Sports and injuries often go together. Rigorous activity, top speed, high velocity, peak performance, repetitive motion, sweat, contact collisions, exertion, good sportsmanship and conduct, fitness — the pressure is on. Preventing injuries from happening in the first place is the best way to deal with them. Even the best prevention can’t always stop a sports injury from happening, however. Sports create a high demand on our bodies with most athletic activities, and most injuries are commonly caused by direct impact, overuse, or an external force acting on the body part greater than the body part can withstand.

Not all types of sport injuries are the same. Not only do injuries vary based on the sporting activity, but also injuries also vary based on time and the amount of activity level. A tackle-based football injury can look very different than a shoulder muscle injury from swimming or a\stress fracture from running.

Are there different types of athletic injuries?

Athletic injuries can be broken down into two categories: acute and chronic. Let’s examine the two in a little more detail.

Acute sports injuries

Sudden onset injuries are defined medically as acute. They are often associated with trauma and include things like sprains and strains, cuts, falls, fractures, dislocations, and concussions. There may be damage to the joints, muscles, bones, ligaments, and soft tissue structures. The skin may show abrasions and bruising to the soft tissue structures underneath. Injuries like these include falling off a bicycle, twisting an ankle during an awkward landing, getting tackled
in a football game, or wiping out on a soccer field in mid-kick.

You may also be at risk for an acute sports injury if you aren’t warming up properly, haven’t been trained properly, are using improper equipment or using equipment improperly, or are too out of shape to play.

Because of the nature of acute injuries, immediate treatment may be needed to prevent further damage. Emergency athletic situations requiring an ambulance include eye injuries, abdominal injuries, injuries to the head or face, broken bones, loss of consciousness, and neck or spine injuries.

Chronic sports injuries

Injuries that occur over time, usually from repetitive training, are defined as chronic. These injuries result from overuse and are often seen from training exercises like running, serving a ball in volleyball, or pitching during baseball. These injuries can be a little more complicated because they may not seem serious at first. However, they can worsen over time. Chronic injuries can feel like a dull ache while resting, pain that grows worse during activity, and swelling in an affected area or joint.

It’s important to remember that sports are demanding and take a toll on your body, so mindful
training is valuable to help prevent sports injuries.

What happens during sports that causes injury?

There are many reasons why even the best athletes can get injured playing sports. Some reasons are:

• Accidents
• Training too much
• Not playing properly or poor training practices
• Not wearing appropriate equipment
• Wearing ill-fitting gear
• Insufficient stretching and warm up
• Lack of conditioning
• Structural abnormalities

What about after the injury?

Athletes can be prone to re-injury as well. After a sports injury is sustained, the body requires time to heal the damaged structure and tissue, as well as focused rehabilitation efforts to recondition the complex interplay of muscles and tendons. This is necessary to regain specific muscle strength and prevent recurring injuries.

Some common sports injuries are:

• Muscle strain (pulled muscle)Runner’s knee
• Tennis or Golfer’s elbow
• Neck pain
• Rotator cuff (shoulder) injuries
• Achilles tendinitis
• Lower back pain
• Concussion
• Ankle sprain
• Shin splints

Sports can be a tremendous amount of fun to play, a great source of exercise, and a social network with a community of like-minded people. An injury can really hold you back, and even make you feel like you aren’t yourself. One of the best ways to avoid injury is to exercise in healthy ways, always warm up properly, and have good technique when you play. Even then–accidents happen.

If you have a recent acute injury, an old injury that just isn’t going away, or feel like your performance just isn’t powerful, give our office a call. We are well trained and a variety of sports and sporting injuries ranging from weekend warriors to elite level sport athletes.

How we treat sports injuries

At Cardinal Chiropractic and Sports Recovery, we take the time to get to know you. Pain is not easy to endure, and we strive to provide the most compassionate and effective forms of treatment.

After a thorough examination and diagnosis, if chiropractic care is not the right intervention for your pain, then we make the referral to another specialist, such as a sports orthopedist, physical therapist, or pain management doctor.

If you or someone you know is suffering from common sports injuries, give our office a call to schedule an appointment rather than wait to see if the pain improves or goes away. Our chiropractic office has managed many people with athletic pain and sports injuries with success, helping people live a healthier and pain-free life!

If you want a same-day appointment for your pain, call our office at 336-270-3050 or schedule
online.