Chiropractic and sport injuries

Exercise is healthy! Yet we all know examples where family members or friends are injured
by a game of football, an intensive tennis match or a fall during skiing or snowboarding. The
result is a sports injury that can often be persistent and painful. It is important to handle a
number of things wisely, such as taking into account age, fitness and physical possibilities,
so that sports remain a fun and healthy activity.

Shoulder injuries

Bursitis
Shoulder bursitis usually arises from an overload of the shoulder joint. This overload puts the
bursa (the liquid bag with the lubrication fluid of the joint) under heavy pressure. This causes
it to become irritated and leads to inflammation. This causes a lot of shoulder pain and
therefore limits the freedom of movement of the joint.

Frozen Shoulder
As the name implies, this is a condition in which the freedom of movement of the shoulder is
very limited. For example, the patient has a lot of trouble putting on a jacket. A frozen
shoulder is caused by long-term overloading of the shoulder joint. This irritates the joint. In
response, the muscle groups around the shoulder tighten and their movement is limited. If
the contraction of the muscles continues for too long, the muscle groups can shorten, so that
normal movement of the shoulder is no longer possible.

Arm and wrist injuries

Carpal tunnel syndrome
Nerves that run through the wrist come under pressure due to overloading. This causes a
pinch of the nerve. The result is pain and pins and needles that can mainly be felt in the
wrist, hand and fingers.

Tennis elbow
Make no mistake! A tennis elbow does not always have to do with tennis. Overloading of the
muscle groups on the outside of the forearm is the cause. The arm pain is noticeably felt on
the outside of the elbow and often radiates to the forearm.

Golfer's elbow
As with the tennis elbow, the golfer's elbow is not always related to golf. Overloading of the
muscle groups on the inside of the forearm is the cause. The pain is felt on the inside of the
elbow and often radiates to the forearm.

Hip and groin injuries
Straining of the groin is one of the most common football injuries. The cause is an irritation of
the area around the groin. This causes the muscle groups around the hip and groin to
contract and a restriction of movement.

Knee injuries

Meniscus and cruciate ligaments
These injuries are caused by sudden rotational movements of the lower leg in relation to the
upper leg. The knee joint and the surrounding joints are "twisted" as it were.

Osgood Schlatter Syndrome
The tendon attachment of the thigh muscles (which attach below the kneecap) is irritated.

Ankle injuries

Ankle complaints are often caused by a sprain. The ligaments and tendons around the ankle
are stretched, causing swelling. The result is a restriction of movement of the ankle.

Causes of sports injuries;
- No (good) warm-up and cool-down
- Moving too fast with a sports program
- A fall or push during sports

Symptoms of sport injuries;
In sports injuries, the pain is usually felt around the joints and muscle groups that are injured.
- The symptoms can be acute in which the patient feels intense pain.
- They can also occur gradually, for example in a muscle strain in which the muscles are
tense and cause muscle pain. Swelling around the joint often also occurs with joint injuries.

First visit

Intake filling in the medical questionnaire
conversation with chiropractor
Research chiropractic tests
neurological tests
orthopedic tests
Ultrasound / iDXA on indication
Diagnosis by chiropractor
Treatment plan prepared by the chiropractor
Treatment almost always on the first visit

Chiropractic and sports injuries

Chiropractic is a medicine that has been around for more than 100 years. The treatment
focuses on disorders in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system and the relationship
with the nervous system. A chiropractor checks the spine for restrictions. Through a
thorough examination and targeted treatment, the chiropractor locates and corrects these
restrictions. This restores the normal functioning of nerves and allows the body to heal itself.

Treatment of sports injuries

Treatment is aimed at injured joints, ligaments, tendons and muscle groups. The techniques
that are used include; manipulation, traction and pressure point therapy. For these
complaints, the chiropractor will make a musculoskeletal ultrasound and, if necessary, also
apply shockwave therapy after the chiropractic treatment. The objective is to restore function
of the affected joints and muscle groups. The patient may be given a specific exercise
program to support this.

The most common questions about sports injuries are;

Which sports are more likely to cause injury and which are not?
In general, it can be said that all contact sports have a high susceptibility to injury, such as; hockey, rugby, judo and handball. Gymnastics and classical ballet are also stressful. Swimming is a good alternative. After all, the influence of gravity disappears here, so that the joints are less stressed.

Why do I have to come back even if I feel well?
You can also ask the question: "Why do Ihave to go to the dentist for regular check-ups, even if I don't have a toothache?" By checking and optimizing the joints, you will feel a lot more comfortable and fitter and you can prevent complaints.

Preventing pain from sports injuries
- Always prepare well for the sport you are going to practice.
- Always wear the right clothes and most importantly, the right footwear.
- Think of a good warm-up and cool-down program (also for experienced athletes).
- Take lessons in the sport you practice. It is extremely important to master the technique of
the sport. You should learn the right movements so that sport injuries can be prevented.
- Do not build your sport program too fast, slowly building up the sporting program is better.

Relieve pain from sports injuries
- In acute pain, place a cold compress on the place where the pain or swelling occurs. You
can do this several times (no longer than 20 minutes) at intervals of 2 hours.

Finally
Take the above advice to heart and pass it on to family and friends. It is important to prepare
yourself well, but especially to continue to enjoy your sport. Without sports injuries!

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