Chiropractors specialise in the treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. They use various techniques to treat common ailments arising from musculoskeletal disorders, including generalised back pain, leg pain, neck pain, arm pain, headaches, sacroiliac joint pain, and repetitive strain injury.
Chiropractic care can also be beneficial for the treatment and prevention of sports injuries. This article will explain how a chiropractor can help you recover from a sports injury or make adjustments that reduce the risk of an injury occurring in the future.
How are sport injuries caused?
Although playing sport can be a lot of fun and is beneficial for your health – it does carry some risk. It is common for people playing sports like football or rugby to injure their joints or even suffer from concussions. Even non-contact sports which are perceived as being less dangerous can cause injury if participants do not warm up correctly. Most sports injuries arise from:
- Forceful impacts When participants collide into one another it can cause bruising, concussions, sprains, and other injuries. These kinds of injuries are particularly common in football, rugby, ice hockey, and basketball. Injuries from forceful impacts are even possible while playing non-contact sports like volleyball and squash as players can run into one another
- Repetitive motions Certain sports and forms of exercise require participants to perform repetitive motions, which can cause injury. Sports like rowing, cycling and running are often associated with these types of injuries.
- Over-training Sportspeople who don’t spend enough time recovering between sessions are at greater risk of suffering injuries from overuse of muscles or joints.
- Failure to warm up properly Failure to warm up is one of the most common causes of injuries.
How chiropractic care can treat sports injuries
Here are some of the ways that chiropractic care can resolve sports injuries:
Realigning the spine after a neck injury
Neck injuries are quite common amongst sportspeople who play very physical sports like rugby and basketball. Neck muscle strains and whiplash injuries can cause swelling around the neck along with pain and inflammation. A chiropractor can perform some gentle adjustments to restore movement and alleviate neck pain.
Pinched Nerves
A pinched nerve occurs when a nerve is compressed by ligaments, tendons or bones. This kind of injury often happens as a result of repetitive motions or over training. A chiropractor can help by readjusting the alignment of your bones to relieve pressure on the nerve.
Muscle strains
Chiropractors can work with soft tissue strains, helping to restore movement and relieve pain. Some chiropractors will use kinesio taping to support strained muscles, reduce inflammation, and resorted mobility. The Graston Technique, heat therapy, and Active Release Therapy may also be used to heal muscle injuries caused while playing sport.
Back pain
Back pain is a very common sports injury. It is associated with many sports including rowing, tennis, and rugby. A chiropractor can help you deal with back injuries by realigning the spine in a way that relieves pain and restores mobility.
Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
These conditions are caused by repetitive motions like swinging a tennis racket or golf club hundreds of times. A chiropractor can provide treatments to help you regain mobility in the affected joint.
How chiropractic care help you avoid sports injuries
Not only can a chiropractor help you treat sports injuries, they can help you avoid them by ensuring your musculoskeletal system is correctly aligned. Some of the benefits of a correctly aligned musculoskeletal system include:
- Less wear and tear on the body When your joints are aligned, you can avoid unnecessary wear and tear while playing sports. This means less strain on your muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
- Better balance Correct alignment of the musculoskeletal system can improve your balance and athleticism – which reduces the risk of falls and joint injuries.
- Better flexibility Your flexibility will also improve by visiting a chiropractor regularly. This results in better agility on the sporting field, which helps you avoid collisions and resulting sports injuries.
- Better muscle performance Having correctly align joints make it easier to harness the strength in your muscles. You will have great control over your strength, which helps you avoid injuries.