Sports Injuries & Chiropractic Care

Sports injuries happen year-round but there seems to be a bit of an uptick in the fall when kids are back in school and contact sports begin in the schools. All sports include a risk of injury especially when practiced without stretching or conditioning prior to any event. Many common sports injuries including strains/sprains, ligament injury especially to knees, swollen muscles, Achilles tendon injuries, dislocations and fractures can be effectively treated with chiropractic care. Something that many people do not know is that routine chiropractic care can increase fine motor skills, while reducing the risk of injury and improving performance.

Sprains vs. Strains

Sprains occur when ligaments are stretched too far or torn. Bones are connected by ligaments, so sprains and strains occur in the joints. The most common sprains are in ankles or wrists but can occur in all other joints. Commonly you feel painful swelling and bruising and experience a temporary inability to move your joint.

Strains occur when a muscle or tendon is torn. Tendons connect muscles to bones, and when they are pulled too far, a strain occurs. The most common strains occur in the back or hamstrings. You may feel painful swelling or spasms, and you may experience a temporary inability to move the muscle.

• Knee Injuries: Knee injuries are frequently experienced by athletes. Runners may experience what is known as runner’s knee, which is a tenderness near the knee cap. You may also experience pain on the sides of your knees and tendinitis. Knees can be more severely injured with bruising to the bone or damage to cartilage and ligaments. Four major ligaments support the knee, and all can be damaged during sports activities. Knee injuries often occur from a lack of warming up, running too hard or too often, and blows or twists at the knee.
• Muscles: When certain muscles swell, they fill a tough membrane called the fascia. The fascia does not expand, so nerves and blood vessels are put under pressure, and the muscle itself may suffer damage. This painful condition is called compartment syndrome. It occurs in response to a one-time injury to the muscle, after repeated blows in certain sports like boxing, or due to long-term overuse.
• Achilles Tendon: The Achilles tendon extends from the calf muscle to the heel. This tendon is commonly stretched or torn during sports activities. They occur from overuse and when stretching is not incorporated regularly in a training routine. They can be season-ending injuries.
• Dislocation: Contact sports and high-impact sports can cause dislocations, which happen when bones that form a joint become separated. If a joint becomes dislocated, the athlete will feel intense pain, and nerves may also become damaged due to the dislocation. The joint will need to be put back into place, and you may need to wear a sling to stabilize, until swelling subsides. Chiropractic can help to restore strength and range of motion.

How can Chiropractic Care Provide Relief?

Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the brain and nervous system). It also focuses on how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. It is founded upon the principle that the body’s innate healing power is affected by and integrated through the nervous system.

Based on these principles, chiropractic care can provide relief in many ways if you are experiencing pain and injury symptoms.

• Chiropractic adjustments re-align the spine and encourage the nerve pathways to improve. Adjustments start to correct the misfiring that occurs in the neurons causing a heightened sensitivity to pain. Additionally, adjustments help improve sleep patterns. A more restful sleep helps the healing process. Adjustments also encourage better cognitive function. By realigning the Spine, Connected Chiropractic’s board-certified Chiropractor is reducing interference within the brain. Decreasing inflammation and swelling will help to improve range of motion and flexibility. You will notice an increase in tone and strength in the affected area.
• StemWave Treatment is a regenerative medical technique that utilizes harmless, yet powerful acoustic waves to activate your body’s natural healing mechanisms. This innovative technology is designed to help patients with musculoskeletal conditions by increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation and healing your body naturally.
• Massage Therapy is another tool that we utilize in the office to help with arthritis. It reduces muscle tension, stiffness in the body, and joint pain. It also helps regulate digestion and encourages sleep.
• Electrotherapy (electric muscle stimulation) is also used in our office to help reduce/relieve pain and inflammation sometimes experienced with sports injuries.
• Exercise Therapy and Education is also a benefit our office provides. The use of light aerobic exercise can help you avoid muscle stiffness and joint pain when properly incorporated into your daily routine. Good stretches are also recommended! Diet is reviewed and suggestions are made to improve your diet thereby improving the building blocks for healing. Some modifications in daily activities may also benefit those who suffer from sports injuries. We offer a wide range of activities that can help keep joints loose and pain free.
• Supplements could also be used to help ease systems. A variety can be used to improve sleep, help with depression, and decrease inflammation. Our skilled chiropractor can make recommendations on what supplements and vitamins can work best for you.
• Decompression can sometimes be helpful to relieve pain and realign the muscles joints of the body and decrease inflammation. Decompression therapy of the spine is just exactly as it implies. More specifically, this therapy decompresses the intervertebral discs of the spine while also gently stretching the muscles that run along the spine. This stretching, or spinal traction, improves spinal alignment (posture) and releases tension and tightness from the muscles and connective tissues that can irritate the nerves, which improves nerve function and mobility, and alleviates pain, numbness, and tingling.

Our goal at Connected Chiropractic is to use multiple methods to help restore and preserve your optimal health. We will make a care plan that fits your individual needs, and pairs well with what is already working, to improve your daily life.

Do not live with pain another day. Call our office to get started on your restorative path to optimal health, or schedule online today.

Clinic Hours:

Monday: 9am-11am / 3pm – 6pm
Tuesday: 9am-11am / 3pm – 6pm
Wednesday: 9am-11am / 3pm – 6pm
Thursday: 9am-11am / 3pm – 6pm
Friday/Saturday/Sunday: CLOSED

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