Or are you struggling through a niggling injury and getting frustrated?

As someone who loves to play Sports, I know first-hand just how frustrating it can be to have an injury that prevents you from performing to the best of your ability, or even worse, from being able to participate at all! Sports are very physically demanding – take football for example, where a lot of strain is placed on the knee and ankle joints, when changing direction or accelerating sharply. This means that it is important to manage any injuries properly, as returning too soon may risk further injury.

Chiropractors see and aid patients aiming to return to sports daily, and due to the dynamic nature of sports, injuries can often cover a wide variety. The most common injuries are caused either through trauma (e.g. sprain/strain) or through overuse (e.g. tendonitis) and these can be further categorised by how long an issue has been present. Short term injuries (less than 6 weeks) are termed ‘acute’ and issues that have persisted for a longer period (more than 3 months) are called chronic conditions. Aside from the severity, how an injury is managed can directly impact whether a full recovery is made or whether it develops into a long-term issue.

The most common acute injuries we see are either a sprained ligament, which typically take longer to heal, (such as rolling your ankle) or strains which are injuries to tendons and muscles (usually described as ‘pulling a muscle’) and their symptoms include:

• Swelling;
• Bruising (possible discolouration);
• Joint or muscle pain;
• Stiffness; and
• Inability to bear weight properly on affected leg/joint
  
  

(Photo showing the most common method of an ankle sprain)

Thankfully there are steps you can take in the initial phase of a sprain/strain injury, so that you may return to the sport not only quicker, but safely too. These include:

• Rest – Refrain from strenuous activities and limit weight bearing.
• Ice – Apply to affected area for 20 minutes every few hours (aim for 4-5 times per day).
• Compression – Bandage or wrap around the injury for support.
• Elevation – Keep affected area raised above the heart as much as possible to help drainage.

For mild injuries, once the pain has subsided, return to sports may be possible. However, for more serious issues, a period of rehabilitation may be required first to help restore strength and stability to the area before being able to meet the physical demands of sport, and resume participation again.

What if I’ve tried all of these methods of self-care and I still can’t get relief? Or if I’ve had this issues for many years already?

For some individuals, this period of rest and rehabilitation is enough to ease their symptoms, enabling their return to sports. For many others though, it is not enough as they find that upon returning to activity, their pain also returns. If the pain persists, it is important that you seek further help rather than accepting and playing through pain, as that can increase the risk of the injury developing into a chronic condition, such as tendonitis.

(Photo showing common sites of tendonitis around the knee joint)

It is important to arrange and attend check-ups with a chiropractor in this situation, as with an overuse condition like Achilles’ tendonitis, even after following the above protocol, pain can still be persistent. This could be because the true driver of pain may derive from elsewhere, for example, a serious lack of foot or ankle joint mobility, rather than a tendon or muscular weakness. A lack of joint mobility causes more tension and strain to the surrounding muscles and tendons, so until that is first identified through physical examination and then rectified by a professional, pain is likely to not only continue to persist, but may worsen over time through repetitive use.

As both a keen sportsman who has suffered my own fair share of injuries in the past, and a chiropractor here at Stafford Chiropractic Clinic, I care about and take great pride in being able to help patients return to the level of sports they desire. Thus, I urge those that are struggling with an issue, whether short or long term, to get in contact so that I may also help you return to the sports that you love, to the best of your ability.

BONUS: A Couple Tips for Injury Prevention!

• Performing a warm-up and warm down consistently before and after playing sports.
• Warm up – no longer than 10 minutes including light exercise (jogging) & DYNAMIC stretching. 
• Warm down –  no longer than 10 minutes including very light exercise (walking) & STATIC stretching. 

Raeon Mignott is fully registered with the General Chiropractic Council and a member of the British Chiropractic Association and Royal College of Chiropractors.