Chiropractic can help sports injuries!
The risk of injury in any type of sport increases with age because both the muscle strength and the elasticity of the ligaments decreases past the age of about thirty.
Obviously, if you are very fit, you warm up, you train appropriately throughout the year and you are careful not to continue exercising if you are ill or are injured, you are less likely to need help from a chiropractor.
However, accidents do happen and if you are injured while exercising, then Chiropractic treatment can be very helpful in treating the injury. Chiropractic treatment aims to restore good ranges of joint motion, joint flexibility, muscle function, control and co-ordination, as well as to assist the development and maintenance of muscle strength.
Not only that, but you will be recommended specific stretches and exercises, as well as advice on proper posture, to help prevent the problem from recurring.
Actually, you don’t have to be injured to benefit from massage or Chiropractic treatment. Performers of any sporting level can benefit from sports-specific massage and manipulation at any stage of their participation. Massage also works well for the actual prevention of an injury. If things have gone wrong and an injury has happened, massage can be very beneficial in the recovery.
HIIT
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is basically introducing a few short bursts of high intensity activity with short periods of recovery in between, for a few minutes each week. HIIT works on the basis that vigorous exercise is good for you and that you activate more of the body’s muscle cells.
Risks of practising HIIT
HIIT is vigorous exercise and all of us – even fit, well-trained athletes – can over do it! HIIT is mainly for fit people wanting to gain that extra level of fitness, often to compete at a sport.
Vigorous or HIIT training needs to be done very carefully. Be smart! Don’t rush in and if you are in any doubt, have a medical check or come in for a Chiropractic or spinal check up before you start. Done wrongly, HIIT training can do a lot more harm than good.
Medical conditions that may contradict HIIT
Obesity
Type 2 Diabetes
Cardiovascular Disease or High Blood Pressure
There are clear risks, which include heart attack, strokes and sudden death.
Other risks of HIIT
Performing vigorous exercise like HIIT without using the proper technique or warmly up carefully is also implicated in an increased risk of joint strains, the development of long-term tension, overuse injuries and an increased risk of osteoarthritis.
Shoulder, Knee and Hip Injuries
The shoulder, knee and hip are areas of the body that are particularly prone to sporting injuries. No matter the type of injury, Chiropractic can be highly effective in treating the affected area, promoting a comfortable healing process and hopefully resulting in a full recovery.
If you have had a sporting injury and would like advice, please call us at the Back Care Clinic.
Please also find below our blog entries relating to sporting injuries:
Tennis Elbow
The so-called Tennis Elbow is one of the most common injuries seen from tennis, together with back and shoulder injuries.
The term Tennis Elbow is used to describe pain found on the outer part of the elbow and the upper part of the forearm. Tennis Elbow is due to inflammation of the tendon and bony protuberance at the outer part of the elbow. It is in fact an overuse injury; repetitive, forceful movements at the wrist, which bring the thumb outwards and the palm upwards, can cause shortening of the muscles. This causes the attachment of these muscles at the outer part of the elbow to be placed under considerable tension and a sudden movement at the wrist may cause a tear in the muscle and tendon. The repetitive action of gripping, twisting and moving the wrist can cause inflammation of the tendon that attaches to the muscles of the forearm which straighten the fingers and the wrist.
Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
- Pain over the outside of the elbow, which may travel up or down the arm.
- Wrist weakness.
- Tenderness over the outside of the elbow.
Tennis elbow is a very disabling condition for some people. Some sufferers find it difficult to perform simple tasks like writing, spreading butter on a sandwich or holding a cup of tea.
Causes
Obviously, playing tennis may be one of the causes e.g. if you have a faulty backhand technique or a faulty grip, but other racquet sports can also cause the same injury.
You may be surprised to learn that D.I.Y. and gardening can cause this injury (e.g. the use of a screw driver or the use of garden clippers). Professionals such as electricians and carpenters are also prone to this injury.
Treatment
Initially, it is important to reduce the inflammation and to rest the elbow as much as possible. The use of ice is very effective in the first two or three days but sometimes needs to be used for a longer period.
Sometimes a tennis elbow brace may be needed (not an elbow strap), particularly if the problem is persistent.
Obviously, any faulty techniques in the game must be corrected.
The chiropractor will also examine any area relating to the function of the your elbow and muscles of the forearm, such as the wrist, shoulder and, more importantly, the neck.
The second part of the treatment involves increasing the blood circulation to the tissues. This can be done by alternating hot and cold or the use of ultrasound.
When the pain has subsided, it is possible to undertake a rehabilitation programme of power and stretching exercises for the elbow and the affected muscles, taking care that the exercises are done slowly and carefully so as not to make the condition recur.
Most injuries occur either at the beginning or the end of the game. Often, at the beginning of the game, this is because proper warm up techniques haven’t been used whilst towards the end of the game, injuries may occur when people are more fatigued. Don’t forget that hitting a tennis ball travelling at 30 miles per hour is equivalent to lifting 55lbs!
Health Issues from Overtraining
If you are exercising regularly, or excessively, it may be crossing the line of balance; going beyond hurting and becoming harmful. I have written about this in more detail here, but in short, some of the potential effects of overtraining are:
Dizziness
Tiredness and sleep disturbances
Heart stress
Persistent muscle pain
Please read Health Issues from Overtraining for more details.
If you have had a sporting injury and would like advice, please contact us at the Back Care Clinic.
Please also find below our blog entries relating to sporting injuries: