"medical" ear stud
 

This weekend was the 2nd time this summer that a player has told me she was wearing a ear stud because of "medical" reasons. Seems that some doctors are suggesting that the pressure of a particular type of piercing in the center/middle part of the ear can help chronic migraines. In fact one of my fellow umps says his daughter was told the same thing and that she says this has helped her.

I did a google search on the subject and it seems like some do believe it. Not sure if this is a trend that will come to play in our sport. Anyone else hear of this?

Fine. But they can't play while receiving this "treatment." (At least in NFHS; for USA, I'd probably just shrug...)

"In short, acupuncture itself is a scientifically questionable therapy [for migraines] even when administered by protocol; daith piercings as an acupuncture proxy goes several steps further into the territory of shaky folk medicine. "
--- Snopes

YOU certainly had an interesting weekend.

I am a medical doctor, and I say hogwash. There is absolutely no published medical journal evidence to support those claims, and I've had to remove/dig out those things and treat infections on more than one occasion. Nip that in the bud before it gets started. I'd advise you tell the players to get a legitimate note from their medical doctor or have that nonsense out of their ears before the next set of games.

So what do you think, if indeed a player had a doctors note for an ear stud, is it a go? One might say that this is far fetched, but the world's a funny place...

As above, "But they can't play while receiving this "treatment." (At least in NFHS; for USA, I'd probably just shrug"

Cecil is right. The rule trumps the doctor's note in this case IMO (and I probably should have said that in my first response). If they get some witchcraft crazy doctor to actually write the note, all you have to say is "Well I hope it helps you, but you cannot wear that during a softball game according to the rules." The next thing out of their mouth will be "But I can't just take it out." And I would advise you say "That's too bad" and walk away.

I'll tell you guys the problem I'm facing right now with my young players--they're watching ESPN and seeing those college girls wearing those pretty simple post-style earrings, and they're coming to me and saying "If those girls can wear their earrings, why can't we?" And I tell them if you make it to college ball and ESPN, they might let you wear them also. :)

The exception in the jewelry rule is for a medical ALERT medal of some sort, usually attached as part of a bracelet, pendant on a chain, whatever, and are designed to provide medical first responders and doctors with information about the wearer's condition. Devices that have some sort of hocus pocus healing attribute, like copper bracelets or the thing you're describing, are not covered by the jewelry exception rule.

Sorry, but nice try. Take the thing off.

I agree, but I'd say "you can't play with it on" rather than "take it off".

While it wasn't some supposed medical piercing, I do remember seeing something from nfhs several years back about a player wearing an insulin pump and it should be allowed.

We have a player on the local circuit that uses an insulin pump. It used to draw attention but it seems commonplace now.

Don't interpolate, extrapolate, or expand that decision to anything someone declares as a medical device. Stay with the stated rulings.

No one could possibly confuse the need/use/intent of an insulin pump with an earring. Any earring.

Next we will have fidget spinners on the field.

And, finally, we won't have 10U girls playing in the dirt any more, lol.

Along with several other items. Besides the risk of saying that to a player :eek:, it is not our decision, but up to the player about playing without it or not playing.
I always remember a player who took herself out of a varsity game, rather than remove a WWJD bracelet. Of course, I wonder about her other games. :rolleyes: