Sports Performance - Dynamic Sports Medicine

Unlocking Peak Performance: How Chiropractic Care Benefits Dancers and Gymnasts

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Admin

Dancers and gymnasts are among the most dedicated and physically dynamic athletes. Their disciplines demand flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance—all while pushing their bodies to the limits of human capability. But with these high demands comes the risk of injury, fatigue, and chronic pain. That’s where chiropractic care can make a world of difference.

At Dynamic Sports Medicine, we understand the unique challenges faced by dancers and gymnasts. Our specialized care is designed to help these athletes achieve optimal performance, prevent injuries, and recover faster. Here’s how chiropractic care can transform the journey for dancers and gymnasts.

The Unique Physical Demands of Dancers and Gymnasts

From perfecting a flawless pirouette to executing a high-flying tumbling pass, dancers and gymnasts require precision and control over every muscle and joint. However, the repetitive nature of these activities often leads to:

1. Overuse Injuries: Stress fractures, tendinitis, and joint inflammation are common due to repetitive motions.

2. Spinal Misalignments: Poor posture during routines or training can cause misalignments, leading to discomfort and decreased range of motion.

3. Muscle Imbalances: Intense focus on specific muscle groups can leave others weak, increasing the risk of injury.

4. Acute Injuries: Sudden falls, twists, or improper landings can result in sprains, strains, or worse.

How Chiropractic Care Supports Dancers and Gymnasts

1. Injury Prevention

Chiropractors focus on keeping the body in proper alignment, which ensures balanced muscle engagement and reduces strain on joints. With regular adjustments, dancers and gymnasts can minimize the risk of overuse injuries and acute mishaps.

2. Improved Flexibility and Range of Motion

Chiropractic adjustments help restore full joint mobility, which is essential for achieving the extreme flexibility required in both disciplines. Enhanced range of motion translates to better performance and fewer restrictions during routines.

3. Faster Recovery

Through techniques like spinal manipulation, soft tissue therapy, and dry needling, chiropractic care promotes faster healing by improving blood flow, reducing inflammation, and easing muscle tension. This allows athletes to return to training sooner and with greater confidence.

4. Enhancing Balance and Coordination

Proper spinal alignment ensures the nervous system communicates effectively with the rest of the body. This enhances coordination and balance—critical components for executing routines with precision.

Why Choose Dynamic Sports Medicine?

Our team is passionate about helping dancers and gymnasts reach their full potential. Here’s what sets us apart:

Specialized Expertise: We’re trained in sports-specific chiropractic techniques tailored to athletes.

Comprehensive Care Plans: From adjustments to rehabilitation exercises, we offer holistic solutions.

Cutting-Edge Techniques: We use advanced tools and methods to ensure optimal recovery and performance.

Take the Next Step in Your Performance Journey

Whether you’re an aspiring dancer, a seasoned gymnast, or the parent of a young athlete, chiropractic care at Dynamic Sports Medicine can be the key to unlocking peak performance. Don’t let pain or injury hold you back—let us help you stay aligned, balanced, and unstoppable.

📅 Schedule your appointment today and experience the difference chiropractic care can make for your body and your craft. Together, we’ll keep you in the spotlight and at the top of your game.

What is Plantar Fasciitis

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Admin

Plantar Fasciitis

Our feet are the foundation for all of our upright movements, supporting all of our body weight support and providing balance and stability when standing and moving. So when we have pain in one or both feet, it can drastically affect our daily activities.

The most common foot pain complaint is plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs from the top of the heel toward the sole of the foot. One in 10 people will experience pain from plantar fasciitis at some point in their lives.

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis include a sharp, sometimes burning pain in the heel that is often worst first thing in the morning. While it usually, gradually, gets better throughout the day, it is possible to have dull, constant pain all day.

Plantar fasciitis can affect athletes and non-athletes alike for a variety of reasons, but the most common tend to be a lack of strength in the intrinsic foot muscles and poor ankle mobility, specifically dorsiflexion (flexing your toes up toward your shin.) People with a higher-than-normal BMI or who have overly tight calves and hamstrings tend to be more prone.

There are a number of ways sports chiropractic can address these issues. The first line of treatment, after resting the foot as much as possible, is generally to prescribe specific stretching and strengthening exercises for the foot, calf, and hamstring to loosen up and smooth out the fascia and, hopefully, relieve some inflammation. It is important to stretch and strengthen the posterior muscles of the leg as well as the foot, because they are all connected, and tight hamstrings and calves will pull on the heel bone and create excess tension on the bottom of the foot.

Figure Four-Foot Stretch

Sit in a chair with both on the floor. Take your left foot and rest it on the right leg in a figure-four position. With your right hand, pull the ball of your foot (not just your toes) up toward your shin and hold for a few seconds. Relax. Repeat. You should feel a good stretch along the arch of your foot and up your Achilles tendon.

Heel Raises and Dips

Holding onto something or someone for balance, stand with both feet on a stair, curb, or small portable step with your heels hanging off the back. Lift up onto the balls of your feet and hold your heels elevated for three seconds before slowly lowering until your heel is below the step or the curb. Hold that position for three seconds before returning your foot to a neutral position. Repeat five to 10 times. After several days or weeks, graduate to single-leg exercises lifting and lowering one foot/heel at a time.

