Do you have a minor sports injury? If so, you could be wondering if a chiropractor can help with sports injuries or perhaps more proactively – what can a chiropractor do for sports injuries?
The answer is that chiropractors can do quite a lot to help with many different types of minor sports injuries. From realigning your spine after a neck injury to helping with pinched nerves, back pain, muscle strains, and tennis/golfer’s elbow…
In this post, I look at the many and varied ways we, as chiropractors, can help with some of the most common types of minor sports injuries.
Probably the most important aspect of chiropractic care for sports injuries is our focus. For instance, we don’t focus on your injury alone but consider your overall neuromusculoskeletal alignment and function. And look at how we can help you recover from sprains, strains, and joint pain with therapies like:
The aim of this type of chiropractic care for minor sports injuries is to boost your body’s own natural healing abilities so you heal faster.
In particular, these therapies work to:
Chiropractors can also provide guidance around correct biomechanics, good posture, and safe but effective training techniques. All of which can help you perform at your best, and prevent re-injury. More specifically, here is what a chiropractor can do for various types of sports injuries:
If you play a contact sport, you may have experienced a neck injury of some type. They are quite common in these sports and can result in a misalignment of your cervical spine.
Chiropractic care for a sports-related neck injury often includes spinal adjustments to:
Correct vertebral alignment also helps prevent future injuries by ensuring your neck and spine function correctly.
Pinched nerves can happen anywhere in the body but are most common in your neck and spine. They are often extremely painful and can adversely impact your sporting performance.
A chiropractor addresses the root causes of pinched nerves associated with spinal issues to help reduce pain and inflammation. We do this through targeted adjustments that help correct nerve compression to restore normal nerve function.
Muscle strains also happen quite often in sports and can range from very mild to very severe. Chiropractors use techniques such as soft tissue therapy and muscle release to help ease tension in affected muscles.
These techniques encourage better healing, restore strength and flexibility to your muscle tissues, and reduce the risk of further injury. The faster you can heal, the sooner you can resume your sport!
Back pain is debilitating, and unfortunately common in sports that require repetitive movements or heavy lifting.
The good news is that chiropractic adjustments can realign your spine, improve your overall posture, and reduce strain on your back muscles and ligaments. This not only reduces pain but also benefits your overall spinal health.
A strong back and functional muscle structure help future proof your back against further injuries.
These conditions, which are the result of repetitive strain on the tendons in the elbow, may not be immediately associated with chiropractic care.
However, chiropractors can use soft tissue techniques and suggest rehabilitation exercises to help reduce inflammation and encourage healing in the affected tendons.
Chiropractors can also provide education about correct biomechanics, training techniques, and posture to improve your tennis or golf swing and reduce the risk of further injury.
Regular chiropractic care is a bit like ‘preventative maintenance’ for your body. Just like your car benefits from regular services and tune-ups, so too will your body.
For example, maintaining your car properly helps protect it from wear and tear damage caused by regular use, and so prolongs its working life. Similarly, if you keep your joints, muscles, and ligaments functioning correctly with regular chiropractic care, it reduces overall wear and tear that can result in injuries.
Good balance and coordination are hallmarks of good athletic performance but it does require correct spinal and joint alignment.
Chiropractors can assess and correct any misalignments to help you move more efficiently and reduce the risk of falls or other balance-related injuries.
Flexibility is central for injury prevention, especially in sports that incorporate a wide range of motion.
Chiropractors can use techniques like joint mobilisation along with stretching exercises to improve your flexibility and keep your muscles and joints moving freely without strain.
When the nerves that control your muscles are operating at their best, it naturally follows that your muscles should perform better too!
Spinal adjustments help ensure your spinal cord and spinal nerves, which control the rest of your peripheral nerves, are working correctly with minimal interference.
Chiropractors use several techniques to address specific minor sports injuries:
Chiropractors offer both treatment options and preventative strategies for sports injuries. With a focus on overall musculoskeletal alignment, motion, and function, chiropractic care is a good option for many minor sports injuries involving sprains, strains, and joint pain.
We also provide education and guidance around training approaches, lifestyle, and exercise to help prevent future injuries.
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