Fitness - Dynamic Sports Medicine

Why Should I See A Sports Chiropractor?

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Admin

Sports account for an average of 8.6 million injuries every single year in the United States. Meanwhile, athletes, and even those who simply value consistent physical activity, look for ways to push themselves farther and perform better. Although not always at the top of an athlete’s to-do list, visiting a sports chiropractor in Austin can often help with achieving both goals. Here is a look at how sports medicine, when applied correctly, can help you stay active.

Chiropractors improve strength, balance and flexibility

Athletic success depends in part upon an individual’s ability to use their body to complete the often complex or demanding moves required in their sport. And, often, sports injuries occur because an individual’s body is pushed past its breaking point due to overtraining, impacts during the sport, overuse, and other factors.

In order to prevent sports injuries and improve the body’s ability to handle the demands of a chosen activity, chiropractic sports medicine is often necessary. This approach to care focuses on improving the strength, balance, and flexibility of the patient.

For example, sports medicine can strengthen the muscles of the body, enabling them to better support an athlete’s balance and withstand stressors such as a football tackle or a marathon run. Similarly, chiropractic adjustments can support the healthy functioning of the body’s nervous system, improve coordination of the body’s muscles and improve their agility.

When the body is stronger, more agile and more coordinated, the athlete has an easier time engaging in the intense and often sudden movements of sports and other physical activities. And that can improve both their ability to thrive in their sport and avoid injuries that could take them out of the game.

Chiropractors improve range of motion

Improved flexibility can also mean improved range of motion – More of an ability to move the joints and muscles of the body throughout their full arc. Stiffness or limitations in movement make an athlete more susceptible to acute injury during athletic activity. A shoulder with full range of motion, for example, is less likely to tear during a tennis match, football tackle, or wrestling championship.

Muscle stiffness can be a sign of a deeper problem. For example, nerve impingement, overuse of the joint, or too much sports training after rehab can all decrease range of motion. Chiropractors can reverse this process with tailored techniques that address the cause of the stiffness. By addressing stiffness immediately, sports medicine can prevent more serious injuries that would keep you out of the game for longer.

Chiropractors address underlying movement issues

Treating the symptoms of a problem instead of their cause can only bring temporary relief. Chiropractors can evaluate a patient in order to identify the cause of their pain, limited motion, or injury.

Posture issues, muscle imbalances, skeletal misalignment and existing pain from sleep positions or sitting at a desk for long periods can affect the form we take when running, lifting weights or swinging a golf club, and that can lead to injuries in the neck, back, elbows, hips, and knees — really anywhere with a joint!

Sports chiropractors can analyze body type and posture against the muscles and movements used in an athlete’s sport of choice to correct issues that lead to compensation injuries or those that result from improper sports technique. We can also address mild pain — usually a signal there is a more severe pain to come — before it leads to damage that may take you out of your game for good.

Sports medicine improves reaction time

Reaction time can be the difference between making a soccer goal and losing the ball, hitting a home run and striking out. Chiropractic care can help. According to one study in the 90s, athletes who received chiropractic care were 6.3 percent more agile and enjoyed faster response times than athletes who did not.

By integrating the nervous system, improving flexibility and range of motion and identifying and correcting movement problems, chiropractors have the ability to make an athlete faster and more accurate in their sport. That improves performance in measurable ways.

Chiropractic care speeds up rehab times

As experts in sports rehabilitation, sports chiropractors diagnose sports injuries and create treatment plans that involve a variety of rehab therapies including cold therapy, massage, taping, manual manipulation and stretch and strengthening exercises, among others, to allow athletes to return to their sport faster.

Other ways in which chiropractic adjustments and techniques can shorten recovery from injuries (And related surgeries) include the following:

Maintain range of motion as the body heals
Reduce inflammation in the affected joints or muscles
Increase healing blood flow throughout the injured area
Alleviate pain from the injury

Chiropractic care addresses pain at the source

Often when an athlete gets injured, they realize there were signs this was going to happen: Mild pain that increased with activity or lingering soreness well after the game was over.

Addressing these signals of impending problems can prevent major problems from arising. In addition, a skilled chiropractor can follow these signals to the source of the issue and implement exercises and adjustments that can heal the underlying problem.

For example, if an impinged nerve is causing shoulder pain that makes it difficult to play your sport of choice, a chiropractor can offer adjustments designed to free the nerve so that the pain goes away – And stays away.