Standing Calf Stretch

Stand in a slightly lunged (diagonal) position with one leg forward and hands flatly on the wall. Keeping your back heel firmly on the ground, slightly bend your front knee until you feel a stretch in the lower portion of your back leg (calf.) Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and switch to the other leg. Repeat the stretch three times on each leg.

Foam Rolling

Using a foam roller or small, firm ball (lacrosse or tennis ball,) roll with moderate pressure across the bottom of the foot to manually soften and stretch the plantar fascia and the Achilles tendon. You can do this by rolling the foam roller or ball across the foot or rolling your foot across whichever tool you are using.

While many times, plantar fasciitis pain can be dramatically lessened with at-home stretches, severe or repetitive cases might need more serious intervention. DSM Sports Medicine has a variety of non-invasive ways to help your foot function more fully.

Manual manipulation of the foot
Soft tissue therapy along the plantar fascia
Dry needling
Gait analysis (overpronation can lead to plantar fasciitis)
Orthotics to temporarily relieve pressure

For athletes, the issues that cause plantar fasciitis can be as troubling as the condition itself. Poor intrinsic foot muscle strength and limited ankle mobility can not only make it difficult to ever reach your full athletic potential, it will also make you much more prone to injury.

Utilizing sports chiropractic therapies to analyze your biomechanics, strengthen intrinsic foot muscles, and achieve better ankle mobility will help you avoid overusing certain muscles, make injury less likely, and improve overall strength and speed.

Regardless of your fitness goals, optimal foot health is necessary to remain active and pain-free. Spending just five minutes a day dedicated to stretching and stretching the muscles of your leg and foot just like you would any other muscle of your body can both prevent and relieve painful conditions like plantar fasciitis.

If you suffer from foot pain, contact Dynamic Sports Medicine to discuss your options.

How Chiropractic Care Benefits Your Sports Performance

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Admin

Talent and discipline are all you need to excel as an athlete, right? Wrong.

While talent can certainly get you noticed and discipline is essential for honing your performance, there’s a third component that far too many athletes overlook – chiropractic care. It’s not only useful when you incur an injury but at every stage of your athletic development. In a world where every athlete is looking for a competitive advantage, it’s important to know that there’s a science-backed edge that you can get to up your game.

By the time you’re done reading this blog, you’ll understand all of the benefits of chiropractic care for athletic performance and how to tell if it’s working for you.

Top Athletes Swear By Chiropractic Care

Before we delve into the benefits of chiropractic care, let’s dispel the myth that if you’re at the top of your game, you don’t need it. In fact, some of your favorite sportspeople wouldn’t be where they are without the benefit of an outstanding chiropractor. Here’s what they have to say about their experiences:

“I didn’t know how much I could improve until I started seeing a chiropractor. Since I’ve been in chiropractic, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds both mentally and physically.” – Michael Jordan, Basketball Player

“Chiropractic just makes you feel so much better. When I walk out of the clinic, I feel like I’m about three inches taller and everything is in place. And as long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I’m one step ahead of the game.” – Tom Brady, American Football Player

“My chiropractor really helped me. Not only did he adjust my spine, he also gave me strengthening exercises to do. If you are tall and gangly, like I am, or play sports, I would recommend chiropractic. It’s as important to my game as practicing my swing!” – Tiger Woods, Golfer

“I don’t always win gold medals but when I do I get adjusted first. Stay healthy my friends!” – Usain Bolt, Sprinter

“I see the chiropractor on a regular basis. I find that after my treatments I have better flexibility and improved range of motion. I recover quicker from injuries. I have more “jump” in my game and it improves my performance.” – Joe Sakic, Hockey Player

The Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Athletic Performance

Without chiropractic, you limit your flexibility and strength and place yourself at a greater risk of injury. However, with chiropractic care, you have all these advantages.

Enhanced Flexibility

Chiropractic joints focus on your joints, helping you maximize your range of motion and maintain long-term flexibility. This is advantageous for almost any sport since many of them involve swinging your arms, bending your limbs at the elbows and knees, extending your spine, and pivoting your hips.

Better Posture

Using spinal adjustments, chiropractic care can optimize your posture. This gives you better coordination, proper balance, and the right biomechanics to enhance your performance. Better posture also means that you’re less likely to strain your muscles and joints during repetitive motions.

Increased Strength

Your strength doesn’t just come from your muscles, but your spine and joints too. Chiropractic care can help you activate your muscles and drive more power in your punches, swings, and kicks by working on misalignments.

Reduced Pain

Chiropractic care works on the areas that get the most amount of stress during physical activity. Treatments are able to reduce inflammation, increase blood circulation, and promote the body’s natural healing capacities, which ultimately reduces musculoskeletal pain.

Preventing Injury

Not only does chiropractic help speed up injury recovery, but it can also help prevent injuries from occurring in the first place. The potent combination of optimizing your posture, loosening your joints, aiding balance, and supporting muscles is the conditioning your body needs to withstand more physical activity for longer without injurious effects.

