How a Chiropractor can Help with These 7 Common Sports Injuries

There’s no question that your chiropractor can help with sports injuries. Anyone who has ever sustained an athletic injury, major or minor, and received chiropractic care has seen just how effective chiropractic care can be at speeding recovery along. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite professional athlete, the fastest way back onto the playing field is making sure your body is healing optimally, and chiropractors can develop a plan specifically for you to get you recovering and performing at your highest level. Here are some of the most common sports injuries and how chiropractic care can help you recover from them.

Sports Injuries

In most sports, some recurring types of injury occur, and they will generally fall into the following categories:

• Fractures – bones can break due to repetitive stress or a one-time accident. You’ll know you have a fracture when it causes you pain to put any weight on the fractured bone. Chiropractors can help speed up recovery time by making sure your body is properly nourished to heal, help with inflammation reduction, and make sure your body is in a healing state to recover instead of a stressed state that slows recovery.
• Dislocations – when bones forming a joint become traumatically separated, it’s referred to as a dislocation. These injuries often happen in the area of the shoulder. Shoulder injuries will require the use of a sling, which takes pressure and weight off the injured area after the bones have been slipped back into a normal position. Chiropractors can help strengthen the area to stabilize the joint, but also make sure that the surrounding joints continue to have the mobility they should have.
• Shin splints – this type of injury is sometimes caused by inadequate warm-ups or by running on hard surfaces. However, it primarily affects joggers and long-distance runners. Chiropractors can help assess how you walk, jog, or run. Also, chiropractors can evaluate your feet, ankles, knees, and pelvis to see if they are balanced from side to side which can impact your bones, joints, and muscles which can ultimately impact performance.
• Achilles tendon injuries – a tendon stretching from the calf to the heel, the Achilles often becomes injured during sporting activities. Insufficient stretching before sports activity increases the chances of tearing or straining the tendon. Similar to above, when a chiropractor evaluates the lower half of your body, he/she will determine if there is muscle weakness, muscle tightness, pelvic unleveling which can alter the way people walk, run, jump, etc. Chiropractors can help with recovery and prevention of it from happening again.
• Knee injuries – all kinds of injuries can plague your knees in athletic competition, including sprains, soreness, tearing of supporting ligaments, and bone or cartilage damage. The type of treatment undertaken will depend on the precise nature of the injury itself. Chiropractors can help stabilize the knee joint, and help mobilize the ankle and hip joint. This allows for the knee to have less stress and movement which can decrease pain.
• Swollen muscles – sometimes when muscles swell, they can spill over into membranes known as fascia. Due to its inability to expand, the fascia, along with nerves and blood vessels, are constantly under pressure. Chiropractors can help reduce tightness and tension in the muscle groups overworked and help strengthen muscles underworked.
• Strains and sprains – when ligaments get excessively stretched, they can tear or become strained. Ligaments connect bones, so they too are vulnerable to sprains or fractures. Sprains usually occur in the wrists or the ankles, and when it does, the individual will feel pain and discomfort in their hands or legs. Chiropractors deal with these conditions daily and help recover individuals from these injuries often. Make sure the body is moving correctly to decrease the chance of this happening, and stabilizing/strengthening areas that are overworked as well.

What to do if you suffer one of these injuries

You should seek medical attention if you experience significant pain or swelling from any of the above injuries. Your local chiropractor can probably give you the best non-invasive care that doesn’t involve painkillers and medications. Until you get an appointment with your chiropractor, you should manage at home as best you can by using the RICE method – this calls for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. The general rule of thumb is to keep your weight off the affected area to prevent aggravating the condition.

If you have experienced one of the listed injuries and think you might need chiropractic care, feel free to reach out to us at Thrive Family Chiropractor. You can get scheduled for an exam and consultation for only $47 by calling (605) 718-1038 or filling out our online form.