Sports injuries that occur during sports activities or competitions can sometimes be debilitating. As a chiropractic physician with over 20 years of clinical and field experience, I'm skilled at diagnosing and treating sports injuries naturally.
I've worked with various high school teams as a Chief Medical Director for the Kitsap Fliers Track & Field Team, Medical Team Member for the Olympic Peninsula Force FC Soccer Team, and Chief Medical Director for the Kitsap Admirals Basketball Team.
Common injuries while playing in or training for sports events include:
Treatment helps you heal as quickly as possible without taking pain medications or undergoing invasive surgery, if possible. The goal is to "optimize overall performance."
Anyone can experience sports injuries, but some factors increase your risk of having one. Examples include cutting, sprinting, jumping, twisting, overtraining, playing contact sports, and lacking strength or flexibility. Eating healthy foods, training correctly, and maintaining a healthy weight are some of the best ways to avoid sports injuries. Conditioning properly for your sport or activity is key to not experiencing major injuries.
I offer effective treatments for sports injuries. Some examples include:
Things you can do at home to treat sports injuries include icing the affected area, resting it, elevating the affected area above the heart, and wearing a brace if needed while your injury heals.
Myofascial release uses manual pressure techniques (Ischemic Compression, Post-Isometric Relaxation aka PIR, Active Release Therapy aka ART, etc...) or a high-frequency vibrating device (Rapid Release Technology) to treat ongoing tightness and post-surgical scar tissues.
Integrated Chiropractic provides an on-site licensed massage therapist, available by appointment. Massage therapy is a natural way to enhance your body’s ability to heal and relieve discomfort by using special techniques to loosen soft tissues: muscle, tendon, ligament and fascia.
Integrated Chiropractic offers Kinesio Taping® using Kinesio Tex Gold Tape to reposition or better support targeted tissues, reduce pain and inflammation, improve circulation, stimulate natural healing, and reduce the risk of future injuries. This is done by either facilitating or inhibiting the function of the tissue to create a pseudo or false stability while the tape is on. For more information, refer to the blog post Have you been KINESIO taped PROPERLY before from June 8th, 2022 or the podcast The Well Adjusted Life Chirocast (Ep. 6) - "What Is Kinesiotape And Why It Can Help You" from May 28th, 2020.
Near-infrared light therapy strengthens cell structures and stimulates healing after sports injuries. It also reduces inflammation and discomfort, amongst other things. Our light therapy uses the Trifecta Light Bed which has three LED lights with two frequencies to achieve a number of physiological benefits.
Chiropractic adjustments use manual pressure techniques or specialized instruments with a variety of force levels to manipulate and realign affected vertebrae/bones, enhance natural healing, and ease pain. Diversified (manual) and Impulse Adjustor (instrument) are the the techniques/tools used which is safe for all ages.
I also have personally designed home exercise plans to correct postural and functional imbalances. Injury-specific exercises and stretches speed up healing after sports injuries. Most home exercise plans consist have a 25% focus on stretching and 75% focus on strength (with tailored plans for those patients wanting more or less).
Custom foot orthotics are shoe inserts to improve posture and foot positioning by correcting foot mechanics. They enhance comfort and reduce your risk of future injuries. I offer ready-made shoe inserts called Tread Labs and perform personalized casting for Sole Supports custom foot orthotics that have a rough two week turnaround time.
To determine which sports-related injury treatments are best for you, we will discuss your symptoms and medical history. I will then complete a physical, orthopedic and neurological exam and may recommend you undergo digital X-rays, or other imaging procedures to develop a highly effective treatment plan.
If you suffer from a sports injury and want relief, call Integrated Chiropractic or send us a message from the contact us page today.
Yours in health - Dr. SJ