What Separates Average and Exceptional Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors are easy to find, but you shouldn’t expect excellent chiropractic care from all of them. Exceptional chiropractic delivers observable results while average chiropractic care will just waste your time. Here’s what you should look for when choosing a chiropractor:

Experience – Chiropractic care takes training and practice so make sure your provider has the credentials.
Personalized treatment plans – Your case is not the same as the next athlete’s so your treatment plan should be tailored to your unique needs.
A holistic approach – Your wellness doesn’t start and stop in the treatment room; your program should involve changes to your diet and lifestyle.
A focus on long-term results – The goal of exceptional chiropractic care is to empower you with lasting advantages and not to turn you into a lifelong customer.

Chiropractic care benefits all facets of your performance as an athlete. It’s not a nice perk but a necessity that could revolutionize your game. Book your first consultation with DSM and we’ll help unlock a level of performance you never thought possible.

The Ultimate Guide to Chiropractic Care for Tennis Players

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Admin

Tennis physiotherapy is an essential component in addressing and preventing tennis-related injuries. This specialized field combines the expertise of physiotherapists and chiropractors to provide comprehensive care for tennis players. By integrating chiropractic manual manipulation techniques with targeted tennis physiotherapy exercises, optimal results can be achieved for those suffering from tennis injuries.

As a tennis player, physical fitness is a necessity if you want to perform your best in every game. However, the demands of the game, including swinging the racquet, running back and forth, and jumping, can leave you prone to certain injuries that can hinder your ability to play the game well. The solution? Often, it is chiropractic care tailored to tennis players. In this comprehensive guide, discover everything you need to know about tennis injuries, chiropractic care for tennis, preventive measures you can take, and how the right chiropractic approach can help you enjoy a healthier game.

Common Tennis Injuries And Why They Occur

While tennis is less likely than other sports to lead to major injuries, fractures, or brain trauma, tennis players do tend to suffer from certain injuries due to the nature of their sport. Here is a look at three of the most common, what their symptoms are, and why they may occur.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is usually caused by overuse of the tendons that extend from the forearm to the outside of the elbow (Golfer’s elbow, which can also afflict tennis players, is a similar injury affecting the tendons on the inside of the elbow). Repetitive actions such as holding the tennis racket, completing backhand shots and other tennis movements leads to inflammation of these tendons. Symptoms may include the following:

Pain that radiates from the outside of the elbow up or down your arm
Weakness that makes it difficult to grasp objects
A burning sensation on your elbow
A swollen or tender outer elbow

Rotator Cuff Injury

The act of playing tennis can also put a significant amount of stress on your rotator cuff and shoulder joint. The rotator cuff attaches your upper arm bone (the humerus) to your shoulder joint and plays a key role in helping you to lift and move your shoulder. Injury often occurs here among tennis players thanks to repetitive movements (Such as lifting the racket overhead) and due to sudden, forceful motions that can lead to tears in the rotator cuff. Symptoms of this injury may include the following:

Shoulder pain, even when resting
Pain when moving your arm
Weakness in lifting or moving your arm
Crackling in the shoulder

Knee Injuries

While the arm is most frequently involved in tennis injuries, the pivoting, jumping and running required in tennis can also lead to knee injuries. These can include everything from spraining your knee to tearing a ligament or creating inflammation in the tendon of your knee. Symptoms of a knee problem may include the following:

Swelling or stiffness in the knee
Tenderness
Crunching or popping noises
Knee weakness
Inability to bear weight on the knee
Limited range of motion

Additional Injuries

Tennis elbow is arguably the most well-known tennis injury, but others, including tennis leg and jumper’s knee, are actually more common reasons tennis players seek chiropractic care. In fact, most sports chiropractors who treat tennis players see more injuries to the lower extremities — foot, ankle, and knees — from hard planting on court surfaces and the continuous twisting and torquing necessitated by the sport. Some additional injuries that tennis players may experience include the following:

Wrist injuries
Tennis-related back pain
Tennis player muscle imbalance
Plantar fasciitis
Leg strains and sprains

Chiropractic Care: A Noninvasive Approach to Tennis Injuries

Sometimes, tennis injuries are addressed with invasive procedures, such as surgery. At other times, the use of pain pills can address the discomfort associated with tennis injuries. While not invasive, this approach fails to address the root cause of the problem, while often causing issues of their own.

Regular chiropractic care reduces pain, inflammation, and soreness associated with training and play, and helps to keep muscles supple and unrestricted, improve flexibility and range of motion.

An alternative to these less-than-desirable approaches is often chiropractic care. As a holistic approach to treatment, it can be used both to heal and to prevent certain injuries incurred by tennis players. Some studies have shown chiropractic care to be effective in the treatment of these types of injuries. Consider, for example, this study of an individual who suffered from tennis elbow for two years before receiving sports medicine care that restored his function and alleviated his pain.

