Can a chiropractor help with sports injuries?

Chiropractors specialize in treating disorders of the musculoskeletal system. They use several techniques to treat common ailments that arise from musculoskeletal disorders, including generalized back pain, leg pain, neck pain, arm pain, headaches, sacroiliac joint pain, and repetitive strain injuries.

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 injury occurring in the future.

How do sports injuries occur?

Although playing sports can be a lot of fun and good for your health, it does come with some risks. It is common for people who play sports like football or rugby to injure their joints or even suffer concussions. Even non-contact sports that are perceived as less dangerous can cause injury if participants do not warm up properly. Most sports injuries arise from:

• forceful impacts

  When participants collide with each other, they can cause bruises, concussions, sprains, and other injuries. These types of injuries are particularly common in soccer, rugby, ice hockey, and basketball. Blunt force injuries are even possible while playing non-contact sports like volleyball and squash, as players can collide with each other.

• Repetitive movements

  Certain sports and forms of exercise require participants to perform repetitive movements, which can cause injury. Sports like rowing, cycling, and running are often associated with these types of injuries.

• over training

  Athletes who do not spend enough time recovering between sessions are at greater risk of overexertion injuries to muscles or joints.

• not heating properly

  Failure to warm up is one of the most common causes of injury.

How Chiropractic Care Can Treat Sports Injuries

Here are some of the ways that chiropractic care can resolve sports injuries:

Spinal realignment after a neck injury

Neck injuries are quite common among athletes who play very physical sports such as rugby union and basketball. Neck muscle strains and whiplash injuries can cause swelling around the neck along with pain and inflammation. A chiropractor can make some gentle adjustments to restore movement and relieve neck pain.

Pinched Nerves

A pinched nerve occurs when a nerve is compressed by ligaments, tendons, or bone. This type of injury often occurs as a result of repetitive motion or overtraining. A chiropractor can help by readjusting the alignment of your bones to relieve pressure on the nerve.

Muscle tension

Chiropractors can work with soft tissue strains, helping to restore movement and relieve pain. Some chiropractors will use kinesio tape to support tight muscles, reduce inflammation and recurring mobility. The Graston technique, heat therapy, and active release therapy can also be used to heal muscle injuries caused by playing sports.

Back pain

Back pain is a very common sports injury. It is associated with many sports, such as rowing, tennis, and rugby. A chiropractor can help you deal with back injuries by realigning your 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 Helps You Avoid Sports Injuries

A chiropractor can not only help you treat sports injuries, but can also help you avoid them by making sure your musculoskeletal system is properly aligned. Some of the benefits of a properly aligned musculoskeletal system include:

• less body wear

  When your joints are in alignment, you can avoid unnecessary wear and tear while playing sports. This means less stress on your muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

• better balance

  Proper alignment of the musculoskeletal system can improve your balance and athleticism, reducing the risk of falls and joint injuries.

• better flexibility

  Your flexibility will also improve by visiting a chiropractor regularly. This translates to increased agility on the sports field, which helps prevent collisions and resulting sports injuries.

• Better muscle performance

  Having the joints correctly aligned facilitates the use of force in the muscles. You will have great control over your strength, which helps you avoid injury.