Fewer clinic trips and more time on the field or the court is a surefire way to improve your performance and begin crushing your physical fitness goals.

Sports chiropractors improve training and performance

Two female runners working out while listening to music on their mobile phone on an armband

By focusing on improving overall body function, and increasing range of motion and muscle strength and tone, a sports chiropractor can assist athletes in optimizing and enhancing performance.

Whether your goal is to run faster, swing harder, jump higher or play longer, sports chiropractors can analyze your training-to-results ratio to determine which factors might be keeping you from reaching your fitness goals. These can include improper warm-up, nutrition deficiencies, sleep issues or overtraining, among many others.

If you are ready to combat injuries and reach new success in your athletic endeavors, you may want to add sports medicine to your regimen. Don’t wait until you are suffering from a debilitating injury. Go now to stop injuries in their tracks and gain the flexibility, range of motion, strength, and agility you need to perform at your peak.

Want to hear from an actual patient who has experienced the beneficial effects of chiropractic care? Consider this testament.

“I’ve been a patient of this clinic since 2018 and I couldn’t recommend a place more highly. Honest business practices and quality care make me feel comfortable recommending that my friends and clients go there as well.” – Curtis Fellenz.

At Dynamic Sports Medicine, we have an unwavering dedication to helping you stay active through premier chiropractic sports medicine. Trust the gold standard trusted by athletes and book your appointment today!

Updated: May, 2023.

The Importance of Proper Warm-Up and Cool-Down for Golf and Tennis Players

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Admin

A highly focused revision right before the exam and a treat right after the paper always boosts our academic performance, doesn’t it? Well, the same applies to sports!

Whether you are a golfer or tennis player, your main aim might always be to get right into your game or practice session. But can we write well in our exam if we do not revise the answers one last time? It’s exactly what happens if we ignore a good warm-up session and jump straight to the game.

But hold on! What are warm-up and cool-down exercises?

Warm-up exercises prepare your body for the workout or activity ahead by increasing your heart rate, blood flow, and muscle mobility. This, in turn, helps to reduce the risk of injury and improves performance. Some warm-up exercises include jogging, jumping jacks, dynamic stretching, and light cardio.

A proper warm up for golf players could include dynamic stretches, such as shoulder rotations, hip rotations, torso twists, and light jogging or jumping jacks. In contrast, a warm up for tennis players may include exercises such as high knees, lunges, and arm circles to prepare their bodies for the repetitive motions of hitting the ball.

On the other hand, cool down exercises are performed at the end of a workout or any sport and are designed to bring your muscles back to their state of rest gradually. They act as a catalyst to prevent dizziness or fainting, reduce muscle soreness, and promote recovery. Some examples of cool-down exercises include static stretching, gentle yoga poses, and so on.

A proper cool down for golf players could include static stretches, such as hamstring and quad stretches, as well as light walking and jogging. Whereas, a cool down for tennis players may include exercises such as calf stretches and shoulder stretches.

Importance of warming up and cooling down exercises

Warming up and cooling down exercises are equally important to help prevent injury and promote overall fitness and health.

Ignoring the importance of warming up and cooling down can lead to a higher risk of injury and decreased performance on the court. Taking just a few minutes before and after your game or practice session to properly prepare and recover can significantly improve your overall performance and well-being.

Additionally, warming up and cooling down can help prepare you mentally for your game or practice session. It gives you a chance to focus on your breathing and mentally prepare yourself for the upcoming physical demands of the sport. It also helps you to relax and clear your mind after playing or practicing.

Warm up and cool down for golf players

Golf is more than just hitting a little ball with a club. To drive that ball across the lush green lawn and towards the smallest, most inconspicuous mark requires great strength and athleticism. You must be strong, flexible, and well-balanced to face the rigors of the underrated sport.

80% of golfers get back pain considering both the swings they do during a round, including all the practice swings. A lot of one-directional redundancy initiates chronic back pain in these players.

Warm-up tips for golf players

For a few minutes, walk briskly until your heart rate is elevated.
You may loosen up your neck and upper back by bringing your chin to your chest and slowly rotating your head in half-circles.
Do some shoulder stretching. Hold a golf club parallel to the ground while maintaining a shoulder-width distance between your hands. Lift the club slowly above your head, keep it there momentarily, and lower it.
Bend to the sides to warm up your torso. To support the weight of your torso, slide a hand down your leg.