If chiropractic care can effectively address certain injuries caused by tennis, it may help you to avoid surgery (or ongoing pain pill usage). In fact, though not specific to tennis, some research has shown that chiropractic care reduces the need for back surgery in individuals experiencing back pain. What if you could enjoy the benefits of chiropractic care, avoid the need for invasive procedures and get back to the sport you love more quickly? Here are the primary benefits of chiropractic care for tennis players:

Pain Relief

Chiropractic care for tennis players can play a role in alleviating the pain associated with injuries such as torn rotator cuffs or tennis elbow. The right adjustments do more than simply take away pain, however. They address the musculoskeletal imbalances and misalignment that can contribute to pain and can even reduce inflammation.

For example, myofascial release may be used to alleviate tension or adhesion in the elbow, while PEMF may be used to stimulate the body’s healing processes. Or, adjustments may be made to ease the inflammation and stiffness within the elbow joint. All of these techniques can alleviate pain while addressing its cause, so that healing comes faster and relief lasts longer.

Improved Range of Motion

Being able to move fully and fluidly is essential to the successful performance of tennis. If injuries or tension limit this movement, playing the sport can become more difficult. In addition, a limited range of motion may leave you more prone to injury, as your body cannot as easily move as required during the game.

Chiropractic care can help loosen up muscles and joints and give you full use of your body. A professional chiropractor or sports medicine specialist can use a variety of techniques to help mobilize your joints and improve your flexibility. From utilizing massages to calm inflammation to incorporating adjustments to align your body, these techniques can help you in preventing or overcoming injury.

Improved Performance

As an athlete, you naturally want to perform at your peak. Instead of waiting until you are injured to seek out the restorative assistance of a sports medicine professional, you can boost your performance now by seeking their help.

For example, a chiropractor may be able to identify tennis muscle imbalances, suboptimal ways of moving, or issues with your nervous system function that make it difficult for you to excel in tennis. They can also help you develop exercise regimens that give you greater strength, improve your coordination, and expand your range of motion so you can push yourself (safely) to the peak of your game.

Preventive Care

Finally, sports medicine and chiropractic care can go beyond injury rehabilitation and stop injuries from occurring in the first place. Tennis players, for example, who want to stay healthy longer may see a chiropractor to optimize their movement, implement an exercise regimen to improve range of motion, or receive PEMF treatment to overcome soreness before it becomes a sports-inhibiting issue.

Common Chiropractic Treatments

In the context of tennis physiotherapy, chiropractic care focuses on detecting and eliminating scar tissue originating from repetitive motions and past injuries, which can restrict the movement of ligaments, tendons, and muscles. These hands-on techniques, when combined with personalized tennis physiotherapy programs, ensure a well-rounded approach towards treatment and recovery.

Chiropractors, and sports medicine professionals in particular, have many tools and techniques available to address your tennis injuries. These can be broken down into hands-on techniques and treatments and specialized approaches.

Hands-On Approaches

Chiropractic manual manipulation can be employed to detect and eliminate scar tissue originating from repetitive motions and past injuries, which restrict the movement of ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Hands-on techniques encompass various manual methods that a chiropractor utilizes to address tennis injuries. These may consist of any of the following:

Spine and limb adjustments
Soft tissue mobilization
Myofascial release
Manual therapy

Active Rehabilitation Therapies

Specialized treatments encompass chiropractic and state-of-the-art active rehabilitation therapies, which prove to be much more effective than passive rest-and-ice protocols. These treatments aim to naturally reduce pain, mitigate the dependence on NSAIDs, and minimize the necessity for steroid injections, all while being tailored to the specific needs of the patient. They include any of the following:

Myofascial release
Instrument-assisted soft tissue technique
Acupuncture
Dry needling
Therapeutic exercises
Ultrasound therapy
Electrical stimulation
Kinesiology taping
Rehab programs
PEMF
And more

Limitations of Chiropractic Care For Tennis Players

Chiropractic care does have its limitations when it comes to treating tennis injuries. The biggest limitation is the fact that sports medicine specialists focus primarily on the musculoskeletal system. As a result, problems that extend beyond the muscles, joints, spine, etc. may be outside the scope of chiropractic care. At these times, your chiropractor may be able to work within a multidisciplinary team or provide referrals to specialists who can provide the appropriate treatment for your tennis injury.

In addition, while chiropractic care is noninvasive and therefore safer than more extreme approaches, such as surgery, it can have some minor side effects that you should be aware of. These may include the following:

Temporary soreness
Temporary fatigue
Headaches
Dizziness
Numbness

The key to managing these side effects is to communicate clearly and promptly with your provider. They can usually adjust and tailor your treatment to minimize side effects and ensure that you do not suffer actual pain during your visits or while implementing your at-home exercise regimens.

How can you ensure that your chiropractic care is delivered effectively and safely? Look for a qualified, licensed and reputable chiropractor or sports medicine professional. For example, here at Dynamic Sports Medicine, we have worked with professional athletes for years, and the same approach that they trust is available to you!

Practical Tips for Preventive Care

Preventive measures should be an integral part of any tennis players’ regimen in order to minimize the risk of injuries and optimize your performance. Here are some tips that can prevent injury, improve your performance, and reduce the amount of time you spend seeking sports medicine support.

Follow warm up and cool down best practices

Warming up and cooling down is essential to prepare your muscles, joints and ligaments for performance, and to prevent stiffness and injury after playing.

