Many athletes and sporting professionals incorporate chiropractic care into their overall wellness regimen. With the Australian love of sport, chiropractors regularly come across sporting-related ailments and provide care to patients who participate in sport. Injuries in sports happen all the time. Understanding what kind of injuries, and why they occur can help minimise the risk of injury and keep the body doing what it does best.
Generally speaking, there are 2 types of injury sustained through sporting activities; acute and repetitive / overuse. An acute injury is usually related to trauma – a hard tackle in footy, a bump or hit from another player, or just an unfortunate incident involving the ground. These types of acute injury are hard to prevent but luckily, they are also less common.
Overuse injuries or repetitive strain-based injuries are far more common and usually involve a dysfunction in the body or poor form / technique. Over-use injuries usually start slowly, and because of this are generally not noticed or minimise. Some repetitive sports injuries may begin with tightness or pulling only and overtime turn into a strain or in some cases can be the causative factor for a severe injury to your joints and muscles. A good example of an overuse injury is a rotator cuff injury. In many instances there can be many precipitating factors and not necessarily one injury that leads to rotator cuff strains/sprains or tears.
Muscles can be strained from overuse in sports like tennis or rugby, but they are far more likely to be overused and strained if they’re already under stress from bad posture and poor positioning due to bad habits. With the shoulders, spine and neck in a compromised position, the body cannot work efficiently and is closer to its straining point. Sports injuries chiropractors in Sydney are certain to be busy unless this basic starting advice is heeded by more athletes.
To prevent sports injuries, chiropractors recommend that firstly you ensure you are using the correct equipment – including any necessary protective equipment. Ensure you have good technique / form for your sport and avoid (where possible) situations that compromise the integrity of your body. Increase your training gradually over time, making sure to warm up and cool down before training and games. Before the start of your sport season your chiropractic team may check your posture and examine you for any unusual movement mechanics that may lead to an overuse injury. Remember, your chiropractor is your health care provider who focuses on the spine and nervous system of your body. Chiropractic may be able to removing nervous interference in order to help the body do what it does best – heal itself.
If you want to get the most out of your body and are looking for ways to prevent injuries for, speak with our team of chiropractors today for more information and appointments.