Cool down tips for golf players

Simply perform each warm-up activity backward.
Use a supportive carry brace or a golf cart to move your equipment if you carry clubs.
Improve your muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance by engaging in a regular strength and fitness program that involves weight training or aerobic exercises like walking or jogging.
Build up your abs to support your lower back. According to a Canadian study, golfers with strong side abdominal muscles, often known as obliques, experience less back pain.

If you want to strengthen your technique to reduce the risk of injury and enhance performance, consider taking lessons from a certified instructor.

Warm up and cool down for tennis players

Stretching before practice or a match is crucial for tennis players who are constantly on their feet. We advise incorporating these five dynamic warm-up exercises into your program to give yourself a wide stretch and a full-body warm-up.

Tennis warm-up activities

Physically preparing for a match with a warm-up program can help you avoid tennis injuries. The following six exercises might be included in your next warm-up routine:

Jumping rope

During warm-up exercises, jump rope for a few minutes to improve your speed, agility, balance, and coordination. If you don’t have a jump rope, you can still incorporate cardio and shoulder mobility into your warm-up routine by jogging while doing arm circles.

Jumping jacks

This exercise can help you increase endurance while raising your heart rate and getting ready for the various tennis movements you make. Begin by doing two sets of 25.

Shadowing

Try to imitate your typical tennis-related actions and motions for three to five minutes. Practice overheads, volleys, forehands, backhands, and serve motions to mentally and physically prepare for the match.

Knee raises

Tennis calls for intense whole-body movement. Place yourself in a standing position and elevate your knees to your hips. Three sets of knee lifts lasting between 15 and 30 seconds each should be done.

Butt kicks

Knees, glutes, quadriceps, calf muscles, and hamstrings are all worked out during butt kicks, a jump-training activity. Lift your left heel towards your glutes while you are standing still. When you are back upright, elevate your right heel similarly. Three sets of butt kicks should be done for 15–30 seconds each.

Tennis cool-down exercises

The recovery period after a demanding physical activity is commonly called a “cool down.” It’s crucial to allow your body to gradually reduce stress instead of abruptly stopping the stressor. During tennis, the body continuously works to meet every shot’s demands and adapt to the environment.

When the match or practice session ends, the body attempts to return to its normal state, resulting in an instant shock as it is no longer under constant stress. This shock causes the body to decrease adrenaline and tighten up, leading to adverse events like joint stiffness, muscular tightness, cramping, or sensations of lightheadedness/dizziness. Additionally, your extremities may experience excessive coldness as blood rushes back to vital organs.

Staying nourished, keeping moving, and stretching your muscles and joints after playing are essential to prevent these issues. Remember N.M.S. – Nutrition, Movement, Stretch.
For nutrition, replenish lost electrolytes with a sports drink right after playing, followed by a meal containing healthy carbohydrates and lean protein within two hours to repair damaged muscles and replenish energy. Hydrate by drinking about 24 ounces of water for every pound lost while playing within two hours.
For movement, keep moving after playing to prevent muscle and joint stiffness. Gradually decrease the movement during your cool down to ease your body back to normal. Consider going for a short walk, jogging comfortably, or using a stationary bike with minimal resistance to increase circulation and decrease soreness.
For stretching, stretch your muscles and joints for at least 30 seconds each, three times. Incorporate quadriceps, hamstring, butterfly, calf, knees to chest, child’s pose, pec stretch, bear hug, wrist/forearm stretches, and foam rolling. Focus on slow, deep breathing to achieve a deeper stretch.
Your cool-down routine should take about 20-30 minutes, replenishing lost electrolytes, light movement, stretching, and hydration. Afterward, enjoy a nutrient-filled meal to aid in the recovery process.

Final Thoughts

Taking the time to properly warm up and cool down is essential for golfers and tennis players. It helps to reduce the risk of injury, improve performance, and mentally prepare you for your game or practice session. Don’t skip these important steps; you’ll see the benefits in your overall performance and well-being on the course or court.

In addition to performing the right exercises, chiropractic sports medicine also help you improve your performance. To learn more, contact a sports chiropractor in Austin today.

Myofascial Release: A Solution for Sports Injuries

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Admin

Myofascial release is a form of physical therapy used to release tension in myofascial tissues. The myofascial tissues are the underlying connective tissues that act as levers and fulcrums when we move. Any tightness in these tissues restricts our body movement, which makes a human feel stiff, sore, and tight.