For warm-up routines, dynamic stretching is often an effective approach. This strategy involves using controlled movements to target your major muscle groups in order to loosen them up for the movements and stresses of the upcoming game. Here are two examples of dynamic stretches that work your lower body and your whole body, respectively.

Straight Leg Marches

Stand straight with arms at your sides
Raise your left arm until it is at hip level.
Lock your knees.
Raise your right leg until it is even with your left arm.
Repeat using the opposite arm and leg.
Perform for desired number of reps.

Hand Walks

Bend over until your hands are flat on the ground.
Walk forward until your back is straight.
Move your feet toward your hands – Keeping your legs straight.
Move your hands forward again and repeat.

When cooling down, static stretches often work best to reduce muscle tension and prevent next-day soreness. While there are dozens of static stretching exercises you can adopt, here are two that commonly work well for tennis players.

Wrist Extensor Flex

Place your left arm straight in front of you.
Place your hand palm down.
Use your right hand to hold your left hand.
Gently bend your left hand down until you feel the stretch.
Hold for 10 seconds.
Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.

Butterfly Stretch

Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together.
Move your feet closer to your hips.
Push down into your sitting position.
Straighten your spine.
Tuck your chin into your chest.
Inhale and exhale slowly, allowing yourself to straighten and relax with each breath.
Hold for up to 2 minutes.
Repeat desired number of times.

Use the proper equipment

The equipment you use has more of an impact on your physical health than you may realize. Here are some ways to ensure you have equipment that will support your health:

Use a tennis racket that is the appropriate size and weight for your hand to avoid stress from a racket that is too large or heavy.
Invest in tennis shoes that offer appropriate foot and arch support.
Replace your equipment regularly when they become worn out.

Optimize your technique

Sometimes, tennis injuries occur because of improper movements or or poor footwork that put unnecessary strain on important joints and muscles. Working with a trained tennis coach can help you to master important techniques that can minimize injury. Use your training to focus on elements of game play such as the following:

Body positioning
Posture
Footwork
Stroke mechanics

Embrace regular chiropractic care

Because chiropractic care can help you to prevent injuries before they occur, regular check ins with a sports medicine professional are essential. Do not wait until you are in pain to seek out their assistance. Instead, make them part of your wellness routine.

As an athlete looking to maintain health and performance on the court, you should plan to see a sports medicine professional once a week (or more, if recommended). During these check ins, your chiropractor to provide you with the following:

Musculoskeletal assessments
Imbalances identification
Preventive exercises
Body alignment
Flexibility support
Addressing of minor issues

The key to enjoying all of the benefits of chiropractic care is to identify problems early on and make chiropractic care part of your regular routine. With a professional assisting you on a weekly or even monthly basis, you can identify problems before they take you off the court – Or prevent them from happening in the first place.

By incorporating tennis physiotherapy into the rehabilitation process, players can improve overall muscular balance, flexibility, and strength. This not only addresses the existing tennis injuries but also helps in preventing future injuries, leading to improved performance and a reduced risk of further complications. Moreover, the combination of chiropractic care and tennis physiotherapy offers a holistic approach to recovery for athletes, enabling them to swiftly return to their optimal playing condition.

Chiropractic care is an excellent option for any tennis player looking to maximize performance, minimize injuries and stay on the court. At Dynamic Sports Medicine, we offer you the same care trusted by top athletes. That means that you receive expert care, from preventive appointments to injury rehabilitation. And, with a wide range of services that includes adjustments, PEMF and more, we have the tools to customize your treatment to your needs. Contact us today to learn more!

How Chiropractic Care Can Improve Athletic Performance in Golf and Tennis Players

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Admin

Sports like golf and tennis are considered low-impact games. Golf and tennis players are therefore termed low-impact athletes.

Do you know that chiropractic care is considered the 12th man on the football field? Even famous golf and tennis players like Serena Williams and Tiger Woods rely greatly on the importance of chiropractic care.

Here is what Tiger Woods, a famous golfer of all time, says on chiropractic care, “Being a chiropractic patient has really helped me a lot. When I was in a growth spurt, my back became very sore, and I was weak. My chiropractor really helped me. Not only did he adjust my spine, he also gave me strengthening exercises to do. If you are tall and gangly like I am, or play sports, I would recommend chiropractic.”.

Serena Williams, five-time grand slam champion, is also all praises about chiropractic care. She says, “chiropractic gives me the flexibility I need to keep in the game.”

Talking less about the testimonials, here is how chiropractic care can help golf and tennis players improve their athletic performance.

How is chiropractic care given?

Chiropractic care is given by a chiropractor. Such a medical professional is an expert in giving manual care through their hands. Once the patient communicates his problems, a chiropractor works on them after a detailed diagnosis. Chiropractors usually treat musculoskeletal issues. They use their hands to apply forces on the affected muscles or the nearby area, thus providing relief from chronic pain.

How does chiropractic care impact athletic performance?

Eradicate the pain and facilitate better training

Golf and tennis players are more prone to elbow, and shoulder pain caused due to repeated hand movements.

