If you play sports at a competitive level and you need your body to compete on a regular basis at its optimal performance, then you will understand the importance of how to prevent injuries from occurring.

They say, “Prevention is the best cure” and sportspeople go to great measures to ensure they implement a range of injury prevent techniques into their training regime. However, this also applies to everyday people who go about their busy lives, and cannot afford to take time off work, should they injure themselves one way or another.

If we as individuals take care of our bodies, then we reduce the risk of injuries from occurring and are able-to, live a relatively healthy lifestyle.

How to prevent sporting injuries

Most athletes or sportspeople of any discipline or ability, use simple injury prevention techniques to ensure they stay healthy, some of which include:

Warm up and cool down before and after exercise
Don’t exercise or compete when they are suffering from an injury
Wear protective gear or strapping
Have a good understanding of their bodies limits
They listen to their bodies and ensure they get rest to recover
Seek treatment as soon as they get an injury
Have a balanced diet and eat healthy foods
Incorporate strength training exercises to their training regime
Visit a Physiotherapist or Chiropractor regularly
Most common sporting injuries

Sportspeople put their bodies under more stress than everyday people, by training more vigorously, and with this comes additional pressures and strains to their bodies, which ultimately need to be managed more regularly.

By incorporating injury prevention techniques into your training schedule, you may help to reduce the risk of many injuries, however as a result from sporting training or ongoing exercise, there will come a time that you may injure yourself, and some injuries may include:

Sciatica
Groin Pull
Hamstring Strains
Tendinitis
Concussion
Shin Splints
However, there are more serious sporting injuries that may also occur, like Back Pain, Knee and Hip Pain or Shoulder injuries, which have-the-ability to cause significant damage and keep you away from your sport for a considerable amount of time. And in-order-to ensure you may help to reduce the risk of those more serious injuries, it is vital to seek the services of an Injury Prevention Clinician like a Physiotherapist or Chiropractor.

The role of a Physiotherapist or Chiropractor is to keep your bones, joints and muscles aligned and to encourage mobility and increase strength.

Physiotherapy and Chiropractic Treatment varies from patient to patient and may include joint manipulation and mobilisation, massage therapy or acupuncture to alleviate pain and minimise stiffness. Physiotherapists and Chiropractors may also prescribe supportive devices such as splints, orthoses, casts, crutches or wheelchairs to provide, assistance for a wide range of injuries and musculoskeletal conditions.

However, Physiotherapists and Chiropractors are equally as effective in providing injury prevention techniques to reduce the risk of injuries from occurring. And they will firstly begin by providing Injury Prevention Strategies which are commonly referred to as the “3 E’s of Injury Prevention”

Education
Engineering modifications
Enforcement & Enactment
Injury Prevent Techniques provided by a Physiotherapist or Chiropractor will vary from person to person, and as such will require an individual injury prevention treatment plan. It is also advised to not self-diagnose or introduce exercises which you may think are beneficial, prior to seeking the advice of a Physiotherapist or Chiropractor. Studies show that by stretching before exercise may not prevent injuries, however by utilising a mixture of stretching and joint motion techniques, may help to improve performance and further reduce the risk of injury. Injury prevention exercises are not the same for everyone and should be applied for an individuals’ specific requirements.

If you play sport and require a personalised Injury Prevention Plan, then the team at Spinal & Sports Care have Injury Prevention Physiotherapists and Chiropractors to help enhance your sporting training. To learn more about Injury Prevention Services in Castle Hill, Parramatta & Wetherill Park, please do not hesitate to call our team (02) 9683 1110. Alternatively, you can book an appointment to visit your local clinic by using the online booking form.