Chiropractors address sports injuries

By Brandi Schlossberg

For those individuals who play sports—whether as professionals, high-level amateurs or simply as a hobby for fun—spending time on the chiropractic table can become a somewhat frequent occurrence. This is because sports-related issues and injuries can be quite common, and the skills of a chiropractor can help facilitate healing and rehabilitation.

For starters, people who participate in sports are often more active, in general, than other segments of the population. This is usually because they are not only participating in the sport itself, but they also may be training for the sport and practicing when not competing in matches or games.

With all this intense physical activity, the odds of an injury tend to rise. The injury may come about as the result of an awkward spill taken during a soccer game or it may be due instead to wear and tear that takes place when one performs the same movements again and again over long periods of time. An example of the latter might be the tennis player who develops an overuse injury in her shoulder or elbow.

However, no matter what may be causing the issue or injury, booking an appointment with a chiropractor may be able to help pinpoint and address the root problems, in order to speed up the healing and rehabilitation process. The chiropractor will usually begin by examining the athlete both on and off the chiropractic table. This examination process also involves talking to the athlete about where he or she is experiencing pain, how long the issue or injury has been present, any current or previous treatments, and any insights as to the cause of the pain.

Equipped with this information, along with any other facts or clues gathered during the examination, the chiropractor may then ask the client to resume a specific position on the chiropractic table so that adjustments can begin. Of course, the chiropractic adjustments applied to the athlete will depend on the nature and location of any herniated or displaced discs, which may be placing pressure on the nerves and causing the client’s pain. Relieving pain and increasing the athlete’s range of motion are two of the key ways in which a chiropractor can help in the rehabilitation process of sports-related issues and injuries.

Athletes of all kinds spend time on the tables of skilled chiropractors, and this is especially true when those athletes are experiencing pain or injury. There are many reasons people with sports injuries may seek out chiropractic care, including a desire to heal without or with fewer drugs and possibly avoid invasive medical treatments.