In chiropractic and sports medicine orthopedics alike, prevention plays a major part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For anyone involved in sports, it becomes very important to use best practices in preventing injury so that in season and off season, your body can be functioning at its best. There are numerous tips and techniques from orthopedics and sports medicine to help prevent injury, the best of which are listed below.
Tips from Orthopedics to Prevent Sports Injuries
There are two main types of sports injuries: acute and overuse. An acute injury is a sudden injury caused by a traumatic event (for example, falling on an outstretched hand and fracturing the wrist), whereas an overuse injury occurs over time from repeated mini-traumas to a specific area (for example, chronic and worsening knee pain from regular or excessive running). While the treatment of these two types of injuries is very different, you can use the following prevention tips for both acute and overuse injuries.
Have a Pre-Season Wellness Evaluation
Regardless of your sport, you should always make sure to have a health and wellness evaluation before the season begins. Along with a physical examination from a doctor, you could have a sports medicine or orthopedic evaluation to get advice specific to your sport and unique to your body. Find out what your body is healthy enough to do and if there are any areas you should be careful with.
Warm Up Slowly
As with any exercise, warming up slowly is one of the best ways to prevent injury. Always warm up, and make sure you do it in a way that prepares your muscles for the type of activity you are doing. For example, if you are going for a run, it’s more important to warm up your leg, feet, and ankle muscles and joints than it is to warm up your arms.
Listen to Your Body
Especially when it comes to overuse injuries, listening to your body is the all-important tip that you never want to ignore. Using the 10 percent rule is a good way to focus this tip into a weekly guideline. Do not increase your training program by more than 10 percent per week.
Incorporate Both Strength Training and Stretching
When you are training for a specific sport, it can be easy to focus solely on that sport or activity and to ignore other types of training. However, incorporating a balance of strength training and stretching (regardless of your sport) is important for keeping your body injury-free.
Hydrate Constantly
Not only is water important for overall health, it can also prevent cramps and similar injuries. Make sure you hydrate all the time, not just when you’re working out.
Stay Active In Between Seasons
To keep your body healthy year round and to prepare your body for your sports season, make sure you stay active in the summer and during other off-seasons. This will make the transition into training easier on your body and help prevent potential injuries from overtraining or from starting out too fast.
Orthopedics and Chiropractic Care in Dallas Metroplex
Consulting with a chiropractor or a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon can be a great way find out what you should focus on for injury prevention within your specific sport and for your body. Chiropractic care is often sought out for sports injury relief as well as prevention.