Can Chiropractic Help Prevent Injuries?
It’s no secret that amateur athletes are prone to injuries. You may be a weekend warrior playing in your local soccer league or you may be a daily runner. No matter your sport, you always assume some risk of physical injury. When injuries occur, many athletes turn to chiropractors for help.
Chiropractic care is common for back pain, neck pain, and other musculoskeletal issues. But, did you know that chiropractic treatments may prevent these injuries from occurring?
Preventing Back and Lower Limb Injuries
A 2010 study tested chiropractic treatments for preventing back and lower limb injuries. The study divided sixty semi-elite Australian football players into two groups. Both groups received medical and sports science management. Only one group received chiropractic treatments. The chiropractic treatments included the following:
- manipulative therapy
- mobilization
- soft-tissue therapies applied to the spine and/or extremities
After 24 matches, the researchers evaluated the frequency of lower-limb injuries. Both groups had similar rates of non-contact knee injuries and hamstring injuries.
The chiropractic group benefited in two notable ways. First, the chiropractic patients were less likely to experience lower-limb muscle strains. Second, the chiropractic group also missed less playing time due to injury.
Researchers concluded that the addition of sports chiropractic intervention corresponded with the following:
"trend towards lower limb injury prevention with a significant reduction in primary lower limb muscle strains and weeks missed due to non-contact knee injuries."
Research Supports Chiropractic Sports Care
The conclusion of this study adds to suggestions of previous research. Chiropractic sports care may benefit athletes looking to avoid injury and improve performance.
Reference
Hoskins W, Pollard H. The effect of a sports chiropractic manual therapy intervention on the prevention of back pain, hamstring and lower limb injuries in semi-elite Australian Rules footballers: a randomized control trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2010;11:64.