Breaking down the word myofascial, ‘Myo’ means muscular tissue, whereas ‘Fascia’ refers to the 3-dimensional connective tissue that connects and goes through every structure in the body from muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and cells down to the bones. As these tissues cover a wide range of areas, pressing these tissues is known to relieve pain from inflammation, pain, or scarring around these affected body parts.

How does myofascial release work?

Myofascial release is a massage therapy performed by professional chiropractors and physical therapists.

It is useful in the case of soft tissue injuries like back and shoulder pain, neck pain, ligament injuries, muscular pains, numbness, sprains and strains caused by repetitive motions (like throwing a baseball or basketball), sciatica, lower back pain, and more.

In simpler words, myofascial release works by massaging and pressing the trigger points around the stiff tissues. The medical practitioner will first press certain areas where the patient feels rigid. Once the areas affected are identified, the therapist begins pressing the trigger points to release the pressure. This process is repeated multiple times until the therapist believes the tension has been released.

A patient may be experiencing pain in a different area than where the therapist works with his fingers and palms. They focus on the trigger points that are actually responsible for releasing tightness for a broader set of muscles underlying them. In short, pressing trigger points of a body area is how myofascial release works.

How does Myofascial Release help in sports injuries?

No matter the nature of the sport, any sports injury that results in a soft tissue injury can be rectified using myofascial release. It has helped athletes and sportspeople add more swiftness to their actions and, at the same time, enhance their performance.

Myofascial release, when combined with an expertise of a physical therapist expert, also helps prevent sports injuries altogether.

People generally tend to avoid pain. This is one of the reasons they end up with chronic pain. Myofascial release can be performed on-field and can help relieve the injury then and there. Any delay would mean dealing with the pain for much longer.

Sports injuries are usually caused due to repeated strenuous action and through repeated high-impact movement required while swimming, golfing, tennis, baseball, and other sports. Swimming requires repeated muscular movements when diving and thereafter. Similarly, golf requires impactful movement of both hands and legs to aim a hole.

Any movement can get excessive at any time during the play. Remember how top-seed tennis player, Alexander Zverev, had to leave the finals against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros? The injury was caused mid-play due to an ankle and ligament tear. Though, his case was severe and required surgery to recover. It will not be wrong to say myofascial release would have helped him well on the way to his recovery thereafter.

Remember that it is beneficial only for soft tissue injuries and should not be performed when the patient:

Has been using blood thinners
Had surgery recently
Has an underlying tumor
Has open wounds
Has weak bones or has a broken bone
Has deep vein issues

Myofascial release is usually provided to patients with chronic pain. Contrary to popular belief, sports athletes suffer from chronic pain more than they are accounted for. According to research that studied the prevalence of back pain in 181 elite athletes from different sports like badminton, volleyball, tennis etc, it was found that “lifetime prevalence of back pain was 85%, the 12-month prevalence was 75%, the 3-month prevalence was 58%, and point prevalence was 38%; for the physically active control group, these prevalence were 81%, 70%, 59%, and 43%, respectively”. Thus, when provided at the right time, myofascial release can help a number of sports personalities recover and perform well.

Conclusion

Many sports personalities continually take pain medications to deal with chronic pain. These can be avoided through other ways of mitigating pain, one of these being myofascial release. To learn more about the procedure and to discover how we can help, contact us today.

Benefits of Regular Sports Therapy

Posted on October 25, 2022 by Admin

Sports therapy is about ongoing body maintenance with the goal of optimizing athletic performance and resolving overuse injuries.

By regularly addressing body alignment issues and tending to potential points of injury in the early stages, sports medicine can dramatically reduce the aches and pains associated with being physically active and allow you to participate pain-free, both making your sport more enjoyable and reducing the likelihood of major injury down the line.

Our sports therapy specialists are experts in physical function, with advanced knowledge of how the body moves and the identification of any restrictions and internal forces that may be impeding it. Detailed evaluation of posture and gait, as well as any nerve, muscle or joint imbalances allow us to customize a treatment plan designed to enhance flexibility, mobility, strength and endurance. Using a variety of hands-on techniques like chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue manipulation, intramuscular stimulation and massage, we help athletes of every level up their game safely.

If you’re already dealing with an injury like tennis or golf elbow, head, neck or back pain, your personalized sports physical therapy plan will assess muscle function, range of motion and body alignment to identify and treat restrictions in muscles, ligaments and fascia to correct dysfunction. This assists in a quick but complete recovery. It also makes it possible to identify issues that led to the injury and could potentially cause re-injury.

