If you’re actively involved in sport you will know how important it is to make sure that your physical health is in top condition, so that you can always stay at the top of your game! It can be frustrating to experience any type of sports injury, as this can take time away from your crucial training as your body is recovering, which can negatively affect your overall performance. That’s why it’s important not to wait until it’s too late and prevent these injuries from happening in the first place. The best way to do this is by visiting a chiropractor for athletes. This will improve your physical health so that you’re less likely to have any obstacles that will get in the way of your sports performance. At Active Care Chiropractic, our sports chiropractors have experience in working with sport people from amateur to professional. Therefore, we know the best techniques to help speed up recovery and to optimise your athletic performance. If you’re an athlete and not sure why you may need to see a chiropractor, then we’re here to help. In this blog we explain the benefits of how seeing one of our sports chiropractors can prevent injury, helping you maintain peak performance levels.
Signs You Should See A Chiropractor For Athletes
Unlike the average person, athletes put a lot of stress on their bodies during intense training sessions. This can lead to a range of problems including joint pain and muscle strains, which if left untreated, can lead to more serious injuries. Recovery time can be long and having to take time out from participating in your sport can be frustrating, and could mean you’re not able to reach the performance levels you once did – even after recovering! Seeing a chiropractor will not only treat any pain you’re experiencing, but will help speed up recovery time so you can get back on your feet faster and be less likely to redevelop the same injury in future.
There are several signs that athletes should lookout for that means they should see a chiropractor. If you’re experiencing soreness in your muscles and joints, you don’t want to leave this untreated as it may make this worse. Repetitive strain injuries occur in athletes when they perform repeated movements, which causes these areas to become worn and fatigued over time. Chiropractors can perform soft tissue techniques that help to relieve muscle tension and improve circulation, so you can recover with ease.
Many active runners are at risk of developing hamstring injuries. If your hamstrings are weak, tight or fatigued they are more prone to developing injuries while running. This can cause pain in the back of your leg, or tightness in your hamstring. It’s important to see a chiropractor to treat this as this injury can get in the way of your running routine. One way a chiropractor may treat this is by using red light therapy technology; a non-invasive treatment that reduces pain and inflammation in problematic areas. This technology works by increasing blood flow which will deliver oxygen to the injured tissues. Red light therapy also stimulates the production of collagen, leading to a reduced risk of forming scar tissue. Receiving this specific treatment will help you recover more quickly than if you left your hamstrings to heal on their own. That’s why seeing a chiropractor is important for those in training, so they can optimise their recovery speed and get back to doing what they love in no time.
Why Do Athletes Use Chiropractors To Prevent Injury
Amateur and professional sports people alike use chiropractors, as they understand how experiencing pain or injury can be detrimental to their athletic hobby or career. Chiropractic care is essential as it helps to not only treat existing pain, but prevents injuries from occurring in the first place. By addressing underlying biomechanical issues in the body that can lead to more serious problems if left untreated, such as: poor posture, muscle imbalances and improper technique, chiropractors can help assist athletes identify and address potential sources of injury before they become serious. Chiropractors can then assess which specialist techniques to perform in order to improve joint mobility, increase flexibility and restore proper physical function. They can also strengthen weak areas to prevent injury as well and ensure the maintenance of a healthy body.
One common condition which runners can be prone to but really should try and avoid if they want to be able to keep up their running (be it professionally or as a way of keeping fit) is shin splints. Causing dull pain and swelling along the shinbone, this can get in the way as this injury normally gets worse with exercise. One technique a sports chiropractor may use is soft tissue therapy, by performing massage and stretching techniques to help loosen the tight muscles in the leg and improve flexibility. This reduces muscle tension which can help to relieve stress put on this area and improve the overall function of the joints to reduce the risk of injury.
Another sports injury that many will want to prevent is an elbow repetitive strain injury; those who play sports such as tennis or golf are naturally more at risk, in fact this condition is often referred to as Tennis or Golfers Elbow! This can be caused by repeated stress put on the elbow from the strain of each shot or swing. This can result in pain and inflammation in the injured area, and prevent you from playing your favourite sport. Chiropractors can help to prevent elbow strain by performing specific exercises to strengthen weak muscles and improve flexibility. By addressing this, it can help to improve the body mechanics, reducing strain on specific areas of the body, which will also reduce the risk of injury.
See A Chiropractor For Sports Soft Tissue Therapy
Sport chiropractors offer a range of specialist techniques that help target the pain in the muscles, joints and ligaments to help speed up recovery and prevent injury. One of the most common techniques that a chiropractor for athletes will perform is soft tissue massage. Our chiropractors are qualified in several specialist soft tissue techniques, including Graston Technique and Active Release Techniques, which is considered the gold-standard in soft tissue treatment and used by athletes all over the world. Receiving sports massage therapy is an effective way to relieve pain such as shin splints, shoulder pain and knee pain. These symptoms can be caused by the overuse of muscles which can potentially lead to minor pulls or tears, furthermore, leading to scar tissue build up. This can be detrimental for athletes as this can reduce the range of movement and strength in these muscles and cause pain, which means they won’t be able to perform as well as normal. People who are involved in a sport are more likely to experience this as they put more strain on their body and the key joints than the average person, so they are more at risk of experiencing overused muscles. Seeing a chiropractor for sports massage therapy will target the muscles, tendons, ligaments, connective tissue and nerves, to alleviate tension, improve motion and create a long lasting pain relief.
A York Based Sport Chiropractor
At Active Care Chiropractic we have experience in performing treatments on professional and amateur athletes, so we know how important it is to make sure the body is in its best condition in order to maintain and improve sports performance. However, you don’t have to be a top athlete to see the benefits. If you take part in any sport at any level, it is wise to seek treatment from a chiropractor to prevent injury and optimise performance. Our chiropractors are educated in the diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries. In the past, our lead chiropractor has worked with Olympic athletes at the 2012 London Olympic Games, emphasising our knowledge and experience in treating sport related injuries effectively to speed up recovery and get you back on your feet. At Active Care, we take pride in helping all our patients recover from injury and start heading towards a pain free life.
