Expertly Reviewed By: Serah Waweru, Esq., on April 13, 2023
Sports chiropractic is a budding field of medicine that helps athletes of all levels and ages manage their pain and injuries. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a fitness enthusiast, or a professional athlete, a sports injury chiropractor can provide invaluable insight into improving your performance while decreasing your risk of injury. But what exactly does a sports injury chiropractor do, and what type of injuries can they help treat? Also, how can they help you achieve optimal performance and health?
Let’s dive into the details!
What Does a Sports Chiropractor Do?
A sports chiropractor is a type of chiropractor who specializes in preventing and treating musculoskeletal pain and injuries in athletes. As a result of this treatment, the athlete’s performance significantly increases.
Sports chiropractors work with all types of athletes, from professional to amateur. In addition, these professionals treat most types of sports injuries, both acute and chronic.
Acute injuries are the kind of injuries that occur due to a sudden change in direction, especially during sports. For example, let’s say you’re chasing a football, and then you suddenly change direction, dislocating your knee. That could be an example of an acute injury.
Other common examples of acute injuries include the following:
- Fractures
- Shoulder dislocation
- Muscle sprains and strains
- Concussions
- Broken bones
Unlike acute injuries, which are often sudden, chronic injuries occur due to long-term wear and tear. These injuries are pretty common in sports such as long-distance running or cycling.
What Treatment Methods Does a Chiropractor Specializing in Sports Injuries Use?
Sports chiropractors use a variety of techniques to treat their patients. These may include any of the following:
Manual therapy: This involves skilled hand movements and passive movements of joints and soft tissues.
Acupuncture: As the name suggests, acupuncture is the process of puncturing the skin with needles at specific and strategic points to relieve certain symptoms.
Massage: One of the most common forms of rehabilitation from sports injuries, massage involves rubbing and kneading muscles and body joints with the hands to ease pain and tension.
Electrical stimulation: This treatment sends gentle electrical pulses through the skin to ease pain.
The goal of treatment is always to return the athlete to their previous level of function as quickly and safely as possible. In some cases, this may mean simply relieving pain and inflammation. In others, it may involve helping the athlete regain strength and range of motion.
How a Chiropractor Can Help Prevent Sports Injuries
Most sports chiropractors will also work on prevention. This means helping athletes identify and correct any imbalances or weaknesses that could lead to injury. This may involve stretching and strengthening exercises, diet or training regimen changes, or orthotics or other devices.
What Type of Sports Injuries Are Treated by a Chiropractor?
Sports injuries are often caused by repetitive motion, overuse, or trauma. Common sports injuries that can be treated by a sports chiropractor include the following:
- Sprains and strains
- Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Dislocations
- Fractures
- Muscle tears
What Are Some Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Athletes?
Your bones, muscles, and connective tissues work together to provide support and movement for your body. When any of these structures are out of alignment, it can lead to pain and decreased function. That’s where a sports injury chiropractor comes in.
A sports injury chiropractor is a healthcare professional specializing in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal conditions. They use various techniques to restore alignment, improve range of motion, and reduce pain.
Chiropractic care can be beneficial for athletes for many reasons. It can help improve performance by increasing range of motion and relieving pain. It can also help prevent injuries by keeping the body in proper alignment.
Some other benefits of chiropractic care for athletes include:
• Improved circulation
• Reduced inflammation
• Faster recovery from injuries
• Enhanced immune system function
How Do I Find the Best Sports Injury Chiropractor Near Me?
If you’re looking for a sports injury chiropractor, you may not know where to start. So here are some quick tips to guide you.
Ask your regular doctor or another health professional if they have any recommendations.
Alternatively, you can search online for local chiropractors specializing in sports injuries.
When you’ve found a few options, call each and ask about their experience treating athletes and whether they have any specialties. While at it, remember to also ask the following key questions:
- Does the injury require surgery?
- When should you expect to fully recover from the injury?
- Will I be able to resume playing my sport again after recovering?
Be sure to trust your instincts during the initial communication with the chiropractor. For instance, you want a chiropractor to conduct an X-ray before choosing the right treatment for your specific condition. So if they have a generic approach to your injury, chances are they are not the right fit.
Then, once you’ve found the right one, schedule an appointment with them.
Can You Sue Someone for a Sports Injury?
Athletes are constantly at risk for injuries, some of which can be quite serious. If you’ve been injured while participating in a sport, you may wonder whether you can sue the person responsible for your injury.
The answer to this question depends on the severity of your injury and the circumstances under which it occurred. In general, however, you will only be able to sue someone for a sports injury if they acted recklessly or intentionally caused your injury.
For example, if you were blindsided by another player during a football game and suffered a concussion as a result, you would likely have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit against that player. On the other hand, if you simply tripped and fell while playing basketball, it would be much more difficult to prove that someone else was at fault for your injuries.
Keep in mind that most states have the assumption of risk rule that could be used as a legal defense in such a lawsuit. This legal doctrine argues that, by participating in the sport, the plaintiff was aware of the risks involved but still participated.
If you’re considering filing a lawsuit after sustaining a sports injury, consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney specializing in these kinds of injuries is important. The attorney can assess the merits of your case and advise you on the best course of action.
What Lawsuits Are Filed Against Middle Schools for Sports Injuries?
When it comes to sports injuries, middle schools are not immune. In fact, lawsuits for sports injuries at middle schools are becoming more common in recent months. While some of these lawsuits are for accidents that happen during a game or practice, others are for injuries that occur because of the school’s negligence.
You might be able to sue a school if the injury occurred due to negligence. However, this will also depend on whether the injury happened at a public or private school.
This is because the government owns public schools. As a result, they enjoy something called ‘sovereign immunity‘, which shields them from certain lawsuits. And in cases where the school or institution may not have this kind of immunity, the rules for filing a lawsuit might be more strict than those of private schools.
For instance, in most states, the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit against a government institution is usually shorter than when suing a private entity. In addition, the plaintiff usually has a limited amount of time to notify the government agency or institution about the lawsuit. Otherwise, they will lose their right to pursue legal action.
That said, some common examples of when it may be necessary to sue a school over sports injuries include:
- Defective sporting equipment
- Negligent management, which includes the coaching staff
- Premises liability cases
- Failure to provide medical attention after an injury
- Coaches instructing players to use excessive force during a game or training
When Can Athletes Sue for Injury From Participation in Sport?
If you are an athlete, you can sue if you have a valid case against the other party. This claim usually involves proving that the injury was caused by negligence. For example, suppose you were injured during a game because of a dangerous condition on the playing field. In that case, the athlete may be able to sue the owner of the playing field for negligence.
You can also sue for injuries sustained due to defective equipment. For example, if you got injured because of a defective helmet, you may be able to sue the manufacturer of the helmet for negligence.
But that’s not the only example of negligence. There’s more.
You can sue for injuries sustained as a result of inadequate medical care. For example, let’s say you did not receive proper medical treatment after the injury. You may be able to file a lawsuit against the negligent doctor or trainer.
These are examples of situations where you may be allowed to sue for a sports injury, and not a conclusive list of situations warranting such a lawsuit.
Summary
A sports injury chiropractor can help treat and also prevent certain sports-related injuries. Some medical professionals, including chiropractors specializing in sports injuries or catastrophic injuries, also work closely with personal injury attorneys to help the injured receive the treatment they need and deserve while documenting the whole process.
If you or your beloved has been injured due to negligence while participating in a particular sport, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the negligent party. All you need to do is consult an experienced personal injury attorney specializing in sports injuries. The attorney will review the unique circumstances of your case and determine whether you have legal grounds to sue.
