Chiropractic Help for a Sports Injury in Tunbridge Wells

If you’re an avid sports player/athlete then you will be putting your body through exercising, jumping, running & tackling. Putting your body through these kinds of activities can have a long term affect on your body and lead to sprains, tears and strains and that’s where the Chiropractor comes in. At Vale Health we will treat and help the prevention of shoulder, back, knee, neck and ankle pain. We do this by adjusting the spine and ensuring that all bones are correctly lined up and balanced. Your chiropractor will asses your injury and discus forms of treatment going forward which may include Shockwave therapy.

Sports Injuries that Tunbridge Wells Chiropractic Treat regularly:

Ankle Sprain

Some people think that a chiropractic can’t treat an ankle sprain, however this is not the case. During an ankle sprain the bones in the foot tend to shift out of there normal alignment, this is not usually something that may be missed by your GP. In some cases people with an ankle sprain have had an X-Ray and everything seems normal in the affected area. This is due to most sprains not resulting in a bone fracture. As X-Ray does not show ligaments and and tensions, it would not show that the supportive ligaments in the ankle could be over stretched or torn, which is commonly the case with an ankle sprain. One of the most common ways to sprain your ankle is when you are constantly placing too much weight on the inside of your foot which can lead to collapsed arched in the ankle. Chiropractic adjustments are an extremely effective method of treating and preventing future ankle sprains. Your chiropractor may give you exercises to do at home to strengthen and stabilise the ankle. If an ankle sprain is left untreated, it could lead to further complications in the future such as accelerated arthritis and can lead to immobility. It’s our job here at the Tunbridge Wells Chiropractic to try to make sure that doesn’t happen. We will get you back on your feet as soon as possible.

Groin Pull

Groin pull or groin strain happens when you put to much stress on your groin and thigh muscles. When these muscles get tensed very vigorously they can become over stretched and torn. It’s common for people who play sports regularly to groin pull, specifically football players or sports involving jumping or quickly changing direction. Some signs that you may have a groin pull are Pain when you raise your knee or bring your legs together, Tenderness and pain on the inside of the thigh and groin and a popping or snapping sensation when the injury happened. You may also have bruising on the inner thigh and groin area.

Groin pull or groin stain is usually divided into three types of severity.

• Mild groin pull or groin strain stage 1. Some loss of movement of strength in the groin area with some pain or discomfort.
• Moderate groin pull or groin strain stage 2. There is some damage to the tissue and there is pain or discomfort.
• Severe groin pull or groin strain stage 3. There is loss of function and the muscles in completely torn and there is pain and discomfort.

There are a couple of techniques we can use at the Tunbridge Wells chiropractic for a groin pull/groin strain. We offer IASTM treatment, which helps to break up scar tissue and adhesions. It also speeds up the whole healing process by increasing the blood circulation to the affected area we are treating. We also offer the Active Release Technique which increases the length of the damages tissue whilst also removing scar tissue and adhesions, this also helps to restore the lost range of motion. This will also help to revert the muscles back to their normal state of functioning whilst improving muscle elasticity. Using a chiropractic for a groin pull will help holistic healing of the muscles in the affected area and can prevent the issue from reoccurring.

Hamstring Strain

A hamstring strain is one of the most common sporting injuries we deal with here at the Tunbridge Wells Chiropractic. The severity of the hamstring strain will determine how long the healing process will take. For a minor hamstring muscles pull you would be talking 2-4 weeks healing time and for a more severe hamstring injury where the muscle is badly torn, you could be talking a 2-3 month healing time. Your chiropractic will check your medical history and ask you questions about your weekly exercise and activities. They will then perform a physical which will involve extending and flexing the muscles in your leg, this will identify exactly where the pain is and help your chiropractic to treat you.

Hamstring injuries are measured in three different severities.

• (Mild) – A pulled hamstring muscle that will not result in much tissue damage.
• (Moderate) – Partial tears in the hamstring that will have some damage to the tissue structure.
• (Severe) – Completely torn hamstring resulting in damage to the tissue structure.

