Whether you play sports for fun or are a professional athlete, you are at risk for sports injuries. An injury can keep you out of action for days, weeks, or even months. An unattended sports injury can lead to long-term consequences.
Some common types of sports-related injuries include swollen muscles, sprains and strains, shin splints, and dislocations. These injuries can take a toll on both one’s physical and mental health.
Many athletes use chiropractic care as an adjunct to other treatment modalities to manage injury pains. Chiropractic care is 100 % drug-free and non-invasive. Unlike many popular treatment modalities, it has no serious side-effects.
How Does It Work?
If you are dealing with a sports injury, consult a sports chiropractor near you in Santa Rosa. Chiropractors use their hands or a small handheld device called the Activator to apply a controlled, sudden force to realign the spine.
Chiropractic care addresses the root cause of pain, and is more effective than many modern popular treatment modalities that focus only on masking pain symptoms. Several studies have found that chiropractic care can relieve pain, reduce joint inflammation and restore or enhance joint function.
Chiropractic Care Can Help You Recover Quicker
Whether you have an injured back, neck, shoulder or ankle, your chiropractor can help ensure that your bones and joints are lined up and balanced, which in turn, helps relieve tension in the body.
An adjustment can remove nerve interference and help the body release toxins, which can fast-track recovery from a sports injury.
Chiropractors use a combination of different therapies including heat and cold therapy, and massage therapy to take pressure off the affected nerves and joints and increase blood flow to the affected area.
Studies have found that chiropractic care stimulates the brain to produce feel-good hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin that promote wellbeing and reduce the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, vasopressin, and growth hormone.
Address Spinal Misalignment
Your spinal column protects vital organs and nerves, offers structural support to your body and promotes flexibility. A sports injury can cause spinal misalignment. A misaligned spine is not only unable to do its job, but can also increase your risk for complications and more serious issues such as chronic pain, reduced range of motion, stiffness, tension, and lack of energy.
A chiropractor can help address spinal alignment issues. Chiropractors use gentle force to push the spine back into alignment. When the spine is properly aligned, your balance and flexibility improve. A properly aligned spine reduces your risk of further sports injuries and restores the body’s natural self-healing mechanism.
A healthy spine can improve blood circulation, help reduce inflammation and reduce muscle tension, pains and aches. This improves the body’s ability to heal itself.
Address Asymmetries
Asymmetrical body parts can limit your range of motion. Limited range of motion is a common cause of sports injuries. Your chiropractor can help prepare the body to handle asymmetries and function as one unit. When your body functions as a cohesive unit, you are less prone to sports injuries.
Improve Range of Motion and Flexibility
Congenital defects, injuries sustained in an accident and a health condition can cause reduced range of motion. Limited range of motion can affect athletic performance and increase your risk for sports injuries.
Several studies have concluded that chiropractic care can improve range of motion and flexibility. Chiropractors use spinal manipulations and adjustments to treat pain, realign the joints and bones, and improve flexibility. This reduces one’s susceptibility to injuries.
If you are recovering from a sports injury, your chiropractor will teach you simple, yet effective exercises such as neck or arm rolls, neck, leg, hip or back stretches and strengthening techniques that improve flexibility.
Treatment Process
During your first consultation session with a sports chiropractor near you in Santa Rosa, the professional may ask you questions about your medical history. They may want to know if you are currently taking any medications or undergoing treatment. Your chiropractor will ask you to describe your symptoms and the nature of your pain.
It’s important that you provide accurate information to your chiropractor. Carry your physician’s prescription and medications if necessary.
Next, the chiropractor will conduct a physical exam to check your range of motion, muscle strength and flexibility. They may also order imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans and MRI scans to get to the root of your pain.
Once your chiropractor acquires an in-depth understanding of your condition, they will create a customized treatment plan. When creating a treatment plan, a chiropractor should take into account the condition of the patient’s spine, the nature and extent of the problem they’re facing, their general health and treatment goals.
In addition to providing your chiropractic adjustments, your chiropractor may use ice and heat therapy or only ice or heat therapy for pain management.
What Happens During An Adjustment?
Your chiropractor will ask you to lay down on the chiropractic table. Once you are comfortable, your chiropractor will use their hand to apply a sudden controlled force to your spine, knee, elbow, shoulder, ankle, or knee joint.
Don’t worry if you hear a cracking or popping noise. These noises occur when air pressure in the joints is released. Any pain or discomfort after an adjustment is usually temporary and subsides within 24-48 hours.
How long will treatment last? This is one of the most common questions patients ask their chiropractors. The number of treatment sessions you need will depend on your treatment goal and the nature of your pain.
Toth Chiropractic is committed to helping people struggling with joint pain. Dr. Douglass Toth is a highly empathetic chiropractor who is specialized and experienced in creating personalized treatment plans for his patients. This unique care plan is what sets him apart and gets you back to the sports you love sooner. To make an appointment with him, call (707) 355-6535.