If you have any questions, talk to us about achieving optimal body function for enhanced athletic performance through regular sports therapy.

That Pain In Your Neck Could Be Tech Neck

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Admin

Chiropractic Exercises that Help

While chiropractic is an age-old medical practice, it is an ideal solution for a painful, modern day problem: tech neck.

This is the name for the uniquely compromised posture that results from being hunched over some kind of screen or smart device all day. The combination of the chin jutting down and forward and the shoulders rounding over when using computers, tablets, and smart phones adds an extra 50 pounds of pressure to the bones and muscles of the neck and shoulders! That’s a lot of weight for a structure only designed to support 10-12 pounds. Understandably, this leads to neck and spine misalignments that cause pain, strain and other problems.

Signs that you may be suffering from tech neck include pain, tenderness, tingling and/or numbness in the neck, shoulders and upper back area. Muscle stiffness and more frequent headaches are other symptoms that interfere with everyday activities like working, socializing and athletic training.

Sports chiropractic can be used to address tech neck and other painful conditions that result from — and lead to — incorrect posture. Through gentle and regular adjustments, a sports chiropractor can ensure proper alignment to help correct posture and relieve muscle tension.

When the spine, neck and head are all in alignment the entire body is properly supported and better able to perform optimally.

In addition, there are things you can take to relieve the tension placed on your neck when using smart devices. By holding the phone up more in line with your face/eyes and placing your laptop on a table or other similar height surface (instead of your lap) you avoid the uncomfortable, downward angle of your chin that leads to hunching over. Through chiropractic you can learn how to self adjust your posture when necessary, as well as learn and perform certain exercises designed to reduce the tension that leads to muscular constrictions and further misalignments. Doing them throughout the day can offer long-term relief from neck pain.

The following yoga-based exercises are safe and easy to do at home.

Floor Cobra

Lay down on your stomach facing the floor with your legs stretched out behind you and your hands positioned under your shoulders. Keeping your neck in line with your spine, chin only slightly tucked, slowly lift up your arms and torso off the ground, while squeezing your shoulder blades together and keeping the palms even with the shoulders. Slowly lower back down. Repeat 10 times. If possible, lift your legs at the same time for an all-over spinal strengthening stretch.

Floor Cobra with Arms Outstretched

The set up and function of this stretching exercise is similar to the first, only the arms are outstretched behind you at a slight angle from the body with the palms facing the floor.

Keeping your chin slightly tucked, lift your legs and torso off the ground. Glutes should be engaged and shoulder blades squeezed together. Repeat 10 times.

Side Neck Stretch

Sit straight up with legs criss-crossed in front of you (criss cross applesauce for those of you with small children!)

Gently aim your right ear towards the right shoulder until you feel a stretch. Take your right hand across your head to your left ear and ever so slightly pull to elongate the neck muscles. To further enhance the stretch, raise your left arm about six inches off the ground and flex your fingers toward the sky. Hold 10-15 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Shoulder Rolls

Sitting up straight in the same criss-crossed position place your hands on your knees and shrug your shoulders up close to your ears. Follow by lowering shoulders to the point that you feel the elongation in the neck. Repeat the exercise by rolling shoulders forward when you shrug them them, and back ward when you lower them. Repeat as many times as feels good

Cat/Cow

Cat and Cow can be done on hands and knees or in the criss-crossed position about with hands on the knees. Roll shoulders all the way forward and tuck your chin to the chest. You should feel an opening between the shoulder blades. Next, slowly press the chest out and forward while looking up toward the sky to provide a full expansion of the chest muscles and release tension in the neck. Repeat several times.

At Dynamic Sports Medicine we are happy to evaluate neck and shoulder pain from tech neck or other misalignment problems. Give us a call today.

Pain During Swimming? Chiropractic Care Can Help

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Admin

Swimming is one of the most beneficial ways to exercise because it is a full-body exercise that combines aerobics, strengthening, and conditioning in a low-impact way.

Whether taking gentle laps in a pool or lake, or trying to beat your own (or someone else’s) personal best, swimming boosts cardiovascular health, increases flexibility, and improves strength by utilizing almost every muscle group, including those in the arms, legs, back, glutes, and core.

But just because swimming is low impact, doesn’t mean there is no risk for injury.

In sports chiropractic, we routinely see swimmers for shoulder, neck, and back pain, among others, due to skeletal misalignments, muscle imbalances, lack of flexibility, and repetitive motion.