Seeing a chiropractic for your hamstring injury is very important. If you go without treating the issue, you are making re injury much more likely.

Shin Splints

Shin splints affect runners, joggers, walkers and just about anyone that is moving around on their feet a lot! Chiropractic care for shin splints is a great way to get you back up and running in no time. A shin splint is where there is an inflammation of the tendons, muscles and bone tissue around your tibia. This causes pain on the inside of you leg where your muscles and bone attach. Shin-splints are often an issue for people who require chiropractic treatment due to misalignment of the hip, spine or ankle. Misalignment in the hip, ankle or spine can put excess stress on your lower legs and cause shin splints. If you have shin splints then contacting your chiropractor and booking in for an appointment is advised. They will help you to avoid shin splints in the future. Seeing a chiropractic for shin splints will also give your chiropractor the opportunity to ensure your posture is good. Usually small changes to incorrect posture can greatly improve athletic performance.

Knee Injury: ACL Tear

ACL tears are one the the most common types of sports knee injuries, however ACL tears don’t solely affect everyone. ACL tears can happen to anyone who is changing directions quickly, lands awkwardly from a fall, slowing down whilst running and stopping suddenly. When you have a ACL Tear, your chiropractic will examine your hip, ankles, back and feet as all of these body parts have a direct influence on your knee. We offer Shockwave therapy for ACL tears. Shockwave therapy has been shown to be highly effective when in conjunction with ACL reconstruction. Seeing a chiropractic for an ACL tear is a good idea as the knee joint manipulation will help to restore proper knee function and motion. This will also help with the healing process whether the ligament is torn or sprained.

Knee Injury: Patellofemoral Syndrome (PFPS)

PFPS is often referred to as runners knee, however runners knee is actually used to describe many knee injuries. Patellofemoral Syndrome is a very painful condition where tissue between the kneecap and thigh bone becomes irritated and/or inflamed. Seeking Chiropractic help for Patellofemoral Syndrome is a great idea due to one the the most common reasons for PFPS, which is that there is a problem with the way the knee is aligned. If your kneecap (patella) is not properly aligned then it will cause you great discomfort and irritate the surrounding tissues. When treating your PFPS you must be prepared to rest your leg and have an ice press to the inflamed/irritated area. You should book in to see your chiropractor so they can take a look and rule out any more serious conditions and determine the best treatment for your injury. After they have done this you will be able to begin treating the PFPS. When treating PFPS the most important thing is to strengthen the muscles in and around the knee. Strengthening the muscles in the knee and making sure muscle strength is balanced is required for the knee to be aligned properly. A common treatment for PFPS is Kinesiology taping and it may be used in conjunction with your chiropractic treatment. This is used to help give support to the weaker muscle group in the knee. Your chiropractor may perform adjustments to your hip, knee, ankle and spine to ensure you have proper balance. You may be given an exercise plan to strengthen your muscles in and around the knee to speed up the healing process. All in all chiropractic treatment for Patellofemoral Syndrome is a highly effective long term solution.

Tennis Elbow

It is common for people ages 40-60 to have Tennis elbow and statistics show it affects 1 in 3 people in that age bracket. This is caused by repetitive movement in the arm and tends to affect the dominant arm. The symptoms of Tennis elbow include; Difficulty extending your forearm, weakness in your wrist, Pain when lifting or bending your arm. These symptoms can last several years if not treated. At the Tunbridge Wells Chiropractic we provide chiropractic treatment for tennis elbow. Chiropractic treatment for tennis elbow is an extremely effective treatment option. You will have your neck shoulder and wrist examined as these areas can affect tennis elbow. Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) can be used to help healing of the tendon and scar tissue. A brace or strap may be required. To prevent tennis elbow always make sure you warm up properly being doing any sports and also spend some time cool down afterwards. In summary, seeing a chiropractic for sports injuries is a good idea and can prevent further issues in your sporting life. Many people don’t realise that a chiropractic can treat the issues listed above. If you know anyone suffering with a sports injury that you think could benefit from the above, then get in touch today and book in for a consultation.