Ah, October is here. For many sports fans, it’s the golden month: football season in full swing, the World Series in baseball, and the start of basketball season near the end of the month.
Watching sports is obviously no strain on the body. But playing sports certainly can be.
Athletes exert a tremendous amount of pressure on their bodies. And naturally, injuries do occur. Regardless of the injury, every healing process is about restoring strength, mobility and durability to that part of the body.
Chiropractic care is a great option for athletes who have sustained an injury playing their sport.
Treatment without medication
Many of the primary forms of treatment for sports injuries involve medication. And in some cases, it may be unavoidable and even necessary to treat the pain.
But sadly, painkiller addiction and abuse among athletes is well-documented and widespread. For many, their drug problem begins with medication prescribed to treat injuries sustained on the field.
Now let’s be clear: addiction is a complex issue with many contributing factors. And this is not to say that prescribed medication leads to addiction in all cases.
But if treatment can be sought as a legitimate option without involving these highly addictive substances, we think it should be. For this reason alone, chiropractic care merits consideration for all athletes seeking recovery from injury.
Restoring mobility
Regardless of the sport, every athlete needs a flexible body and muscles. And for many, agility is just as important. Flexibility and agility come from muscles that are loose and joints that are stable. This means the elimination of undue tension from the body.
Chiropractic care focuses on restoring a full range of motion to joints and muscles. Spinal adjustments can also correct misalignments that cause tension through the back and neck, thus restoring mobility.
Alleviating neck and back pain
Chiropractors are trained to alleviate neck and back pain–lower back pain in particular–by performing adjustments that relieve pressure on spinal nerves and decrease tension in the vertebrae and back muscles.
Neck and back pain are especially prevalent among athletes and former athletes in higher-contact sports (such as football). But violent contact is by no means a prerequisite.
If your posture is off or your hips are out of alignment, neck and back pain will accrue as wear and tear from such non-violent sports as long-distance running.
Augmenting healing ability
Believe it or not, chiropractic care can actually augment your body’s ability to heal and recover. Improper spinal alignment can impede the healing process in two major ways.
- It increases muscle tension as well as inflammation–two things that stand in the way of recovery.
- Pressure on the nerves in your spine reduces your brain’s ability to “communicate” with your central nervous system. In general, this weakens your body’s ability to respond to things like sickness and injury.
Preventing future injury
Chiropractic care has the effect of aligning the elements of your body–bones, muscles, tendons and joints–into the system that it’s supposed to be. Increased flexibility and stability along with decreased inflammation and tightness will strengthen your body against future injury.
If you’re a current or former athlete, our team at Petett Chiropractic can help you treat and prevent the injuries that keep you from playing the sport you love. Set up your appointment today.