Sports Recovery

Along with conditioning, strength and resistance and skills practice, any complete athletic training program should also include dedicated sports recovery time. Without it, serious athletes, as well as amateur workout enthusiasts, risk over training, and this is where injury and burnout can happen.

In order to achieve gains, joints, ligaments, tendons — and especially muscles — need time to repair and recover before being challenged again.  After injury that results in pain or loss of motor control or other functionality, supervised sports recovery becomes even more vital, as these conditions can impede an athlete’s ability to move properly and increase their risk for further injury.

Sports chiropractic care is a beneficial part of any sports recovery plan.  A variety of therapeutic modalities can dramatically shorten recovery time as well as prevent many issues associated with over training/overuse.  Chiropractic adjustments along with other sports chiropractic treatments, such as myofascial release and stretch therapy, among others, can reduce soreness, enhance range of motion and restore body alignment for more complete recovery and optimal training and performance.

Passive sports recovery consists of full-out rest, and is generally recommended immediately following an injury.  It may be accompanied by ice therapy, compression and elevation of the injured body part (R.I.C.E.,) as well as practitioner-led treatments such as dry needling, myofascial release (also known as soft tissue work,) or spinal and limb manipulation.

Once the initial inflammation subsides, a more active rehabilitation approach can begin.

Active sports recovery involves low-intensity exercise such as stretching, rehabilitative exercises, walking, or swimming. Following a higher intensity training session or while rehabbing an injury, the gentle movements associated with these types of workouts help to strengthen injured areas and encourage mobility and blood flow to muscles, joints and tissues, while not overtaxing them.

A good sports recovery plan can also address muscle imbalances created when the most used muscles in a particular sport are lengthened and strengthened, while the opposing muscles become shorter and weaker.  This can also happen after injury and can cause difficulty and pain even during everyday activities.

Sports chiropractic care plays an invaluable role in any sports recovery program.  DTX Sports Medicine helps athletes regain neuromuscular control, allowing them to move more efficiently and reducing their risk of future injuries. With successful physical therapy treatments employing a variety of techniques, athletes can perform more optimally and return to their sport sooner after injury.