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Interview with KTM rally-doctor Ralph Pariasek
For seven years Ralph Pariasek, a Viennese, takes care of KTM’s participants during the Dakar Rally. The 38-year-old is a trained physiotherapist and doctor for osteoporosis. With his experience he knows more than the essentials about the medical care of motorcycle riders.
What is it every rider should be aware of if riding on a motorcycle for a prolonged period of time?
Physical fitness is a basic condition for a long motorcycle trip. It includes a special training of strained body parts like the lower arms or the muscles in the hand. The back, too, should get his share of exercise. And we don’t want to forget the stamina. It gets better when one walks or rides a bicycle. I’d like to recommend a 45-minute exercise at a low heart beat rate for about three times a week. An optimal exercise can be easily measured if compared to a good pulse rate. Or: One should be able to talk easily without getting out of breath while doing stamina training.
I’d further like to recommend a physical check-up at the doctors. It is something one should do anyways.
It is further important to heed the vaccination- and entry regulations of the countries one is planning to visit. That is something you’ll have to check out before leaving for a trip. And you need to understand that vaccinations and medications usually take a while to get working in your system and therefore to guarantee the appropriate protection. The development of medicines is already far advanced, but still gets better. A while ago Lariam was for example a useful medication against malaria. Nowadays one uses Malerone. Information like this you can obtain at the appropriate institutions or at the institutes of tropical diseases.
Besides the basic medical provisions and good physical fitness it is further important to wear a well fitting protection gear. It needs to be adjustable to the various weather conditions which can be found in the different regions.
Please note! You don’t want to think that if traveling to Africa one only needs light clothing because it is hot there anyway. That is a misunderstanding. On the African continent it can become cold as well, especially during the morning our or at night. One will definitely have to protect sensitive body parts like head, spine, hands and legs – against heat, too, even for short distances!
No professional would sit on a motorbike wearing only his shower sandals. So do not try to save on the equipment and definitely not on the quality.
What would the medical repertoire have to include?
As basic equipment one would have to take along a clinical thermometer, tweezers, scissors and disposable syringes. Syringes and its drain tubes are very helpful if one wants to pop a blister. And since they are sterilized they help prevent infections.
If one suffers a crash during the trip it becomes important to take along appropriate items for the tending of the wound. It is therefore important to carry along either Betaisadona or a solution of hydrogen peroxide. Both can be bought at a drugstore without a prescription.
Further you should have adhesives and bandages in store. Be careful that the bandages do not have adhesive wound medicine (Jelonet). You should also carry elastic pads, blister adhesives and sterile tissue.
In case one falls ill there should be some antipyretic and painkillers at hand. But be careful, medications like this also slow down your reaction times. Multi-purpose antibiotics, a medication for the circulation and aspirin should also be found among the luggage. And – as funny as it may sound – take along some lotion for your behind. Nothing is worse that an aching rear end which after long rides does not want to sit on its seat any longer. Or what do you think? You better don’t underestimate this problem.
Same is true for diarrhea. It is easy to get an upset stomach especially in foreign regions. Then you’ll need some medication for diarrhea. Don’t forget diarrhea makes you loose lots of fluid. Therefore take along some electrolytes. On the other hand one shouldn’t underestimate constipation either. I’d like to give you the advice to rather take along some medication instead of being plagued the whole time.
Another underestimated and seldom thought off problem are infections of the eyes. But it happens faster than you might think. Air stream, sand and the cold are tough on your eyes. Therefore you should take along an eye wash on your trip.
And an ointment for burns. One really can’t be too careful when preparing for a trip. One should think of every possible danger situation. One can easily get burned while repairing the engine or exhaust. No matter how small the burn is it needs to be tended to. So don’t for get the ointment!
There are certainly many things one should think of when going on a large tour. Here is some additional information coming from years of experience which I like to pass on. Don’t forget ear plugs. If you are traveling by ferry you don’t want to forget some medication against sea-sickness. You should eat some multi-vitamin pills if you aren’t nourished well. And pack some magnesium (powder or pills) against cramps.
I further like to add that the allergic reactions of our body might change. People who never used to fight with allergic reactions might suddenly get hay fever. Nobody is safe of this nowadays.
A recommendation: Add a anti-allergic medication (Antihistamin) to your first-aid-kit. One never knows when a wasp sting or some pollen of a plant might provoke an allergic reaction.
Can you give some advice for the medicines that should be carried along on the trip? Is there anything especially KTM 950 Adventure rider should notice?
The basic equipment of the first-aid-kit is about the same. There is something else that contributes to it. It is the physical strength on needs for the steering of such a potent bike. Especially the muscles of the lower arms get strained. The strong engine stretches the lower arms; but not only them. The shoulder area and the muscles in the back have to work at full power. Therefore I’d like to emphasize it again – you need to exercise your body. And if you are in pain you should definitely not ignore it or grab for the painkillers.
Why shouldn’t one make usage of the painkillers?
Pain is important information our body gives. It should definitely be heeded. Anyone feeling overpowered I would recommend to take the day off and rest. That is way better than to be in pain for the rest of the tour.
One can certainly take painkillers. However one shouldn’t forget that all painkillers slow down our reaction time and all information coming from our body are treated differently. Due to the medication it gets harder to find out about the origin of the pain and to tell about its intensity.
Nothing is worse than damage to ones health even after the trip has been “survived.”
Here is a final tip: We should think of our body like of an engine. There we listen for the smallest noise. So it won’t turn into a big repair, we react immediately. The same is true for our body: Better be safe than to experience some bad surprise!
It is further important to properly estimate ones skills – especially with a potent motorbike like the KTM 950 Adventure.
What becomes important on a trip concerning the food? What is the difference to everyday life?
Of course there are differences. On the trip one needs more calories. Therefore one should eat light food. For that, I like to recommend snack bars which are rich on calories – they are ideal especially on the way. They are a great sack for in between. One should eat a good breakfast, lunch and supper – if the tour allows doing so.
You don’t want to forget that you’ll need lots of fluids. I follow the rule: 1 ? - 2 liters a day. If the day is strenuous you should double it (3-4 liters). If additionally heat is added to it, for example in Africa, fluids of 6-8 liter are a must.
But be careful of the quality of the water. It is recommended to take along pills which sterilize the water. Just as important as water is the minerals the body needs. You’ve got a wide variety of producers and tastes you can choose from.
For the water storage I’d like to recommend the “camel backs” which can easily be carried along.
The trip is over. Is there anything one should be aware off or is everything done?
In case one is hurt during the trip one will have to get it checked by a doctor at home. That should also be remembered if one has continuing intestine problems. Even if it isn’t such a nice thing to do I’d rather go and have some stool examined.
Everything concerning diseases and the protection of it should be handled by a doctor or a specialist at the institute for tropical diseases. These institutes are always up to date concerning diseases and the effectiveness of medicines.
My advice: When in doubt better check with these institutions! |
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