Sports Injury Treatment

People may compete with an actual sports team or just enjoy playing with friends, but no one is exempt from the possibility of damaging their body. Every player has a chance at injuring his or her body during a sport. When one sustains an injury during a sport, it is crucial for the individual to seek professional treatment at our clinic. It is important to note that if the individual is bleeding out or has a concussion, then the individual needs to go to the emergency room first and foremost.

Possible kinds of sports injuries

After the emergency room takes care of any open wounds or injuries, it is best to seek treatment at our practice. While the injury may not be fatal or external, there is a strong possibility that the damage is internal. Twisting an ankle may not need immediate professional treatment, but a fracture or sprain on another part of the body can end a sports career if it does not heal properly.

With the proper treatment and therapy following a sports injury, there is a much higher chance that the individual will be able to return to playing the sport. Even if an individual does not compete in a sport often, one accident is all it takes to damage an arm or leg and require chiropractic treatment.

While some sports injuries will be much more prominent and obvious, there are times in which the injury does not cause immediate chronic pain. The individual’s condition will grow steadily worse as the pain continues to gradually buildup over time. While we can easily treat small sprains and strains with ice, compression, elevation and rest at home, more serious sprains or strains will require professional treatment. We will tailor our treatment to the needs of each individual patient.

However, it is important to understand a few key differences between sprains and strains. Sprains involve the tearing of the ligaments that connect two bones together in one’s joints. A strain is the tearing of muscle or tendons that connect the muscles to bones. When one experiences a serious strain, then he or she needs to seek treatment at our practice. Other injuries that can occur during sports include:

  • Dislocating a shoulder

  • Pinching a nerve

  • Tearing the ACL or MCL

  • Pulling a muscle

  • Shin splints

  • Stress Fractures

  • Plantar Fasciitis

  • Sprained ankle

  • Tennis Elbow

  • Low Back Pain

  • Runner’s knee

While these are only a few of the possible sports injuries, we recommend that anyone, actively engaging in sports on a regular basis, seeks treatment at our center if they experience continuous pain. While soreness and fatigue are completely natural for an individual playing a sport, pain is not a natural part of the body and means that something is wrong. It is crucial to seek treatment for an injury, especially if one continues to play sports. If the patient has a minor injury but does not seek the proper treatment, then the patient will only further damage the injury and risk permanent damage.

With any injury, treatment will vary on the type of injury, the condition of the patient and severity of the injury. In some cases, as stated earlier, the treatment will only take minor care at home to heal. However, for the more serious injuries, the patient will need to seek professional treatment; which we can provide.

Treatment will vary

Contrary to popular belief, medication alone will not be enough to treat a chiropractic issue. In fact, the best form of treatment will involve applying chiropractic techniques through therapy and patient participation in some cases. However, since the legs, arms, knees and spine are a complex mixture of bones, muscles and ligaments, the patient will need to go through an evaluation first.

Due to the complexity of these systems, treatment can vary based on what part of body the patient injures. To begin, a new patient will need to fill out a New Patient Form, covering the patient’s medical history, current condition and insurance information. We will then examine the patient and determine the cause of the condition. We will use an X-ray machine to get a clear picture of the damage. Once we understand the patient’s situation, we will recommend treatment.

The patient may have to slow down and avoid excessive strain on the specific part of the body during treatment. Unfortunately, this can mean not being able to continue playing a sport while in recovery. However, attempting to apply pressure and excessive use to the injured part of the body will only risk exacerbating the symptoms and injuring the body further. Thus, we recommend that patients review what they can or cannot do with us during the treatment process.

If the patient follows our instructions and sticks to the treatment plan, then he or she will see the desired results following a few appointments. If there are any other issues that develop during the treatment, we will develop a different course of action for treatment.