Swimmer’s Shoulder

The repetitive overhead arm motion of many swim strokes means that some of the most common swimming injuries are to the shoulder.

Swimmer’s shoulder is generally the result of tissue damage that occurs over time and can present in a variety of ways, including irritation and inflammation, cartilage tears, bursitis, bicep tendonitis, and injuries to the rotator cuff. Because shoulder injuries often mean there is pain when the arm is raised, water workouts are sometimes painful or avoided altogether.

Neck & Back Pain

A perfectly executed swim stroke is beautiful to watch, but the mechanics of the individual strokes can eventually cause significant strain to the neck and back. Keeping the head too far above water during breaststroke, or even simply twisting to breath during freestyle can result in strain, misalignments, and even disc and nerve damage.

Achieving and maintaining proper alignment is not only helpful in relieving pain, but it can also improve efficiency and speed in the water.

Lower Body

Swimming injuries are not limited to the upper body. In fact, we often see swimmers for pain in the hips and knees, usually resulting from their breaststroke technique. The outward position of the knees and feet involved in the frog-like kick of this stroke puts a huge amount of stress on the inner knee, which can strain the ligaments of the knee and cause swelling and pain.

Anterior hip pain can result from tight or overloaded hip flexors, which are not only involved in hip joint flexibility, but also in the movement of the lower spine and knee. When these muscles are constricted, a swimmer can experience decreased performance, as well as pain during and after swimming.

Chiropractic Care for Swimmers

As in most other sports, swimmers can greatly benefit from chiropractic care. At Dynamic Sports Medicine we are experienced in assessing a swimmer’s body mechanics to identify poor muscle activation patterns and areas of weakness that might be affecting technique and performance. We will work with you to not only strengthen and increase flexibility in areas most prone to injuries, such as the shoulder, back, and neck, but improve stability and strength in the rest of the body as well, including hips, quadriceps, and core.

Incorporating a variety of treatment modalities, including spinal and limb adjustments, myofascial release, and dry needling to name but a few, we will design a personalized strengthening and rehabilitative program to keep you injury-free and improve your performance and joy in the water — whether competitive or recreational.

Here at Dynamic Sports Medicine, our very own Dr. Matt Lowe has been selected to serve as the team chiropractor for USA Swimming in this year’s Olympics. He has served in a similar role for Team USA at a variety of competitions including the 2017 and 2019 World Championships. Dr. Lowe continues to serve as the team chiropractor for the University of Texas men’s swimming and diving squad who just won their 15th NCAA national title in March. To learn more about Dr. Matt and his love for swimming, check out our In the Media page here.

Whatever the sport, when the spine is aligned, flexibility is improved, and the soft tissues are supple and unrestricted, injuries are less likely to occur. Regular chiropractic adjustments and fascial manipulation can keep you in peak physical condition to avoid many common swimming injuries. If you’re already experiencing pain during your favorite stroke, chiropractic rehab can get you back in the water doing what you love.

Contact Dynamic Sports Medicine today!

Sports Chiropractic for Swimmer’s Shoulder

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Admin

Swimming is an extremely beneficial form of exercise because it is a full body workout with low impact to the body.

Swimming boosts cardiovascular health, increases flexibility, and improves strength by utilizing almost every available muscle group, including those in the arms, legs, back, glutes and core.

But even though swimming is a low-impact sport, there is still risk for injury. In fact, at Dynamic Sports Medicine, we routinely treat swimmer’s shoulder — a broad term for a variety of shoulder injuries that occur in swimmers.

Swimmer’s Shoulder

Over time, the repetitive overhead arm motion of many swim strokes can cause strain that results in tissue damage in and around the shoulder area.This leads to irritation and inflammation, cartilage tears, bursitis, bicep tendonitis, rotator cuff impingement and rotator cuff tears. Because shoulder injuries often mean there is pain when the arm is raised, water workouts can become too painful to continue.

Chiropractic Care for Swimmers

As in most other sports, swimmers can greatly benefit from sports chiropractic care.

We incorporate a variety of treatment modalities, including spinal and limb adjustments, myofascial release, and dry needling, among others, to design a personalized strengthening and rehabilitative program to heal existing injury and prevent future occurrences.

