Chiropractic Kicks Soccer Ankle and Knee Injuries
By Chris Brown
Soccer, or football for the non-Americans, is a sport requiring athletes to rely upon their running speed and leg strength to out-maneuver their opponents with a soccer ball. As a result, injuries often occur in the ligaments, muscles, and joints of the legs. Two of the most common soccer injuries are sprained ankles and knee ligament injuries. Both injuries can cause long-term chronic pain and weakness with a prevalence for reaggravation.
With chiropractic, these common soccer injuries become a story of the past, not a chronic state of the present, and recover in reduced time.
Chiropractic Adjusts the Soccer Ankle Sprain
The ankle is a high-impact joint of the leg that has a great tendency to sprain if it lands unbalanced. On uneven soccer fields, this is an incredibly common occurrence. The problem with ankle sprains is that they tend to become likelier with each occurrence. This is because the supporting ankle ligaments over-stretch in a sprain and the ankle becomes increasingly less stable as a result.
Building stability is key to long-term ankle sprain recovery and chiropractic corrects the joint dysfunctions that prevent proper healing and cause injury recurrence. This is because chiropractic optimizes joint movement of the entire leg structure. This limits the amount of uneven pressure upon the joint, facilitating a stronger recovery. In a 2003 case study of a 13-year-old soccer player with recurrent ankle sprains and weakness, chiropractic manipulation of the hips and leg joints caused an abrupt resolution to her problems.
Similarly, a study in 2015 found that patients with recurrent ankle sprains (as is commonly the case with soccer players) experienced a significant reduction in pain and joint restrictions after chiropractic therapy. These results show how chiropractic is for more than just the spine.
Strengthening the Knee Ligaments After Injury With Chiropractic
Like ankle sprains, knee ligament injuries often result in long-term knee instability and potential for recurrence. They are caused by sudden twisting knee motions that push the ligaments beyond their ability. Sprains, tears, and ruptures of these ligaments commonly occur in sports like soccer where quick directional changes are frequent. Oftentimes, more serious injuries require surgery and chiropractic is able to speed recovery and improve long-term results. For a 32-year-old male with persistent pain following a knee ligament surgery chiropractic created significant improvements in all treatment areas (pain, functionality, etc.) after one, three, and six months of treatment.
In another incidence of a post-operative knee ligament rupture repair, the patient's pain completely disappeared and his knee's full range of motion and strength were restored after a 12-week chiropractic program. Chiropractic's success at enhancing recovery following surgery can mean a world of difference for a soccer player, who relies upon their legs (and their leg joints) to make magic happen on the field.
The Joint Chiropractic can help treat knee and ankle injuries, like those common with soccer players. The Joint's doctors provide affordable, insurance-free adjustments that give life changing improvements in your mobility. No appointments are accepted, so limp-in anytime during The Joint's convenient extended hours for relief walking out today.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Houston, Tex.