Back Pain, Chiropractor, Massage Therapy, Muscle Pain, Sports Injury, Children, Pregnancy - Chiropractic - Australia
Preventing soft tissue injuries
- Adapt the frequency, intensity and duration of your exercise to your condition.
- Ensure you warm up and cool down properly each time you exercise. See below for more information.
- Always use the correct equipment for your sport. This includes protective equipment such as helmets, pads and guards.
- See a footwear specialist to ensure that your footwear is appropriate for your sport.
- Only play in competitions within your level of skill, training and fitness.
- Use strapping or braces when playing, if required.
- Following injury, seek the advice of a health care professional prior to resuming activities.
Many athletes are being sidelined with injuries that could be avoided, or sitting out on the bench because their injury is not responding to ordinary treatment. Others still are playing, but at less than peak efficiency, simply because their structural system is not balanced. Chiropractors understand that during football, body contact, fast stops and starts, and positioning place an unusual amount of strain on the spine and structural system. As a result, chiropractic gives special attention to the spine, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves of the athlete. In fact, many high level athletes visit a Chiropractor for a 'tune-up' before a game to help prepare joints and muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
Warm up and cool down
A warm up helps the body prepare itself for exercise and reduces the chance of injury. The purpose of the cool down is to bring the heart rate down to its normal tempo and to lessen the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness that follow a workout.
Examples of a warm up exercise include:
- light jogging or walking
- jumping jacks or squats
- full stretching
Cool down exercises include activities such as:
- full stretching
- brisk walking for about 5 minutes
- slow walking for about 5 minutes
Dynamic stretches are more appropriate to the warm up as they help reduce muscle stiffness. Some other benefits of warm up include:
- greater economy of movement because of lowered viscous resistance within the warmed muscle
- increased blood flow through active tissues as local vascular beds dilate, increasing metabolism and muscle temperatures.
Static stretches are more appropriate to the cool down as they help muscles to relax and increase their range of movement. Some of the benefits of a cool down include:
- aiding in the dissipation of waste products, including lactic acid
- reduction of the potential for delayed onset muscle soreness
- reduction of the chances of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of venous blood at the extremities
- reduction of the level of adrenaline
Additionally, always drink plenty of water before and after any exercise or practice session.
