | regarding treatment of serious injuries and being more |
| Warne had a shoulder injury and after his year off he | | | | realistic. |
| came back with a return to his previous good form | | | | |
