Plenty of people enjoy playing sports, but getting hurt isn’t uncommon. Approximately 3.5 million sports injuries occur every year.
There’s always a risk of injury when taking part in sports, and this can vary a lot depending on the sport in question. In many cases, this will happen due to an unexpected accident, but it can also be the result of regular wear and tear.
Musculoskeletal systems can only take a certain amount of abuse before something goes wrong. When this happens, you could be in quite some pain, and recovery can be a slow process. There are several approaches you can take to help recover from injuries, and one of the most effective is seeking the help of a professional chiropractor.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at the benefits that a chiropractor can offer when it comes to injury care. Keep reading for more.
Sports Injuries That a Chiropractor Can Treat
Continuing to partake in your sport before you’ve healed could make things much worse, so it’s best to make sure you’re fully recovered first. Sports injuries can vary a lot, so it’s important to understand that you may need a specific type of treatment. Chiropractors can’t treat everything, but there’s a range of common sports injuries and symptoms that they could help you recover from.
If you’re uncertain about your injury, a chiropractor can assess it to determine whether they can help. Some common injuries and symptoms chiropractors can deal with include:
- Sprains and strains
- Knee injuries
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Nerve impingement
- Lower back pain
- Neck pain or stiffness
- Inflammation
- Disc herniation
- Plantar fasciitis
If you’re suffering from any of these, a chiropractor may be able to help speed up your recovery so you can get back to your normal life sooner.
Benefits of Chiropractic Sports Injury Care
If you hurt yourself, finding a chiropractor for sports injuries could be your best move. They can offer sports injury treatment that can get you back on your feet, and they provide several key benefits.
Effective Healing
A lot of people turn to pain medication when they’re injured. While this can make you feel better, it doesn’t actually do anything to help you recover. It simply reduces the pain you’re feeling so that you’re more comfortable.
Chiropractic care specifically targets the source of pain and discomfort. A chiropractor will work to treat the condition, which will lead to a reduction in symptoms.
If you want to get back to your sport, the injury itself must be treated, not just the pain. Otherwise, you could start being active again too soon and make the injury worse.
A chiropractor can assist you from preparation to rehabilitation. They’ll also be able to advise you of when you can get back to doing what you love.
Less Downtime
On top of being an effective form of sports injury recovery, chiropractic treatment can also be highly efficient. Rest is ideal when you’re injured, but this can result in a loss of strength and flexibility. This will be noticeable when you get active again and could contribute to future injuries.
Chiropractic techniques encourage motion and activity throughout your recovery. This may not be quite the same as intense exercise, but it helps keep your muscles and joints active. As such, you’ll be able to get back to your top form sooner.
Reduced Need for Pain Medications
While medicinal pain relief can be helpful, you shouldn’t rely on it when you don’t need to. People often become dependent on painkillers when they take them regularly. Many understand this and therefore prefer to seek care that doesn’t involve medicine or other invasive treatments.
Chiropractic treatment helps to reduce pain without the need for medication. It does this by improving circulation and triggering the release of natural pain-relieving hormones in the body. These combat discomfort and inflammation, and many patients who go to chiropractors for sports injuries find they don’t need any pain medication at all.
Improved Range of Movement
A lack of flexibility can make injuries more common, and those who have suffered injuries often find that they’re less flexible after recovering. This effect on their ability to move can affect their future performance and make recurrent injuries more likely.
Chiropractic treatment can reduce inflammation effectively, and this can have a sizable impact on your ability to move. Being able to get back to a full range of motion quickly will help ensure you don’t lose as much flexibility throughout your recovery. You’ll then be able to perform day-to-day movements and return to your chosen sport sooner.
Improved Performance
On top of helping improve your flexibility, chiropractic treatment can also help improve your strength. An overall improvement in function is ideal for any athlete, especially when taking time off due to an injury. A strong body can provide better posture, reduced stiffness, and a lower chance of injury in the future.
In many cases, a chiropractor will be able to give you advice based on your injury. They may be able to pinpoint what you’re doing that caused it, and, therefore, how you can avoid the same thing happening again.
As you’ll likely experience less pain with the help of a chiropractor, you can expect other benefits to come with this. These can include:
- Better sleep quality and quantity
- Increased focus
- Improved joint and tissue health
- Improved comfort and movement
- Better overall balance
- Reduced stress and anxiety
All of these will help you both physically and mentally. A physical injury can take a mental toll, so being able to handle things more effectively can be a huge benefit.
Professional Chiropractic Injury Care
After suffering a sports injury, chiropractic care can be one of the best approaches for effective treatment. It helps reduce pain and inflammation without the use of medication and can support both strength and flexibility. The recovery process also tends to be relatively quick, which is ideal for any athlete.
Spine Center of Las Vegas can provide a range of injury care services. Our fully qualified team uses their own skills and knowledge alongside advanced technology to provide exceptional treatment. Take a look at our sports injuries page to see more about how we can help you get back on form.