Athletes

Sports Tips to Avoid Back Injuries El Paso, Texas

Share

All individuals that participate in some form of sports or athletic training, professionals to weekend sports enthusiasts are at risk for back and neck injuries. Common injuries include strains, and sprains, pulls, and tears especially around the low back area. If left untreated these injuries can lead to chronic back pain or more severe conditions.

Although we can’t prevent all sports injuries, here are some sports tips to keep your spine healthy.

 

1.  Warm-Up and Stretch

Properly warming up with stretching exercises increases blood circulation and improves the flexibility of muscles and ligaments. This is not only for helping enhance athletic performance but prevents injuries by keeping the muscles/ligaments loose so if any type of collision, tear, or pull occurs the stretched muscles stay relaxed and do not tense up or contract, which helps reduce the severity of an injury. To stretch properly:

  • Stretch slowly, gently and just to where you feel mild tension.
  • Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds
  • Stretch time on each part of the body is also 10-30 seconds
  • Stretch after the game to relieve sore or tight muscles

 

2. Use Proper Sport Equipment

All sports have a risk of injury. In general, the more contact there is the higher the risk of injury.

To reduce the risk of injury athletes should wear protective equipment that goes with their sport like neck rolls, shoulder, elbow and knee pads.

Well made and supportive shoes combined with custom orthotics are a must.

Other types of equipment include:

  • Helmet
  • Pads elbow, wrist, chest, knee, shins
  • Mouthpiece
  • Faceguard
  • Protective cup
  • Eye protection

 

3. Stay Hydrated

Injuries caused by heat occur as a result of high temperatures, humidity and excessive/overdoing it. To avoid these serious injuries:

  • Drink plenty of water before, during, and after playing.
  • Try to avoid play or practice during extreme heat and humidity.
  • Wear lightweight clothing/uniform with maximum ability to allow sweat to evaporate.
  • Take plenty of breaks or periods of rest to allow the body to recover and recuperate.

 

4. Don’t Overwork/Overdo it

Repetitive Motion Disorders like tennis elbow, bursitis, and tendonitis, happen when movements e.g. swinging motions that go with the sport like tennis, bowling, golf, etc are repeated over and over and cause injury/damage to those parts of the body. To avoid overuse injury try:

  • Take plenty of breaks during practice and games. Do not power through it!
  • Use proper/correct form and techniques. If unsure then take lessons to make sure you are doing it correctly.
  • See a doctor if any pain or muscle fatigue, inflammation, swelling, or compression of nerve tissue present.
  • Cross-training can strengthen muscle groups and those areas that take the most force.

5. Stay Ready for Play with a Healthy Lifestyle

Besides sports, try to find ways to improve general health through a healthy lifestyle:

  • Get plenty of sleep, the body/mind needs to recover from all the activity.
  • Maintain a well-balanced diet.
  • Avoid excessive alcohol use.
  • Get into a sports chiropractic maintenance program to keep the body in tip-top shape.

Consult a doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

Staying fit, healthy and ready for play means preventing injuries from happening.  By being aware of how to prevent injuries with these basic tips, which feel free to take it further and raise the probability of avoiding back and all sports injuries.

As El Paso’s Chiropractic Rehabilitation Clinic & Integrated Medicine Center, we passionately are focused on treating patients after frustrating injuries and chronic pain syndromes. We focus on improving your ability through flexibility, mobility and agility programs tailored for all age groups and disabilities.


 

Heel Spurs Treatment | El Paso, Tx (2020)

 


 

NCBI Resources

Extension sports like gymnastics, tennis, swimming, diving, football, volleyball, basketball, track and field, cricket have the most pronounced extension/rotation on the spine. With a normal extension of the lumbar spine (or backward bending), the facet joints begin to approximate each other and compress. This is a normal biomechanical movement. However, if the extension ranges are excessive, the procedures will impinge quite aggressively and damage to the cartilage surfaces within the facet joint can result.

 

Post Disclaimer

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Sports Tips to Avoid Back Injuries El Paso, Texas" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, acupuncture, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*

Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
My Digital Business Card

Recent Posts

The Importance of Concussion Tests for Brain Injury Evaluation

What type of concussion tests are there to help establish the extent of head injuries… Read More

October 4, 2024

Treating Elbow Pain Caused from Lifting: Effective Solutions

Elbow pain from lifting is a common symptom among individuals who lift weights, heavy objects,… Read More

October 3, 2024

The Impact of Dehydration During Pregnancy and Staying Hydrated

For pregnant individuals, dehydration during pregnancy increases the risk of health problems for the individual… Read More

October 2, 2024

Discover the Beneficial Properties of a HIIT Workout: Transform Your Fitness Routine t

For individuals that are trying to change up their daily routine, can incorporating the beneficial… Read More

October 2, 2024

Exploring the Different Side Effects of Pain Medications

For individuals who may need to take pain medications to manage an injury or condition,… Read More

October 1, 2024

The Connection Between Herniated Discs and Low Back Leg Pain

Lower back leg pain depends on specific symptoms and their duration. Can having a better… Read More

September 30, 2024