Sports Injuries: How to Avoid and Treat Them

When you step onto a playing field, nothing is certain. Win or lose, injured or not; the outcome is unknown. That said, the more you play, the higher the risk of injury.

While sports injuries are common and expected, that does not mean there’s nothing you can do about them.

Physiotherapy and chiropractic care are two increasingly popular treatments that can help you recover from injuries so that you spend as little time away from your favorite sport as possible.

Here, the experts at Park Place Clinic list the most common sports injuries and how chiropractic care can help you avoid them. Read on to learn more.

Sprains and Strains
Anyone who has ever taken up a sport knows sprains and strains are part and parcel of an athlete’s life. These two terms sound similar, but there is a distinction between them. Sprains result from the overstretching or tearing of a ligament − the piece of tissue that connects two bones.

A strain results from the overstretching or tearing of muscles or tendons. A tendon is a thick fibrous tissue that links bone and muscle.

Luckily, most sprains and strains are mild and resolve spontaneously. In addition, warming up properly and pacing yourself as you begin to exert yourself can help prevent them in the first place.

Knee Injuries
The knee joint is the body’s most unstable joint but is also an essential body component.

From football to basketball to tennis, any sport requires extreme movement and is incredibly hard on your knees. Understandably, it is one of the most frequently injured joints.

Preventing knee injuries isn’t as easy either. In general, doctors and chiropractors alike recommend working on your quadriceps strength and practicing good body dynamics to prevent knee injuries.

Swollen Muscles
Athletes suffer from swollen muscles following injuries; swelling is a sign of inflammation. These may be from a direct impact or another sport-related injury.

Achilles Tendon Injuries
The Achilles tendon is a thick fibrous band connecting the back of your ankle to your calf muscles. Understandably as you move, it has to withstand large amounts of stress. As a result, during strenuous exercise, the Achilles tendon can rupture, causing severe debilitating pain.

Fractures
Your bones are not supposed to bend. They are thick, dense, and rigid structures that hold the entire weight of your body. However, if they bend and break, this is called a fracture.

While underlying metabolic disorders and weak bones can cause bony fractures, they are often the result of a direct blow. For instance, a football player may break his shinbone during a tackle, or a basketball player may fracture his arm following a fall.

Rest and bone cast are all you need to treat a simple fracture in most instances. In other more severe situations, you may require surgery.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help
While chiropractors are most commonly known for treating back and neck pain, they can also help prevent and treat sports injuries.

Chiropractic care is a holistic treatment. In other words, it treats your body as a whole, correcting any muscular and alignment imbalances.

On top of that, it is an effective pain remedy — a common concern among athletes. By relieving pain and helping athletes recover better between workouts, athletes can build strong, stable physiques. As a result, they spend more time on the field and less in the treatment room.

See a Chiropractor Today!
Whether you are an athlete or not, chiropractic care is a proven, effective treatment that can help you live pain-free. So if you are recovering from an injury or looking to prevent one, a chiropractic visit is one of the best things you can do.

Call (604) 646-6699 or visit our website to book a consultation today!