There are a number of conditions that can result from playing sports. A variety of muscles, joints and ligaments are used when involved in active play, all of which can be affected by strain from overuse, trauma, or not being properly warmed and cooled down.
Sports injuries are generally in the form of soft tissue injuries, which refers to any damage to the soft tissues of the body, such as ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves, joints and connective tissue.
There are a number of ways in which a soft tissue sports injury can occur:
- Muscle strain – when the muscle or tendon is pulled too far in one direction
- Contusions – resulting from a direct blow to the muscle/tissue
- Tendonitis – when the tendon becomes overstressed and inflamed, often due to inappropriate equipment, faulty technique and lack of flexibility
- Ligament Sprains – when the ligament is stretched beyond its normal range
The Chiropractors at Back to Basics Chiropractic specialise in the non-drug treatment of musculoskeletal problems, including joint sprains and disk injuries. Often, when a muscle or joint is injured, the body naturally compensates, attempting to maintain balance and protect itself by tightening other muscles and joints. For example, the persistent pain in your shoulder could be the result of a direct injury to the shoulder; it could also reflect your body’s compensation for spinal-joint movement restrictions in your neck.
Many athletes are being sidelined with injuries that could be avoided, or sitting out on the bench because their injury is not responding to ordinary treatment. Others still are playing, but at less than peak efficiency, simply because their structural system is not balanced. During many sports, body contact, fast stops and starts, and positioning place an unusual amount of strain on the spine and structural system. At the 2009 world games there were 1514 chiropractic treatments to athletes and support staff1. As a result, chiropractic gives special attention to the spine, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves of the athlete. In fact, many high level athletes visit a Chiropractor before a game to help prepare joints and muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
Chiropractic adjustments assist in restoring the natural balance that was present before the injury. Treatment of sports injuries at Back to Basics Chiropractic includes widely used physical therapies such as ice for swelling and inflammation and heat and electronic muscle stimulation for muscle strains and sprains. These techniques can help athletes return to training and perform at their peak level sooner.
1. J Manipulative PhysiolTher. 2011 Jan;34(1):54-61. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2010.11.003. A report of the 2009 World Games injury surveillance of individuals who voluntarily used the International Federation of Sports Chiropractic delegation. Nook DD, Nook BC.
