The Fundamentals of Sports Injury Rehabilitation

Key principles of sports/athletic injury recovery

If you’re a professional or aspiring athlete, you’re well aware of the risks that come with specializing in a sport. Specialized athletes are +45% more likely to sustain a physical injury during training and competition than the general population. These injuries come from overuse, overextension, strain, asymmetries and more. If you’ve incurred an injury (or maybe even a series of injuries) performing your sport a sports injury rehabilitation specialist can help you get back on track and recover athletic performance in a way that can even help decrease your risk for future injury. In this post we’ll address the key principles of sports injury rehabilitation and what you can expect working with a sports performance oriented chiropractor during your recovery.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Timing is Critical:

Don’t delay seeking care after incurring an athletic injury. If you are unsure of the severity of your injury or think that you can “stretch it out” at home, waiting to visit a professional sports injury rehabilitation specialist could cost you valuable recovery time. One study found that starting physical rehabilitation 2 days after injury (rather than waiting 9 days) shortened the interval from injury to pain-free recovery and return to sports by 3 weeks without any increase in the risk of reinjury. Schedule an appointment to be evaluated by a sports performance oriented chiropractor immediately after sustaining a suspected injury to avoid delaying your recovery.

Chiropractic Manipulation & Electro-Acupuncture

A sports injury rehabilitation specialist is going to provide a plethora of services to help evaluate and treat your injury, namely chiropractic manipulation combined with electro-acupuncture to help activate muscles, relieve pain, and increase mobility and circulation. According to the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, “cervicothoracic and upper-rib thrust manipulation combined with electrical dry needling resulted in greater reductions in pain, disability, and medication intake than nonthrust peripheral joint/soft tissue mobilization, exercise, and interferential current in patients with Subacromial Pain Syndrome (SAPS).” This means that if you struggle with shoulder impingement we can help get you out of pain so you can perform at your best. Click here to learn more about how electro-acupuncture (or electrical dry needling) can help athletes during recovery. 

Load Management:

Orchestrating load management during recovery is a crucial component when helping athletes regain strength and mobility. Regular and controlled mechanical loading early after trauma is needed to reduce the adverse effects of protracted immobilization on muscle and tendon structure and function. A professional sports injury rehabilitation specialist will work closely with you after evaluation to determine exactly how much weight and activity your body can bear. Specialists recommend a gradual increase in training loads until players are accustomed to a level which is above the maximum that will be required of them in competition. This means you will be gradually trained until you can exceed what is required of you to play your sport, ideally so you can play with your full performance and not risk an additional injury.

Specific Strength Exercises:

A sports performance oriented chiropractor or sports injury rehabilitation specialist will prescribe specific strength exercises based on the nature of your injury, your age, and your desired output post-recovery. “Eccentric Training” exercises are assigned during rehabilitation to lower the relative risk imposed by increasing age and previous injury history. This type of training also protects against future injury by shifting the angle of peak torque to longer muscle lengths. Simply stated this means we slowly lower the weights to reteach your muscles how to work together following an injury. “Isometric Training” exercises are assigned during rehabilitation to develop muscle-tendon unit specificity, fatigue resistance, and to overcome selective muscle inhibition observed in athletes with a history of injury. This translates to utilizing pauses at positions specific to you and your sport so your muscles “activate” more muscle fibers at your weak points. Isometrics not only makes you stronger and more resilient post injury, they also have a pain relieving effect. 

If you have sustained an sports-related injury and you want to recover your full athletic potential without being at risk for additional injuries, work with a sports oriented chiropractor or sports injury rehabilitation specialist. Click here to schedule an appointment with Werner Athletics for a complete evaluation and specialized recovery plan.