Chiropractic Tips to Prevent Sports Injuries
By Sara Butler
No matter how good of shape you're in, you can sustain an injury that sidelines your athletic and fitness goals. Even the fittest athletes get injured from time to time, so it's important to understand how to prevent these injuries and what to do should you sustain them. Here are a few tips to help from the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic.
Common Sports Injuries
Anyone who is active is at risk of sustaining an injury. Even weekend warriors or part-time tennis champs can injure themselves in a variety of ways. The most common sports injuries that can happen, no matter how fit or active you are, include:
- Knee injuries
- Shin splints
- Concussions
- Ankle strains or sprains
- Tennis elbow
- Hamstring strain
- Pulled groin muscle
These injuries aren't inevitable. In fact, if you know what to do, you can reduce your chances of getting injured.
How to Prevent Injuries
Understanding how to prevent sports injuries is as important as understanding what type of gear you need for your sport. That's because the first step of prevention is form. If you ensure your body is properly conditioned for the activity and that your form is correct, then you cut down your chances of injury.
You should condition your body with strength training and stretching to perform the activity you want. Doing so helps to improve flexibility and increase the range of motion of your joints. It also helps muscles to work more effectively. Remember, most injuries occur when muscles are stiff. Conditioning helps to warm them up and makes it less likely they will be strained or sprained during the course of your chosen activity.
If Injury Does Occur, Chiropractors Can Help
A chiropractor will treat your entire body, not simply the injured area. They'll want to understand if there were conditions that made you predisposed to the injury such as joint dysfunction, then they'll treat the root cause of the injury as well as the injury itself. With hands-on, gentle, and effective chiropractic treatments, you can heal and set yourself up for future success -- reduced injury too.
If you're active, or you want to start being more active, then come into The Joint Chiropractic today for a consultation. The chiropractors can work with you to make sure your body is in the right condition to start a new activity or that it's working the way it should to reduce your chance of injury.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Magnolia, Tex.