How is a Sports Chiropractor Different From a Traditional Chiropractor?

what is a sports chiropractor

 Traditional chiropractic consists of the art and science of adjusting the spine to restore function to the nervous system.  While it has many amazing benefits for our health (increasing immunity, lessening our pain, decreasing anxiety, etc), it leaves much to be desired in terms of getting you back on the field or back to your running program if it’s your knee, hip, or foot causing you pain.  Likewise, if your painful wrists are holding you back in yoga, rock climbing, or tennis, you will get limited benefit from traditional chiropractic adjustments alone.  While extremity adjustments are part of the picture, a trained sports chiropractor will help you put the rest of the pieces together so that you can return to your activities more quickly.

While you may suffer the occasional acute sports injury (whiplash from a hockey or flag football collision, getting stepped on in soccer, etc.), the majority of sports injuries are soft tissue injuries that are the result of overuse!  To complete the whole picture, all of the following must be addressed:

-Restore joint alignment and reduce fixation to the immediate area of injury.
-Restore joint alignment and reduce fixation to remote areas which are affecting injury.
-Reduce adhesion and tightness in involved muscles, fascia, and ligaments.
-Reduce adhesion and tightness in involved structures that are limiting correct biomechanics.
-Strengthen muscles in the area of the injury that are weak.
-Strengthen muscles remote from the injury site that are causing faulty biomechanics.
-Stabilize the area of injury.
-Stabilize remote areas that are contributing to poor biomechanics.
-Stretch overly tight muscles in the area of injury.
-Stretch tight muscles in other areas that are contributing to the injury.
-Provide accessory taping, bracing, or kinesiotaping as required.

As you can see, this is a big list.  Not every step will need to be performed for every injury, and your Oakland sports chiropractor can best help you figure out what type of chiropractic treatment and home care would best serve your injury and get you back on the court.

If you’d like to find out more about how sports chiropractic can help you with your particular injury, please give us at call at (510) 465-2342.

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