How to Reduce Your Risk of Sports Injuries
Bottom Line:
If you’re an athlete, or have been an athlete, you know there is nothing worse than being on the sideline during practice or a game. For me, what was even worse? Having to sit out while everyone else was training, lifting, running sprints, and getting better at their craft while I was merely watching. Yes, getting better and healing from an injury, but not necessarily getting better at the sport.
Detraining, and taking time off can be a big detriment to all the hard work you have put in. It only takes a few weeks to lose the strength, power, movement, and agility you spent so many hours improving in the weight room and on the field. From that aspect, I’d say staying injury free is one of the most important things for athletes.
Those are just the physical effects of sustaining an injury. Speaking from experience, the psychological side with gaining confidence, rebuilding strength, and not favoring the injured area can be another struggle athletes to deal with.
Being PROactive with our musculoskeletal health is KEY! We also know as athletes………if we react to things we’re usually to late. We have to attempt to anticipate, and be proactive in maintaining our body’s function. We won’t even go into the amount of training and competitions athletes participate in these days…..which continues to put more & more demand on our athletes today.
Improper training, incorrect stretching routines, and a lack of a good warm-up can lead to an increased likelihood of sprains, strains, and muscle injuries. All three of these aspects are neglected in most training and sporting teams in present day. When we’re rushing from game to game, practice to training, and vice versa, we are always in a hurry and can forget to take care of our body.
Like I mentioned earlier…..being proactive with a 10-minute, well implemented warm up can save you from encountering a 4-week injury. I’ve witness many times this “warm up” can be a time to horseplay and just go through the motions. Therefore, being conscious and locked-in to the warm up is also important.
The good news? With the proper plan of action, many sports injuries can be prevented. ProMove wants to help your be proactive with your body and help you prevent any injuries.
Why it Matters:
Developing a fitness plan that includes dynamic stretching, strength training, and cardiovascular exercise can help decrease your chance of injury.
Each aspect of your plan will of course require movement, aka biomechanics - the science of how your muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments work together to produce movement. Our movement assessment performed in each initial visit is designed to see you biomechanics of a wide range of full body movements. This allows us to see how your body parts work in relationship with one another as an audit to see if there’s motion we can improve on. Typically we see limitations within the body that could be directly impacting your specific sporting demand, and we can improve on these “weak links” to build them up and improve your performance, while limited chances of harming your body.
Learn more about our Movement Assessments using the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90LcizQWSbo
Altered biomechanics in one joint can lead to overcompensation in others which can result in pain and an increased risk of injury. This is especially true when it comes to sporting activities.
Ensuring that you have optimal biomechanics is critical to reducing the chance of injury. How do you do that?!
· Scheduling periodic movement assessments is recommended to improve biomechanics.
· Getting into a routine of regular chiropractic adjustments and therapies can improve your movement and performance.
· Taking time to move through the body's full range of motion each day and to train different muscle groups every other day is also recommended.
· Improving your biomechanics can significantly decrease your chance of sporting injury.
Next Steps:
Did you know… movement assessments are an essential part of every chiropractic evaluation.
Contrary to popular belief, we focus on much more than the spine. We check the biomechanics and movement of each joint within the body.
No two people move the same, which is why having a qualified healthcare professional analyze your movement is so important. We want to figure out how your movement may be affecting your daily performance……..AND IMPROVE IT!
Chiropractors are trained to carefully examine your biomechanics and provide both passive and active ways to improve them. We love giving you exercises and stretches that are specifically designed for you to keep progressing outside of our office.
By identifying altered biomechanics before you have pain and discomfort, you may not only be able to reduce your risk of injury but maybe even improve your performance. Your health is an investment.
Dalton Sealey DC, CSCS
ProMove Chiropractic & Performance
402.915.4901
drsealey@promovechiropractic.com
Science Source(s):
Preventing Sports Injuries. University of Rochester Medical Center. 2021.