In addition, when done regularly and properly, there are specific stretches for swimmer’s shoulder shoulder that are designed to strengthen and stabilize the shoulder joint and speed up your return to the water. Here are a few to get you started:

Thread The Needle

This calming yoga pose is great for opening the shoulders and chest and improving spinal mobility.Start on your hands and knees in a table top position.Open up your chest by reaching your right hand up toward the sky and allowing your gaze to follow.Bend your arm as you bring it back down, and guide it under your abdomen and through to the opposite side in a straight arm position. Allow your right arm, shoulder, and ear to rest on the mat. If accessible to you, stretch your left hand up overhead. Hold the position.Repeat on the other side.

Child’s Pose

Another calming yoga position involves sitting on the heels while bending forward over your knees. Heels should be together and knees apart slightly wider than hip width (unless you’re naturally flexible, then you can spread your knees wider apart.) Passive child’s pose involves letting the arms drape behind your along the sides of your legs. Active child’s pose calls for you to reach both arms out overhead, resting, but reaching, outward on the ground.This opens up the shoulder blades and tops of the arms.

Cross Arm Stretch

Part One: Stand with your feet hip width apart. (This can be done sitting as well) with your chin up and shoulders back.Reach your right arm up overhead and then bend the armbehind the head so that your fingers reach toward the left shoulder blade. Your right bicep will be by your right ear. With your opposite arm, gently reach over and tug the right elbow toward the right ear for a soft stretch. Hold.

Part Two: Release the grip of your elbow, straighten the right arm and direct it straight out in front of you. Use the left hand to gently stretch your straight right arm across the chest.Hold the position.

Repeat on the left side.

Proper stretching and conditioning, along with sports chiropractic care can keep you in peak physical condition to avoid many common swimming injuries. If you’re already experiencing pain during your favorite stroke, chiropractic rehab can get you back in the water doing what you love.

Contact Dynamic Sports Medicine today!

Runner’s Knee Stretches To Help You Heal

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Admin

Multiple bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons join together at the knee, making it one of the largest and most complicated joints in the body. That’s why isolating the root cause of knee pain can take a little trial and error. However, sports chiropractors are uniquely qualified to determine the problem and address it.

One of the most common causes of knee pain is what we call “Runner’s Knee,” a condition resulting from overuse or injury that damages the cartilage under the knee cap.

Runner’s knee can present with a variety of symptoms making each case a little different. The primary symptom involves pain that occurs or worsens during activity — and not just athletic training. Climbing stairs, bending at the knee (squatting,) or sitting cross-legged can also be painful. You may also have stiffness or swelling around the knee joint, and/or experience a clicking/popping sensation when you move or bend your knee.

Because it’s such a major joint, knee injuries generally involve at least some rest from training, but scheduling or continuing sports chiropractic care during this time can speed up the healing process and maintain your condition for your return to your normal routine.

Because symptoms of runner’s knee can vary from patient to patient, so might the sports chiropractic therapies we recommend. Potential ways to address runner’s knee include gentle adjustments to the knee and spine, myofascial release, hot and/or cold therapy, and targeted strengthening exercises, among others.

Runner’s knee stretches can also be helpful. These stretches tend to focus on increasing strength and mobility in the muscles that attach to and surround the knee, including the hamstrings, glutes, quads, and hip flexors.

Hamstring Stretch

Lying on your back extend one leg straight out in front of you and the other toward the ceiling. The raised leg can be slightly bent. Gently grab behind the knee and pull the leg toward the face until you feel a stretch down the back of the leg. Hold for several seconds and release. Repeat. Switch legs.

Quad/Hip Flexor Stretch

Lying on your back extend one leg straight out in front of you and the other bent at a 90-degree angle. Slowly raise the straight leg up toward the ceiling and return it to the ground. Repeat 10-15 times for two to three sets. Switch legs.

Glute/Hamstring Bridge

Lying on your back with legs bent and feet hip-width apart, push your feet into the ground as you lift your body into a bridge pose. Extend one leg straight out in front of you and raise and lower your body to the mat 10 times. Repeat on the other side.

Runner’s knee stretches and other physiotherapy can reduce pain and help restore full functionality to the knee. When sports chiropractic therapies are used in combination, it is possible for the knee to heal from injury stronger than it was before.

If you are experiencing knee pain or have any of the symptoms of runner’s knee, contact Dynamic Sports Medicine today for an evaluation. We can help determine the root cause of the pain, speed up the recovery process, and reduce your risk of future injury.

