Common problems among people who manage an active sports lifestyle, or suffers from sports injuries
Unfortunately (or fortunately), for the majority of the us sport remains a passion, hobby and an escape rather than a profession. We supplement our busy working weeks with sporadic, unstructured and often ill prepared exercise at a moment’s notice as we attempt to destress and forget about the week’s woes.
While this has become a societal norm this extreme transitional cycle from ‘Desk Jockey’ to ‘Weekend Warrior’ places great stress on our musculoskeletal system leading to both acute and chronic injuries which translate through the work-play barrier, affecting all aspects of our life. These injuries may begin subtly, the tightness nagging your hamstrings as you walk around the office following your long run for example, but research suggests athletes who reported niggles exhibit up to a 6-fold* increase in more serious injuries in the weeks that follow including a 94% increase in knee injuries.
As Chiropractor’s we often find that chronic sporting injuries have no specific moment of onset but instead pain originates from a preceding accumulation of mechanical stresses resulting from long-term mechanical dysfunction and repeated micro traumas. This may be as simple as the loss of a mechanical foot arch that throws out your knee and hip mechanics contributing to the pain in your lower back or the loss in spinal mobility that leads to an overload of shoulder mechanics during overhead movements such as lifting in CrossFit, or serving in tennis.
Early assessment and precise interventions are targeted to improve or restore the biomechanical balance and reduce the likelihood of an acute niggle turning into a more chronic and debilitating injury, allowing you more time out on the track and off of the side lines. For those injuries which have already undergone a more chronic change treatments are targeted to return the tissue to its prior health, speeding up recovery and allowing a more efficient return to sport.
While exact injuries are relative to the sport you participate in some injuries we commonly see and treat in clinic are:
- Tennis and Golfers Elbow.
- Cycling related neck, back, knee pain etc.
- Running related pains, including; Plantar fasciopathy, Achilles tendinopathy, Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS), Patella tracking problems etc.
- Overuse injuries including those of the lower back.
Whatever your sport, your injury and your goals, your Chiropractor will assess and explain your condition before putting in place a tailored plan of care utilising manipulation, soft tissue treatments and rehabilitation as we work together to keep you active for LIFE.
Dr. James Ruckley (D.C)
Wickford Clinic
