Chicago Chiropractic Treatment for Football Injuries & Strains
Football is an intensely competitive and dynamic sport characterized by rapid movements and high-impact collisions. Given the physicality and size of many players, it is not surprising that the injury rate in football is notably high. Research indicates that there are over 100 injuries for every 1,000 hours that players spend in games and training. On average, this results in approximately 1 injury for every 100 hours of play, which, while somewhat manageable, does not lessen the concern about the nature and severity of these injuries.
Football injuries can range from minor sprains and strains to more severe consequences, including fractures and ligament tears. Though players are often aware of the inherent risks involved in the sport, there is always potential for improvement in preventative measures that can help reduce the incidence and severity of injuries.
In this context, the role of chiropractors becomes essential. They possess specialized knowledge in injury prevention, drawing from a deep understanding of biomechanics and the intricacies of the human body. Chiropractors focus on optimizing the body’s performance, which includes assessing and enhancing alignment, flexibility, and overall stability, thus reducing the likelihood of injuries. This approach differs from that of physiotherapists, who primarily concentrate on muscle repair and rehabilitation post-injury.
Chiropractors are particularly skilled at understanding the nervous system’s role in body mechanics, which allows them to identify the root causes of injuries rather than just addressing symptoms. Their insights into musculoskeletal structures, combined with their expertise in the nervous system, enable them to provide a comprehensive view of how injuries occur and how to prevent them effectively. By collaborating with athletes, trainers, and medical personnel, chiropractors contribute significantly to developing personalized injury prevention strategies, ultimately enhancing player safety and performance in the sport.
Chiropractors possess extensive knowledge of the nervous system in conjunction with musculoskeletal structures, allowing them to form a comprehensive understanding of the mechanics of injuries.
Chiropractor’s knowledge of injury prevention is vital to the modern football game as they understand precisely how to optimize the body for the sport. Physiotherapists differ to this, as they concentrate mainly on muscle repair whilst chiropractors have a detailed knowledge of the nervous system which combines with their knowledge of musculoskeletal structures to form a detailed picture of the whole mechanic of an injury.
Chicago Chiropractic Care for Football Players & Teams at All Levels of Play
Sports Chiropractic Care for Football Players
Sports chiropractic is a specialty of chiropractic & generally speaking, Sports Chiropractors specialize in the prevention and care of musculoskeletal injuries. The demand for sports teams to have a Sports Chiropractor is increasing. All 32 teams in the National Football League (NFL) offer chiropractic services, together they execute up to 27,000 adjustments in just 16-17 weeks.
There are a growing number of professional athletic associations and leagues, that are incorporating chiropractic care into the framework of their organization. So many different sports place significant strain on the musculoskeletal system and outside of surgery, pharmacological treatments, and other invasive procedures, different organizations are turning to alternative methods to improve the health and quality of life of their athletes.
Athletes in the National Football League (NFL) endure some of the most physically stringent schedules in all of sports. The amount of contact that these athletes face on a week-to-week basis between practice and games, combined with the grueling travel schedule and off-field training presents an overwhelming number of opportunities for injury to arise.
Aside from the current concerns with head injuries and concussion issues that have arisen over the past few years, there is a significant increase in injuries to the spine and neck. These injuries play a role in the propensity for NFL athletes to get concussions in game scenarios, but more and more teams are acknowledging the role of the chiropractic care in preventing injury and treating musculoskeletal problems that these athletes face.
NFL players & former players like Aaron Rodgers, Joe Montana, Emmitt Smith, & Jerry Rice all praise chiropractic for helping them to play at the best of their ability. Chiropractic also helps these athletes play with aches and pains. According to the Professional Football Chiropractic Association, the average NFL team chiropractor will perform 30-50 treatments each week during a football season.
Sports Injuries We Treat at Advanced Spine & Sports Care in Chicago
In football, many spinal issues occur due to impacts. Impacts affect the spine as it supports the entire body and though it is well designed to absorb large amounts of shock, impacts at awkward angles can injure it mildly or badly in any area from the lumbar base to the neck. Chiropractors are often found to address major injuries or spine health maintenance, they’ve quickly become very important members of NFL staff and all NFL teams have at least one chiropractor who treats 16,320 to 27,200 cases in just 120 days throughout a 16-week season.
Impacts cause the most severe back issues and defensive players are the worst affected. Due to paralysis and fatality, chiropractic education has become very important in teaching players to keep a straight back when tackling and not drop the head, which often leads to spine compression which can be deadly. Dropping the head during tackle can cause c-spine issues and one common injury is known as ‘the stinger’ which causes a radiating pain down the arm which can linger for 24 hours. Fortunately, such injuries can be dramatically reduced through chiropractic education. Chiropractors can adjust the back to help rehabilitate this injury once unstable injury or otherwise serious damage has been comprehensively ruled out.
Chiropractors can prescribe techniques to help rehabilitate the spine in the long term and their neuromusculoskeletal knowledge allows them to understand the intrinsically linked structures that make up the spine and surrounding joints. Chiropractic care can stimulate healing through the increase of blood flow to affected areas. This in turn increases nutrient supplementation to targeted areas and inflammation decreases as the body better treats the area naturally. Adjusting the spine regularly keeps football players at the height of their game – increasing agility, pace, flexibility and strength through a multi-modal approach that focuses on training the nervous system.
From pro to amateur level, chiropractors are absolutely invaluable to football injuries, and their role in treating and preventing potentially catastrophic injuries is invaluable.
