SPORTS INJURIES & CHIROPRACTIC CARE
SPORTS INJURIES & CHIROPRACTIC CARE
Sports are enjoyed by children and adults of all ages. However, there is no such thing as a "safe" sport. Highly competitive sports, such as football, soccer, gymnastics, trampoline and weightlifting to name a few, are higher risks of sports injuries, especially among children. Even physical sports played in the schoolyard during lunch time or recess and during physical education classes result in sports injuries for children. 20% of all sports-related injuries involve the lower back or neck. Running and weightlifting and other sports involving repetitive impact, expose children to a high risk for lumbar (lower back) injuries. Contact sports, such as soccer and football, expose the cervical spine, or neck to injury. More than 33% of all high school football players sustain some type of injury. Soccer players are easy candidates for mild to severe head trauma, neck injuries, cervical spine damage, headache, neck pain, dizziness, irritability and insomnia. In soccer, using the head to re-direct the ball, (called "Heading the Ball"), has been linked to cervical injuries in both children and adults. The trampoline and gymnastics also present significant risks for spinal cord injuries from unexpected and brutal falls or contact with hard surfaces.
Listed below are some of the other common injuries from SPORTS:
- Bicycling - Poor Posture can greatly increase your risks of a back injury during cycling. When riding a bike, your lower back is constantly flexing sideways as well as up & down. The bumps and jars incurred on the road during cycling can cause possible compression to your spine.
- Golf - Common injuries incurred during the sport of Golf usually involve muscle sprains and strains to the lower back.
- Running/Jogging - Running and Jogging put a great deal of stress on your back. The constant pounding against a hard surface and jar and possibly compress structures such as vertebrae, joints and discs.
- Skiing - Skiing involves a great deal of twisting and turning motions, as well as jarring landings, all of which can cause muscle sprains and strains. In some cases, minor spinal fractures can occur.
- Swimming - Swimmers are known to incur low back injuries. The "crawl" and "breaststroke" can cause the lumbar region to be hyper-extended. If the swimmer is not properly warmed up or conditioned, the hyperextension does not subside.
- Tennis - "Tennis Elbow" is the layman's term for pain on the lateral, or outside part of the elbow, on or close to the bony protrusion. Tennis elbow is caused when the tendon from the elbow bone tears or is ruptured. It is no surprise that professional tennis players can become inflicted with this due to all the stress and strain they place on the joint during play. In addition, tennis players are in constant motion, and the repeated twisting and trunk rotations can cause injuries. Shoulder injuries and turned ankles and knees are also common. The act of serving the ball also has been shown to hyperextend the lower back, and possibly compress discs.
- Weightlifting/Body Building - Body builders are at a significant risk for a host of serious back, shoulder, neck, and knee injuries. Resistance training has been known to cause muscle sprains and strains, ligament and tendon injuries, and in some cases, compression fractures. Older people seem to be at higher risk since their bones and discs are more brittle.
These tend to be the most popular sports. However, there are many other types of sports that, just like the ones mentioned, can lead to sports injuries.
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