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14th of October, 2022: Dr. Kenny Tse

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WHAT CAN

CHIROPRACTIC

CARE DO FOR


SPORTING INJURIES?

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Whether you're a professional athlete, or somebody who wants to stay fit and healthy, or just enjoys relieving stress and tension through physical exercise, having chiropractic care can be an excellent addition to compliment your health care regimen.

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Most athletes seek chiropractic care when an injury occurs, but did you know chiropractic services also provide preventative care services as well, to improve your body's overall function before it gets to the stage of injury. 

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Prior to becoming a Chiropractor, Kenny was a personal trainer and professional athlete in the field of boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai. In Kenny's fighting career, Kenny represented Australia on global stages around the world including France, Malaysia, China, Myanmar and Thailand. 

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Athletes often push through physical pain and discomfort because they don't want to let their coaches or teammates down. However, trying to perform when your body isn't at its full potential can increase your risk of injury. 

 

Chiropractic care is tailor made to each individual's needs, so that you can stay safe or perform at your peak whether you're in the boxing ring, in the soccer field or sprinting on the track.

Common sporting injuries seen at Spinal Health and Co. 

  • Hamstring tear 

  • Ankle sprain 

  • whiplash/ concussion 

  • Shoulder impingement / dislocations 

  • Muscle spasms, sprains or severe stiffness 

  • Tennis / Golfers Elbow

  • Knee Meniscus or ligament tears

Chiropractic for ATHLETES?

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What does Chiropractors do to address an INJURY

People often will seek a chiropractor AFTER the above injuries may have occurred. If you have never been to a chiropractor before, the chiropractor will address the injury by conducting tests to identify what injury has occurred, then if necessary even refer you for the appropriate scan.  

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If you have seen or are already seeing a chiropractor, and have a sudden injury during training then your practitioner will again perform tests and modify their treatment accordingly to your injury. 

 

​It is important and necessary to go through the required testing because the injuries mentioned above are all treated and managed differently. Therefore there is not a “one size fits all” treatment. Some of the more common treatment modalities used for addressing sporting injuries are listing below :

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  • Traditional Manual adjustments 

  • Soft Tissue therapies 

  • Lighter manipulation techniques such as : Activator, drop piece, Biomechanical wedging 

  • Sports rigid taping or Kinesiology taping 

  • Rehabilitation exercises 

  • Advice on medication, creams/ topical agents, nutrition or supplementation. 

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How can Chiropractic care help?

  • Address spinal misalignments 

Your spine acts as structural support for your body, and acts as “protection” for your nerves and internal organs. If there are misalignments in your spine it means there is minimal protection for your body. Regular Chiropractic care helps to address these misalignments in your spine, which may prevent symptoms that can develop during training including : 

  • Pain and discomfort 

  • Stiffness and muscle cramps

  • Numbness, pins and needles and tingling 

  • Lack of energy 

  • Poor mobility and flexibility

 

  • Improve range of motion with adjustments and exercises 

Due to the repetitive nature and pattern overload with sports, over time it may cause imbalance as well as postural chances to an athlete's body. This makes it difficult to twist, bend or stretch in a particular way. Many athletes find that spinal manipulation helps to improve their posture as well as flexibility and range of motion. 

 

Chiropractors also compliment adjustments with specific exercises to re-balance the body. For example : giving a stretch and mobility exercise to one region of the body, then combining this with a strengthening technique to another region, in order to create a balance in the body. 

 

  • Boost energy levels and reduce fatigue 

After strenuous training, exhaustion is a common complaint from athletic patients. This can be described as central nervous system fatigue. Think of your central nervous system as a highway that delivers messages from your brain to your body. If this is damaged by spinal misalignment/ subluxation, it can decrease your mood and energy levels making it difficult to perform day to day functions.  Chiropractic treatments can help improve mood and boost energy levels as it acts as a jump start for your central nervous system.

 

Pain can also cause fatigue as when your body is injured,  it is required to work harder to repair the damaged areas. Chiropractic care can help with keeping the body in alignment, allowing reduced pain, which may help with fatigue. 

 

  • Heal quickly from existing injuries

Old injuries can become very nagging, and if not corrected can lead to other injuries. If you have old injuries that are unaddressed, it can really impact your performance in sport but also lead to other compensations to happen. Common things seen in injured athletes may include: 

  • Hyperextending an elbow during throwing , or punching in boxing

  • Delayed reaction and reflexes, making it easier to be tackled by other players, or miss a catch 

  • Bearing weight to one side when squatting, overhead pressing or lifting weights 

  • Avoiding certain activities or movements due to fear of pain. 

 

Chiropractic care helps to work on both the immediate pain relief, then consider the correct rehabilitation for you to assist these injuries and prevent them from reoccurring. 

The diagnosis of your injury will involve the doctor doing a physical examination, palpation, orthopaedic tests, muscle tests, range of motion assessment, functional tests, neuromuscular exam, and diagnostic imaging such as an ultrasound or x-ray.

 

Your chiropractor will assist in:

  • Carefully and accurately diagnose your condition

  • Perform soft or deep tissue massage to alleviate muscular tension and pain

  • Implement spinal manipulative techniques to enforce joint movement and ease disc-related symptoms

  • Prescribe stretches and rehabilitative exercises

  • Recommend advice and lifestyle changes

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Sources

  • Salehi, A., Hashemi, N., Imanieh, M. H., & Saber, M. (2015). Chiropractic: is it efficient in treatment of diseases? Review of systematic reviews. International journal of community based nursing and midwifery, 3(4), 244.

  • Miners, A. L. (2010). Chiropractic treatment and the enhancement of sport performance: a narrative literature review. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 54(4), 210.

  • Ernst, E., & Posadzki, P. (2012). Chiropractic for the prevention and/or treatment of sports injuries: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 17(1), 9-14. 

  • Nook, D. D., Nook, E. C., & Nook, B. C. (2016). Utilization of chiropractic care at the world games 2013. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 39(9), 693-704.

  • Wassung, K. ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE & CHIROPRACTIC.

  • Botelho, M. B., Alvarenga, B. A., Molina, N., Ribas, M., & Baptista, A. F. (2017). Spinal manipulative therapy and sports performance enhancement: a systematic review. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics, 40(7), 535-543.

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