Making a Racket About Chiropractic
By Krista Elliott
Exercising outdoors during the sticky summer months can be exhausting, if not downright dangerous. In fall, however, the air cools off a bit, the humidity lifts, and it's the perfect time to get outdoors and get moving. And one great way to get your blood pumping is with a brisk game of tennis.
Tennis and other racket sports like squash, racquetball and badminton are fantastic ways to stay fit. Running around to get in the right position is great cardio. And hitting the ball or birdie provides strength gains in your arms, back, chest, and abs, and is also a fun way to improve your balance and hand-eye coordination. Plus, where else can you rock a 1980s-style terrycloth headband and actually get away with it?
Racket sports aren't always what one would call sedate, though. And with any high activity sport comes the risk of damage to your joints and spine.
Use the Force: If you're playing against anybody with skill, you're hitting against some fast serves. (Hopefully you're not playing against Andy Roddick and his 155mph serve!) When hitting against something flying at you with that much speed, the joints of your arm and shoulder are subjected to considerable force, putting you at risk of subluxations and muscle or tendon damage.
Courting Disaster: If playing vigorously, sprinting back and forth across the court, the odds are that at some point, you're going to take a tumble. Falling, especially while rotating the torso (say, when trying to make a backhand shot) can cause serious injuries or misalignments to your joints and spine.
Serving up Pain: The International Tennis Federation has found that lower back pain is "very common" among tennis players. The reason? The combination of "rotation, flexion, and extension of the back during the serve" that puts strain on muscles and joints.
Now, all of this isn't to say that racket sports aren't worth it. They're great sports, lots of fun, and very rewarding as a social activity (plus, did I mention the sweet terrycloth headbands?). Fortunately, chiropractic treatment from the professionals at the Joint Chiropractic can help keep you pain-free. For starters, if you have lower back pain or a joint injury, chiropractic treatment can reduce pain and help restore proper function and range of motion that much more quickly. And as well, regular preventative chiropractic treatment can help ensure that all of your joints are working in harmony and at their top performance, helping your game and making you more resistant to injury, both off the court and on.
Visit The Joint today and see how chiropractic care can help you, no matter what sport you play (or are taking up). Before too long, you'll be making a joyful racket about how great you feel.