There is a broad spectrum of injuries that can occur during sports and athletic events. Most of these injuries fall into the category of sprains and strains, but we have had a lot of media attention on head injuries and concussions, especially in contact sports, the past few years.
Injuries can range from a mild muscle strain, or ligament sprain to more severe injuries, where muscle, tendons and ligament tears, even fractures can be part of the picture.
Mild injuries often heal by themselves with rest, ice therapy and elevation. Moderate to severe injuries warrant professional evaluation and care recommendations.
Chiropractic care in combination with appropriate physiotherapies such as ultrasound or infrared laser therapy can often dramatically speed up injury healing. By freeing up nerve flow to the injured area, the brain, which is the master “computer” that controls and coordinates all the body’s functions, is better able to direct and control the repair process. Chiropractors are experts in diagnosing musculoskeletal injuries and conditions and promote healing without drugs and surgeries. Slight misalignments of joints often occur with sports injuries both in the spine and extremity joints. Chiropractic is the treatment of choice to correct that.
Naturally, there are times when surgical repairs are necessary or when there are fractures that require orthopedic intervention and referrals to appropriate medical experts are made.
Pain medication and anti-inflammatory drugs are seldom found to be necessary and often interfere with the natural healing process or result in more damage being done, because the pain signals are masked.
Acupuncture is an excellent alternative to dangerous and potentially addictive pain medications. Ice therapy has in studies been shown to be as effective as morphine for musculoskeletal pain. And, it has no side effects and is free!
There are excellent natural herbal anti-inflammatory preparations and proteolytic enzymes that are as effective as over the counter pharmaceuticals. This can help the body more effectively go through the healing process.
The Brost Clinic is a proud sponsor of both the Orono and Wayzata high school athletic teams. We have helped local athletes optimize performance, prevent and speed up healing of injuries for over 30 years.
If you have any questions regarding athletic injuries, feel free to contact us for a complimentary consultation.