Treating & Preventing Sports Injuries With Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic sports medicine is an excellent resource for athletes, active teenagers, and anyone who might get hurt while performing a physical activity.
Sports injuries are common in both kids and adults. They can result from team sports, after-school activities, or everyday life. Sports chiropractors are specially trained and qualified to provide pain relief and medical treatments for injured athletes without drugs or invasive surgical procedures. There are a few chiropractors in Evansville that focus on healing and preventing musculoskeletal injuries, such as a fall, bodily impact, or repetitive use injuries.
What is a Sports Injury?
Sports injuries refer to the kinds of injuries that occur during sports or exercise. Some injuries occur from accidents, whereas others can occur as a result of poor form or incorrect training techniques. Wearing improper gear or continuing to train after pain has set in can exacerbate the situation. These injuries are usually related to the musculoskeletal system, including the bones, muscles, and cartilage.
Some of the most common sports injuries are:
- Knee injuries such as fractures, dislocations, sprains, and ligament tears
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Fractures
- Tennis elbow
- Cervical neck injuries
- Lower back or neck sprains & strains
- Dislocated joints
- Broken bones
- Tendon inflammation
- Trigger points
- Muscle strains
- Concussions
- Shin splints
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Surgery rehabilitation
- Sprained ankle
- Pulled muscles
- Knee injuries such as fractures, dislocations, sprains, and ligament tears
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Fractures
- Tennis elbow
- Cervical neck injuries
- Lower back or neck sprains & strains
- Dislocated joints
- Broken bones
- Tendon inflammation
- Trigger points
- Muscle strains
- Concussions
- Shin splints
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Surgery rehabilitation
- Sprained ankle
- Pulled muscles
- Knee injuries such as fractures, dislocations, sprains, and ligament tears
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Fractures
- Tennis elbow
- Cervical neck injuries
- Lower back or neck sprains & strains
- Dislocated joints
- Broken bones
- Tendon inflammation
- Trigger points
- Muscle strains
- Concussions
- Shin splints
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Surgery rehabilitation
- Sprained ankle
- Pulled muscles
Chiropractic and the Athlete
Regular chiropractic care has shown in clinical trials to reduce the incidence of injury in competitive athletes as well as reduce recovery times for those that do become injured. Other clinical trials have demonstrated an improvement in aerobic function, range of motion and strength after receiving chiropractic care.
Have you ever wondered why so many professional and elite amateur athletes get chiropractic care regularly, and not just when they have pain or an injury? It’s because chiropractic care has been proven to keep the body healthy, pain-free, and functioning at optimal levels. Professional athletes — golfers, tennis players, football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, rugby — have enough money to choose whatever treatments they want. And they choose chiropractic.
Here’s what NFL football players have to say about their sports chiropractor:
” …as long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I’m one step ahead of the game.” – Tom Brady, New England Patriots ~ 3 time Super Bowl Champion, 2 time Super Bowl MVP, and 2011 NFL Player of the Year.
“Those are the guys that put me on the field when I didn’t think I had a chance to be on the field. These are professionals, and God put them in my life for a reason.” – Terrell Owens, NFL Wide Receiver
“I believe in chiropractic, and I know it works. You probably know about my long and successful career in football. I’m flattered by the testimonials to my durability. Football is a very rough and vigorous sport. Chiropractic was the key to keeping me in the game.”- Jerry Rice, Wide Receiver ~ 3 time Super Bowl Champion and Super Bowl MVP
How Does a Chiropractor Treat Sports Injuries?
Chiropractors diagnose and manage sports-related injuries in a variety of ways. One of their core competencies is to determine the cause of pain and dysfunction and recommend an appropriate therapy plan. Treatments may include soft tissue therapies, joint mobilization and manipulation, rehabilitation, acupuncture, clinical massage therapy, physiotherapy, and lifestyle advice. The goal here is to restore the proper functioning of the body, strengthening and healing damaged tissues as well as reducing pain.
Chiropractors can relieve tension in the body via manual spine adjustments, ensuring that the bones are properly stacked and balanced. This allows the body to function with ease and become less susceptible to injury. We also use a variety of treatments for injuries of the neck or back and can help athletes alleviate pain and recover faster after an injury. Regular visits to a physical therapist or chiropractor can lead to a quick recovery.
How Can a Chiropractor Help Prevent Sports Injuries?
Regular chiropractic visits can help prevent sports injuries by properly aligning signals between the nerve cells, sensory organs, brain, and spinal cord. Chiropractors focus mainly on the spine, which is the main support of the body and they ensure that it is properly aligned. They also make sure that nerves are not pressed or compressed so their normal functioning can help protect against and prevent pain and injuries during exercise and physical activities.
Aligning the neck, back and shoulders as well as bone alignment in manual therapies increases balance and improves overall the condition of the body. Sports chiropractors who practice muscle therapy use techniques, such as Active Release Technique (ART) and Graston, which are recommended for preventing injuries. For runners, chiropractic can be used to prevent injury as it highlights proper alignment of the spine and pelvis and a well-functioning backbone. This also means that runners, swimmers, cyclists, weight-lifters, and other athletes can perform at their full potential.
Proven Pain Relief, Healing Techniques, & Prevention
Integrated Physical Medicine has a complete on-site gym which allows us to put you in motion to see how your body moves while performing your sport. Working in conjunction with our staff exercise physiologist, a Functional Movement Screen is employed to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. We can then tailor a strength and flexibility program unique for your needs.
Exercise rehabilitation with a strong emphasis on maintaining and improving neurological integration is initiated as soon as possible through the healing process. We understand your desire to practice, play and maintain fitness and our treatment and rehabilitation strategy will be geared toward your goals.
Chiropractic care is helpful in reducing the recovery time from injuries and repairing the damage quickly and effectively so you can get back to what you love sooner and without pain. When regular chiropractic visits are implemented before an injury, it leads to an increase in athletic performance, especially for measurable factors, such as speed, agility, balance, strength and response time.
Managing Sports Injuries Naturally
Dr. Mitz is the only chiropractor in the state to have credentials from the American Academy of Pain Management. Our contributions to the athletic community have been published in Walking and Runner’s World magazines. Our individualized treatment approach ensures that every patient has the most effective strategies available for their specific needs. We are passionate about providing natural, holistic, long-lasting healing and pain-relief and prevention.
