Athletic Injuries

In Australia, 52,300 people were hospitalized for sports injuries in 2019–20. An NSW survey estimated that less than 3% of organized sports injuries are hospitalized.

Some of the athletic injuries that tend to be presented for chiropractic care include:

● Muscle strain and ligament sprains
● Meniscus tears
● Elbow and Wrist injuries
● Golfers/Tennis elbow
● Carpal tunnel
● Sprained ankles
● Shoulder pain, impingement, and bursitis
● Knee pain

How Can Chiropractic Help?

Chiropractic care specifically relates to athletic injuries as it addresses the joints, muscles, spine, and nerve supply that are directly involved and impacted by these injuries and is particularly suited to assist in the recovery of these areas. High impact and high strain sports, such as contact sports, weight lifting, running and many others, may lead to such injuries, and professionals in these areas often receive chiropractic care both for treatment of such injuries as well as for prevention.

In professional sports, it is also very common for a chiropractor to be employed full-time by a team or high performance athlete. The American Chiropractic Association reports that 90% of professional and Olympic athletes use chiropractic, all NFL teams and most MLB teams employ a full-time chiropractor, and other professionals such as golfers have a chiropractor that travels with them full time. They do this because chiropractic care makes a difference by enhancing performance by improving range of movement, resolving restrictions and posture, and assisting all body systems to perform their function in a healthier way. These professionals also use chiropractic to prevent and appropriately manage injuries that could disable their performance

One of the most critical components to the success of any athlete is maintaining flexibility. Whether it is running, throwing, catching, swinging a baseball bat, tennis racket, or golf club, all sports movements require the joints to work smoothly and in unison for optimum performance. Sports chiropractors understand how to examine the entire kinetic chain of body movement to locate areas of restriction that may be interfering with fluid body movement. Mechanics are so important that just a minor change in body posture can create a significant difference in body movement.

Over time, improper movements can result in inflammation that can result in injury, sometimes severe enough to place a player on the “disabled list.” Sports chiropractors address stretching techniques and help guide athletes on proper care, such as furnishing instructions on appropriate equipment selection, especially shoes, and knowing when to put heat or ice on an injury. Here, the wrong choice can do more damage than good.

Chiropractic care aims to help and prevent athletic injuries by:

● Ensuring that all parts of the musculoskeletal system are healthy and fully-functional
● Correcting misalignments in the spine and joints
● Maintaining a full range of motion in joints
● Providing release of tension and pain
● Supporting proper nerve supply to the muscles and organs of the body for peak performance
● Giving guidance for self-care and equipment that will be most suitable for individual needs