Athletes at all levels push their bodies to perform, sometimes resulting in injuries that can sideline them from the activities they love. While conventional treatments often focus on managing symptoms, chiropractic care offers a different approach—addressing the underlying biomechanical issues that contribute to injuries while supporting the body’s natural healing processes.
Sports injuries typically result from overuse, improper technique, inadequate warm-up, or direct trauma. Rather than masking pain with medication or immediately resorting to invasive procedures, many athletes are discovering that chiropractic treatment provides effective relief while helping them return to their sport more quickly and with reduced risk of re-injury. So, should you consider chiropractic care? Here’s how your Montrose chiropractor can help.
How Chiropractic Care Approaches Sports Injuries
Chiropractors take a whole-body approach to treating sports injuries, recognizing that the site of pain isn’t always the source of the problem. By examining how different parts of the musculoskeletal system work together, chiropractors can identify imbalances or restrictions that may have contributed to the injury.
This comprehensive approach often includes:
- Spinal and extremity adjustments to restore proper joint function
- Assessment of movement patterns and biomechanics
- Recommendations for appropriate rest and activity modification
- Support for the body’s natural healing mechanisms through proper nervous system function
Between proper alignment, restored mobility, and improved function, chiropractic care helps create optimal conditions for healing while addressing factors that may have predisposed the athlete to injury.
Common Sports Injuries That Respond Well to Chiropractic Care
Chiropractors can help treat various conditions. Here are some of the most common sports injuries that your local Montrose chiropractor can help:
1. Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)
This common running injury causes pain around or behind the kneecap, often worsening with activity, stair climbing, or sitting with bent knees for extended periods.
With chiropractic care, treatment focuses on proper alignment of the knee joint itself as well as addressing contributing factors throughout the kinetic chain. Misalignments in the spine, pelvis, and feet can all affect knee mechanics. By restoring proper alignment and function to these areas, chiropractors help reduce stress on the knee joint and support more balanced movement patterns.
2. Rotator Cuff Injuries
Athletes in throwing sports, swimming, and racquet sports frequently experience rotator cuff problems, ranging from minor irritation to tears in the tendons that stabilize the shoulder.
Shoulder function depends not only on the health of the rotator cuff muscles but also on proper alignment and mobility of the spine, ribs, and shoulder girdle. Chiropractors assess and adjust these areas to improve overall shoulder mechanics. This comprehensive approach addresses both the shoulder itself and the supporting structures that influence its function.
Treatment may include specific adjustments to the shoulder complex, spine, and related areas to restore proper motion and reduce stress on the healing tissues.
3. Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow
These common forms of tendinitis affect the inside (golfer’s) or outside (tennis) of the elbow, causing pain that can radiate into the forearm and wrist.
Beyond treating the elbow itself, chiropractors examine the entire kinetic chain—from neck and shoulder to wrist and hand. Restrictions in any of these areas can place additional stress on the elbow tendons. Gentle adjustments help restore proper joint mechanics throughout the arm while supporting the healing of irritated tendons.
Athletes with elbow tendinitis often benefit from a combination of chiropractic adjustments, activity modification, and specific recommendations for equipment or technique adjustments.
4. Ankle Sprains
One of the most common sports injuries, ankle sprains occur when the ligaments that support the ankle stretch beyond their limits or tear.
After the acute phase, chiropractic care focuses on restoring proper joint mobility and alignment to the ankle complex. Many athletes experience restricted motion and biomechanical changes following an ankle sprain, potentially leading to chronic instability or compensatory issues elsewhere in the body.
Specific adjustments to the ankle, foot, and lower leg help restore normal motion patterns, potentially reducing the risk of re-injury and addressing any compensatory issues that developed during the healing process.
5. Hamstring Strains
These painful muscle tears commonly affect athletes who sprint, jump, or make sudden directional changes.
Beyond addressing the hamstring muscles themselves, chiropractors evaluate pelvic alignment and spine function, which directly influence hamstring tension and performance. Misalignments in the pelvis can cause uneven pulling on the hamstring muscles, potentially predisposing them to injury.
Treatment typically includes adjustments to restore proper pelvic balance, improve spine function, and address compensatory patterns that might have developed. This comprehensive approach helps create an environment for optimal healing while reducing the risk of recurrence.
6. Lower Back Pain
Athletes in all sports can experience lower back pain, particularly those involved in activities with repetitive bending, twisting, or impact.
Spinal adjustments form the core of chiropractic treatment for lower back issues. These specific manipulations help restore proper alignment and mobility to the vertebrae, potentially reducing pressure on discs and nerves while improving overall function.
7. Plantar Fasciitis
This painful condition involves inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot, commonly affecting runners and other athletes who place repetitive stress on their feet.
Chiropractic treatment addresses not only the foot itself but also biomechanical factors that may contribute to excessive stress on the plantar fascia. Misalignments in the ankle, knee, hip, and spine can all affect how weight and force distribute through the feet during activity.
Chiropractors use specific adjustments to restore proper alignment and function throughout the kinetic chain, potentially reducing abnormal stress on the plantar fascia and supporting the healing process.
Ready to experience the power of chiropractic care? At New Life Chiropractic, our team is dedicated to your recovery and goals. Book your appointment with us today!