Pain During Exercise: What Your Body Is Telling You

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Admin

Often in our effort to remain physically active, we get used to ignoring the pain resulting from previous exertions. We pound the pavement to jog when our muscles are already fatigued or hit the gym, barre or cycle studio to work through the soreness from classes earlier in the week.

And this isn’t always bad. If we didn’t exercise every time we didn’t really feel like it, we’d never make progress towards our fitness goals.

The idea is to push your body to its limit without going beyond it and to do that, you must listen to what it’s trying to tell you.

The Art of Listening to Your Body

But what does listening to your body really mean? There’s a definite difference — and often a fine line — between the pain of normal muscle soreness and that from a potential or existing sports injury.

Muscle soreness, which can be severe when first starting an exercise program, running or cycling on new terrain, or increasing the weight lifted, lessens and goes away until the limit is pushed again. A sharp or recurring pain, especially if it’s persistent and interferes with activity, should be handled with care.

Seek Early Care for Sports Injuries

Exercising through a minor sports injury can exacerbate the issue resulting in major pain and injuries down the line. In addition, pain during activity may cause you to alter the way you exercise, putting improper stress on other areas of the body and leading to compensation injuries. What starts out as a sore ankle can lead to problems in the knee, hip, or lower back; soreness down the arm can contribute to injuries in the shoulder, upper back, and neck.

Instead of treating mild pain as a mere annoyance that must be worked through, it is wiser to seek immediate medical attention from a chiropractor specializing in the treatment of sports injuries. Early intervention can prevent your strain or sprain from leading to a tear or fracture, and improve mobility and range of motion for proper and complete healing. Seeking treatment sooner rather than later likely means your injury is more easily treatable, and that you’ll be sidelined from activity for less time.

Seeking physical fitness is always a good thing, but continuing physical activity when you’re injured is not. Sharp, chronic, and/or persistent pain is a sign your body is trying to send you a message. Don’t ignore it.

Exercises & Stretches For Achilles Tendonitis

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Admin

Sports chiropractic therapies, including specific stretches and exercises for achilles tendonitis, can dramatically help with ankle and leg pain associated with the condition.

Achilles tendonitis is a soft tissue injury that occurs when the tendon that runs from the calf muscles to the top of the heel becomes inflamed and restricts the range of motion. It is often the result of intense physical training, repetitive motion, or improper footwear. The tighter the tendon and more restricted the movement, the more painful the condition tends to be.

Pain is particularly noticeable when the muscles are cold, making the beginning of a workout especially uncomfortable. Performing the following exercises and stretches prior to training can help prepare tendons and muscles for exertion and reduce or prevent pain from achilles tendonitis.

Runner’s Stretch

Stand with your feet hip-width apart facing a wall. With your hands at eye level against a wall, step back with the affected foot and press the heel down toward the ground. Lean into the wall until you feel a good, but gentle, stretch up the back of the heel and calf. Hold for 30 seconds and release. Repeat.

Stair Stretch

Stand with the toes of your affected foot on a stair step (or curb) with the heel hanging off. Your other foot should be on the ground to help with balance. Gently drop your heel below the step to angle the toes up until you feel a slight stretch in the affected area. Hold the stretched position before releasing.

Seated/Standing Heel Raise Stretch

The stretch can be done standing or seated on the edge of a chair, bench or bed with feet hip-width apart on the ground. Slowly lift the heels high while gently keeping toes pressed to the ground. Hold several seconds before releasing. If standing, you may wish to hold on to a wall or stair rail for better balance.

Resistance Band/Tube

Sitting on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you (a slight bend is ok!) wrap a resistance band or tube around the ball of your foot under your toes. Gently pull the band toward you to flex the toes/foot. Hold before releasing.

All of these stretches target the heel area where the pain from achilles tendonitis is most felt. They are designed to improve mobility by loosening up the tendon while at the same time strengthening the heel and calf muscles. If you feel the stretch or pain somewhere else, it is possible you are performing the stretches incorrectly or you have another issue. Proper form and gentle stretching is vital to recovery.

Sports chiropractors specialize in body mechanics and movement patterns, making us uniquely qualified to guide you through recovery stretches for achilles tendonitis and many other soft tissue injuries associated with athletic training. We can assess postural deficiencies, weight distribution, and body misalignments that may be putting undue stress on the foot and ankle, and work with you to improve necessary body mechanics.

If you are experiencing heel pain due to achilles tendonitis or other sports injury, contact Dynamic Sports Medicine to begin your recovery today.

MOVE YOUR BEST.

Category: Fitness