Whether you are a weekend, competitive or aspiring professional athlete – you want to perform at our very best, and AVOID injury at all cost (because that means not doing the things we truly love). There are a host of ways to achieve this that include proper training, massage, acupuncture, nutrition, AND chiropractic care.
Injury Prevention
It is essential, especially for athletes, to align the structure of the body so all muscles work effectively and ergonomically. This functional integrity allows for increased:
• Strength
• Flexibility
• Coordination
• Circulation
All of these things dramatically reduce the risk for most injury as well as arthritis, inflammation, and general aches and pains.
Injury Treatment
The bad news is if you play, and train, hard you will eventually and inevitably sustain an injury. The good news is chiropractic adjustments and chiropractic care can get you back in action in no time. Injuries can be sustained in a one-time traumatic event (think kicking a soccer ball and pulling a hamstring muscle, ouch) or overtime from overuse or incorrect training, weight lifting, etc. Either way, the joint and/or muscles are inflamed. Techniques that help heal include chiropractic adjustment, soft tissue rehabilitation and Kinesio taping.
Chiropractic adjustments are especially helpful with misaligned or fixated joints (joints where injury has caused there to be friction and reduction of movement). Bringing the body back into proper alignment increases the circulation to the joints which boosts fluid and nutrient exchange. Proper joint function increases muscle strength, coordination and mobility.
Soft tissue rehabilitation brings muscles, tendons and ligaments back to their proper function. There is a variety of techniques. The most effective include:
1. Electrical stimulation – Or commonly called TENS, is the popularized name for electrical stimulation used on muscles and tissues to treat pain and inflammation.
2. Active Release Technique (ART) – Massage technique for overused soft tissue that has built up scar tissue, thus decreasing their proper function. ART providers use his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements. Check out the official ART website for more info – www.activerelease.com
3. PNF Stretching – Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation is not really a type of stretching but is a technique of combining passive stretching and isometric stretching in order to achieve flexibility. It works great for preventing injuries because the muscles tension is lowered promoting greater flexibility and therefore reducing the risk of strained or sprained muscles.
Kinesio Taping – This is a technique that uses stretchy, cloth tape to facilitate the proper function of the physical body. It includes muscle relaxation and activation by applying the following methodology:
- Taping over and around muscles in order to assist and give support or to prevent over-contraction.
- Utilizing a number of corrective techniques to promote correct muscle and joint function
- Affecting change in deeper layers of fascia by manipulating the skin and muscle.
- Creating space underneath the skin to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage.
- Pain relief by targeting the pain and the source of the pain
Dr. Darin Haworth, chiropractor at The Wellness Center, is now a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner.