We seem to have a belief that if we’re not an Olympic athlete, we are not an athlete. The truth is, if you lift weights, you are a weightlifter. If you run, you’re a runner. If you swim, you’re a swimmer.
There is no qualifying test to become an athlete.
However, that means there is no qualifying test to develop an athletic injury. Whether you injure your back kipping into a handstand or cannot walk after a particularly grueling hike, athletic injuries can be difficult mentally, emotionally and physically. So, what do you do when you find yourself injured?
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Protection & Rest
The priorities after a sports injury are the protection of the affected area and rest. The last thing you want to do is further injure the part of your body that is already in pain. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, the most commonly injured parts of the body are the lower extremities – the legs, ankles, and feet, and the most common injuries are sprains and strains. Even if other parts of your body are involved, continuing your exercise routine despite the pain you are experiencing is a recipe for further damage to your body.
Chiropractic Care
Did you know chiropractic care is not just for back injuries? Since the spine is the protective mechanism of the spinal cord, and since the rest of your peripheral nerves connect to this part of your central nervous system, taking care of the alignment in your spine also relieves many aches and pains associated with injuries in other parts of your body.
However, chiropractic care goes beyond spinal health. By creating proper alignment throughout your body, you are giving your injury the best chance to heal on its own without invasive treatments or pain medications. Chiropractors are also highly skilled at treatments that relieve pain, break up scar tissue and speed muscle healing.
Full Rehabilitation Includes Future Injury Prevention
When you experience an athletic injury, the focus is often on getting back to the activity you love. But rehabilitation after an injury has to include future injury prevention. For example, if you sprain an ankle and do not work on building the muscles that hold the joint in place, you are more prone to future ankle sprains.
Likewise, if you do not look critically at how you were injured the first time, you cannot keep it from happening a second or third time. That is why so many people seek out the help of qualified professionals who can develop safe, methodical recovery plans that address the injury itself as well as the underlying cause.
Recovering after an athletic injury is an often slow and agonizing process. Yet proper recovery can keep you healthy and moving for decades to come. After all, if you are going to be super-human, you need super-human support.
Call Sandstone Chiropractic today or schedule your comprehensive exam with x-rays online.