Also known as golf elbow and tennis elbow, these conditions arise due to the overuse of elbow/shoulder muscles even after the injury. Chiropractic sports medicine has been the most convenient way of treating them.

Chiropractors have a way with their hands that eases the tension in the tear ligaments. Chiropractic care is one of the most effective ways of getting back to recovery without the use of pain medications. Eradicating chronic pain in golf and tennis players automatically enhances their athletic performance.

Facilitates better coordination and balance

Both golf and tennis require full body balance and coordination. The impact position while golfing is all about keeping the correct coordination of your whole body. When a golfer swings, he needs to keep the legs stable and the knee intact for a while. Similarly, tennis requires players to play all sorts of shots, utilizing full-body movement.

All this is impossible without proper body coordination. Have you ever heard of dyskinesis? It is a condition when voluntary movements are impaired and don’t work as they should. Chiropractic care for athletic performance reverses this condition through body alignment.

Corrects overuse injuries

Golf and tennis players are more likely to suffer from overuse injuries. Any misalignment of the shoulder, low pain, spinal cord, or ligament tear can cost them dearly.

A long time being out of practice is out of the question for these players.

The injuries can be a result of stress, fatigue, and overuse. Chiropractic care as part of the usual routine can help sports players eliminate the possibility of worsening the injury. The soft tissue techniques and adjustments provided under chiropractic care ease the muscle, stimulate proper blood flow in the body, and thereby reduce the chances of soreness.

Chiropractic care keeps the muscles tight and healthy. The massages provided by a chiropractor also eliminate tiredness after training or a match, thus improving overall athletic performance.

Reduction in recovery time

Chiropractic care prevents injuries before they happen. Regular chiropractic sessions do not let injuries arise in the first place.

For existing injuries, it’s the only non-invasive treatment that works with minimal to no use of medications. Once the inflamed area is detected through x-rays, cold lasers, and ultrasounds, chiropractors work on the affected area to relax the muscles.

This somehow speeds the recovery without the need for any invasive treatment. A chiropractor also provides dietary advice for a quick recovery. This, in turn, optimizes the body’s performance.

Improves overall wellbeing

Playing under extreme pain compromises optimal performance. The same goes for training or playing a match under the influence of prescription drugs.

The athletic performance that comes with a naturally healthy body is incomparable. Sports chiropractors are good at naturally adjusting sore and painful muscles, tendons, and ligaments. A few hours of the daily session makes players feel relaxed and energetic.

One of the whitepapers on chiropractic care in global health and wellbeing mentions, “successful engagement will support the role of chiropractors as valued partners within the broader healthcare system and contribute to the health and well being of the communities they serve. ”

The study also emphasizes the importance of chiropractic care for the healthy aging of women, children, and elderly.

That said, if you are a golf or tennis player and want to enhance your athletic performance, look for the best sports chiropractor in Austin.

Managing Shin Pain while Running

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Admin

Shin splints develop from repeated stress to the shin bone by the pulling and tugging of the muscles and connective tissue in the lower leg. The pain often occurs with beginner and seasoned athletes and is a painful condition that interferes with athletes’ training regimes. Instead of discontinuing your training, there are a few things you can do to manage the shin pain while running.

Choosing the correct attire with adequate support

Make sure that you wear the correct shoes with good arch and heel support and shock-absorbing insoles. Custom orthotics with padding reduce stress on the shin during running and sports tape can also be applied for more support. As tight calf muscles might be a cause of shin pain, compression garments such as socks, full-length tights, or three-quarter-length pants might relieve the shin pain while running.

Choose the right start before your exercise

Warming up

before an exercise is to prepare yourself mentally and physically. With a good warm-up, you elevate core temperature and increase blood flow to the working muscles. This results in more oxygen becoming available to the muscles. A good warm-up will help your muscles, ligaments, and tendons to work with ease.

Stretching

supports more flexibility for the muscles to contract and relax and reduces the risk of injury. It prepares the muscles for more strenuous exercise and reduces the chances of shin splints. When the muscles are too tight during an exercise, the muscle imbalance can cause injury or strain. Stretching before exercise adds balance to the lower legs so that the muscles work together.

Choosing the correct surface to work out

High-impact activities on hard or inclined surfaces such as concrete can put added strain on your muscles, joints, and bones. The best surface to run on depends on your level of fitness and experience, your body, your goals, and your shoes. It is advisable to run on softer surfaces like grass or a dirt trail if you are planning a longer run. Using the treadmill once or twice a week may similarly be easier on the body than the normal concrete sidewalk.

There are many surfaces to run on, depending on your own comfort level and goals. When in a new environment offering a different surface for running, like on the beach or in snow, it is sensible to start slow with the appropriate support in attire. Just listen to your body and do not push yourself too hard, which could lead to injury.

It is a good idea for experienced runners to vary running surfaces to improve strength and balance but not at the cost of an injury. Therefore, if your shin splints increase, find another route or surface to run on.

Correct technique

When running with an incorrect placing of the feet, causing either the ankles to roll in or the feet to roll toward the outside edge (overpronate or supinate) the front leg muscles work harder to help stabilize the feet. If, on top of it all, you are wearing non-supportive shoes, shin splints pain will intensify.

