Leading an active lifestyle can be highly beneficial for your health, but any kind of sport or movement runs the risk of causing you an injury. And it’s not just professional or amateur athletes that are at risk – any active profession such as gardening or construction can result in a sports injury that may need treatment.
Generally sports injuries fall into two categories, acute and chronic. This depends on whether the injury is sudden, such as a fall or twist (acute), or if the injury develops gradually over time (chronic). Both these kinds of sports injuries can be caused by overtraining, an ineffective warm-up routine, or simply repeated strain on a muscle or joint.
Read on to find out more about the different kinds of common sports injuries, and how chiropractic treatment can help.
Shoulders
Common shoulder issues include rotator cuff tears, which are often related to overhead sports such as basketball and tennis. These can also be caused by a fall or heavy lifting during more general activity. Other shoulder injuries also include impingements and shoulder instability.
Elbows
Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is caused by an overuse of forearm muscles. This can be linked to tennis playing as the name suggests, or any activity which places stress on the elbow joint. A variation of this is golfer’s elbow, a similar repetitive strain injury where pain is concentrated on the inside of the elbow joint.
Knees
Runner’s knee is a common sports injury caused by structural issues in the kneecap, or improper form during running or walking. Other localised knee problems include fractures, dislocation, or torn ligaments. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most frequently injured areas.
Legs
Common leg problems include hamstring strains, which can range from mild to severe. Also known as a pulled hamstring, this is caused when a hamstring muscle is overstretched or torn. Other issues include shin splints, often caused by high impact leg activity.
Ankles
Ankle concerns caused by overactivity and repeated strain include sprains, which vary in severity. Achilles tendinitis is also a common sports injury, caused by an overuse of the achilles tendon, the group of tissue located at the back of the lower leg.
Chiropractic treatment
At Forest Hall Chiropractic Clinic, we offer a range of treatment for activity induced injuries, provided by our expert sports chiropractors. The clinic has close ties with football and rugby teams in Newcastle and Middlesbrough, where we see and treat a variety of sports injuries and concerns.
At our clinic, we offer a range of chiropractic care techniques to treat and manage your joint and muscle pain, including the diversified hands-on method, and the more gentle Thompson technique. If you’re struggling with a sports injury, then contact us for more information, or request an appointment today.