Choose a slow start

Beginner runners often make the mistake of doing too much too soon. A slow start will be more effective in learning the correct behavior to adapt to your personal running experience like the correct shoes and attire for weather and support, the correct diet to follow, the correct body form for the trail you are on, and increasing the mileage gradually.

Strength Training

Weak anterior tibialis muscles – the muscles running along the front side of your lower leg responsible for the flexing of the foot at the ankle – cause shin pain when running. Simple stretching exercises, such as heel and toe raise, can strengthen your calf and shin, and prevent shin pain. These, and other stretching exercises before and after a run, will build calf muscles and help with flexibility.

What else to do

Some more considerations that can help you avoid injury and splint pain while running, would be to avoid high-intensity, high-impact activities like jumping rope, dancing, and gymnastics, or sports activities like basketball or soccer where there are high-speed stops and starts. Rather, consider cross-training such as swimming in place of your regular running exercise once a week if the pain increases or persists. Take a break and continue with stretching and strengthening training to help and support the muscles in your lower leg to return to your running earlier.

Talk to professionals

If you want to get the most out of your running experience and not be limited by pain and injury, you can always get professional advice from sports chiropractors, who can provide effective and safe options to assist you in preventing shin splints!

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.

Optimizing Sports Performance

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Admin

Optimizing Sports Performance Through Chiropractic

Performance sports athletes are always pushing their bodies to the limit by training harder, running faster (or longer,) jumping higher and lifting more.

Did you know that regular visits to the chiropractor can help you achieve these goals?

Athletes of all levels and ages can benefit from a sports chiropractor’s expertise in hands-on, drug-free methods for achieving peak sports performance. More than experts in skeletal structure and alignment, the therapy for which they are best known, chiropractors also specialize in how muscles, tendons, and ligaments work with joints to produce movement, as well as the athlete’s need for specific nutrition and supplementation, all of which factor into helping the body function as efficiently as possible.

Peak Performance

No matter your sport of choice, optimal body function can only be achieved when everything is working the way it should be, and this can’t happen when your body is not properly aligned. Spinal misalignment affects everything from posture and mobility to blood flow and nerve function. Chiropractic adjustments free up restrictions to improve mobility, and reduce nerve interference between the brain and the rest of the body. This ensures that the messages from the brain to organs and muscles are properly sent and received so that athletes find more success in achieving goals like improved speed, agility, balance and strength. Each of these benefits, in turn, offers protection from potential injury, and shorter recovery times in the event you do get injured.

Post-Workout and Injury Recovery

Because many sports injuries are as much the result of poor posture and form as they are lack of proper training, chiropractic adjustments can prepare bodies for performing sports activities correctly and safely. This is particularly important with young athletes since their bodies are still growing and changing so rapidly.

Chiropractors can improve teen sports performance by identifying skeletal issues when the patient is young and correcting them before the athlete’s form/technique has been too negatively altered.

In addition, sports chiropractors can assist young athletes in building strong muscles, increasing flexibility and mobility, and injury healing and prevention.

Chiropractic therapies are also great for assisting in post-workout recovery. Soft tissue mobilization, which encourages recovery at a cellular level, along with specialized massage therapy and targeted electrical stimulation are all techniques used by chiropractors to speed recovery and reduce soreness after activity.

Faster recovery lets you resume training faster and free of pain.

Schedule an appointment to discuss how regular chiropractic can help you get the most out of your athletic training and optimize your sports performance.

Chiropractic Care Offers Basketball Players The Competitive Advantage

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Admin

Sports chiropractic can help athletes in all sports maximize their performance and reduce the risk of injury. Basketball players are no exception.

In fact, because of the dramatic bursts of energy and the frequent stop-start motions required in hoops, basketball players often find regular chiropractic to be particularly beneficial.

Jumping, landing, sprinting, and suddenly stopping on hard court surfaces mean the lower back and legs take a lot of abuse in practice and in play. The impressive on-court maneuvers fans appreciate often result in skeletal misalignments in players that can affect the range of motion and flexibility, as well as cause muscle strains, sprains, and tears.

Players who include sports chiropractic as part of their training routine report improved overall mobility and flexibility as well as freer nerve communication, both of which are important for a player to perform optimally.

Chiropractic adjustments realign the body for pain-free play, and eliminate undue physical stress that can lead to common basketball injuries such as those to the lower extremities (foot, ankle, and knee,) hip and thigh strains, and back and neck sprains, among others.

It seems obvious that mobility is extremely important for a player to be able to quickly bend, twist, jump and otherwise maneuver on the court. However, many underestimate the role that nerve communication plays in hand-eye coordination and effective body mechanics. If nerve flow is impeded by spinal misalignment, not only will mobility be affected, but the information transfer from the brain to the body can be delayed.

Along with spinal and limb manipulations, sports chiropractic utilizes myofascial massage, a variety of instrument-assisted rehabilitation techniques, as well as exercise, stretching, and dietary assistance to improve speed, flexibility, strength, and balance on the court. In doing so, the risk of injury is reduced and performance is naturally enhanced.

What’s more, if a player already has an existing injury, sports chiropractic can work alone or in conjunction with orthopedics to shorten recovery time, leading to faster, more complete healing.

If you want the competitive court advantage no matter your level of play, let Dynamic Sports Medicine be part of your training routine.

Home Remedies for Plantar Fasciitis

Posted on December 8, 2021 by Admin

Plantar fasciitis is a whole-body issue that requires a whole-body solution, which is why sports chiropractic is so effective at helping it. The chiropractic approach to healing is not just centered on pain relief, but in identifying imbalance and dysfunction wherever it is in the body that has resulted in foot and ankle pain.

Our care options for building strength and stability, increasing blood flow, and improving overall foot functionality to heal plantar fasciitis are non-invasive and don’t involve medications, injections, or surgical interventions.

But home care to complement in-office therapy is extremely important to completing rehabilitation. Below are several proven effective ways you can assist your sports chiropractic therapies and better encourage recovery from plantar fasciitis.

Lower Extremity Stretches

Tight, restricted calf muscles increase the strain on the plantar fascia, which both leads to overpronation of the foot and causes limited ankle dorsiflexion (the amount you can pull your toes toward your body.)

Regularly stretching the muscles in the calf and arch of the foot is good for both rehabilitation and prevention of foot pain, because it creates strength and adds stability to the area. Begin with gentle stretches based on your own personal flexibility level, and increase the tension as you establish your stretching routine. Repeat each stretch 10X per foot/leg beginning with one session per day and eventually increasing to two, preferably at the beginning and end of each day. Hold the stretches for 10-20 seconds before releasing.

Soleus Stretch (Calf Raises on a Step)

Stand upright with the front half of one foot on the edge of a step or curb. Slowly let the heel drop toward the ground until you feel a stretch along the back of the calf. This can also be done facing a wall by stepping one foot back and leaning into the wall until you feel a stretch.

Straight Leg Calf Stretch (Dorsiflexion Stretch)

Sit upright with legs stretched out in front of you, and, leaving legs on the floor, slowly pull/point the toes up toward the face until you feel a stretch along the back of the heel and leg. This can also be done facing the wall by pressing just the toes of one foot against the baseboard and leaning in for the stretch. This one can be done before even getting out of bed in the morning!

Anterior Tibialis Stretch

With one foot flat on the floor, place the top of the toes of the other foot on the ground and gently press until you feel a stretch in the top of the foot and up the shin. This can be done seated or standing.

Tripod Stretch

Begin on all fours and press the hips up into a tripod (triangle) position with knees bent. Tuck one ankle behind the other and slowly straighten the standing leg until you feel a stretch on the back of the ankle and calf.

Therapeutic Tools

There are a number of easily accessible, therapeutic tools that can help increase the strength and mobility of the foot. Foam rollers, mobility sticks, textured balls, and resistance bands are all great for encouraging the release of tight muscles and helping improve blood flow and flexibility.

Rolling out tight and sore muscles in the calf and hamstrings with a foam roller before and after stretching warms the muscles and increases blood flow. As a bonus, it assists the lymphatic system in flushing the body of toxins.

Placing a textured ball or TheraBand roller under the arch of the foot and rolling it back and forth stimulates the nerve endings on the bottom of the foot and increases blood flow to the area. This is easy to do while resting or watching television.

For those with severe pain and limited flexibility, resistance bands can assist in stretching. By placing bands around the toes and pulling the toes/bands toward the torso, patients can get a more passive stretch, but still effectively enhance dorsiflexion.

Orthotics

Plantar fasciitis pain from tight calf muscles and over-pronated feet can often be addressed with supportive shoes or other orthotics. While these types of aids don’t address the root cause of the pain, they do often offer some temporary physical relief when on your feet.

Turmeric Supplementation

It can be tempting to repeatedly reach for NSAIDs when struggling with foot pain, but plantar fasciitis can take weeks and even months to heal. Taking OTC anti-inflammatories for an extended period can have a host of side effects including gastrointestinal issues, disrupted hormone levels (especially in men), and a polluted microbiome. Just one week of taking NSAIDs as directed can increase your risk of stroke by adversely affecting an enzyme that promotes clotting!

In addition, NSAIDs can impair the ability to build muscle which can be counterproductive to the strengthening exercises involved in rehab, so it may actually slow the healing process.

Turmeric, on the other hand, improves the body’s ability to heal in a variety of ways.
* reduces systemic inflammation
* encourages collagen production to speed the healing of wounds
* fights oxidative stress on the body
* regulates mood (pain and depression often go hand-in-hand)

As with any form of supplementation, taking quality, bioavailable turmeric is key to experiencing noticeable improvements.

Lifestyle Changes

To create an optimal environment for healing in the body, no matter what the complaint, good lifestyle habits are important. Eat nutrient-dense foods. Aim to get plenty of quality sleep, and seek to relieve stress in positive ways.

Remember that successful home care for plantar fasciitis requires consistency over the entire healing period. When practiced diligently, especially in conjunction with sports chiropractic care, natural healing for foot pain is possible. Contact Dynamic Sports Medicine today to schedule an appointment. We can assess your situation and recommend which of these home therapies might best assist you on the road to recovery.