(516) 679-2225
No matter how careful you are when playing a sport, injuries are inevitable. What you do after such an injury will determine how quickly you can recover and get back in the game.
Sports injuries can be caused by impact, repetitive motion, falls, or poor technique and conditioning. For most common soft-tissue injuries, self-care practices such as the RICE protocol: rest, ice, compression, and elevation are helpful. However, if pain continues, consultation with a medical professional is recommended.
Treating Sports Injuries with the Graston Technique®
A sports injury led to the development of the Graston Technique®. Amateur athlete David Graston was frustrated by his slow recovery from a knee injury. He read about a Chinese medicine technique used for centuries to stimulate blood flow to muscles that involved a sort of “scraping” movement. He then developed specialized tools built upon that technique to break up scar tissue for better healing and less muscle restriction. The technique was specifically designed for an athlete to treat sports injuries, which is why it is the leading treatment modality for professional sports teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
If you’ve been injured while playing sports, call us at (516) 679-2225 to make an appointment. Dr. Martin Marmorale, our founder and certified Graston Technique® Specialist (GTS), uses this and other modalities to treat sports injuries of all kinds.
Achilles Tendinitis & Hamstring Strains
The Achilles tendon runs from behind the heel up to the mid-calf, connecting the calf muscles to the heel. Inflammation of this tendon can be caused by poor running technique or over-training. Signs of this injury include:
- Pain and swelling around the ankle are usually felt in the ankle’s back but can extend around the entire joint.
- Pain that grows worse during and after activity and is generally more intense the day after the exercise.
While self-care practices can help with these injuries, physical therapy is commonly recommended as a primary treatment.
Hamstring strains are another common running injury but are also seen in hurdlers and dancers. This happens when the muscles along the back of the thigh are overstretched. Hamstring strains can also be seen together with hip injuries. Symptoms include:
- Bruising
- Cramping or pain when moving the leg
- Swelling in the injured area.
- Unusual, painful lumps
For minor hamstring stretches, self-care practices may be sufficient. Large tears require surgical correction. Hamstring strains often require longer healing times than other injuries, as the hamstrings are one of the most-used muscles in the body.
If you suffer from any of the following injuries, call East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C. at (516) 679-2225 to make an appointment with our team.
Hand / Wrist Injuries – DeQuervain’s Syndrome (Tennis Wrist, Texting Thumb)
This is an injury common to racket-based sports such as tennis involving a significant wrist rotation. A more modern source of this injury is the overuse of thumb-typing. Common signs include:
- Difficulty gripping with the affected side of the hand
- Occasional burning sensation in the side of the hand
- Pain at the base of the thumb or on the thumb side of the wrist
- Swelling
- Tenderness
Like any tendonitis, rest, and ice are standard methods of self-care. For advanced cases, physical therapy and/or surgical intervention may be necessary.
Knee Injuries – Runners Knee and Jumpers Knee
Sports can wreak havoc on the knees. Athletes can suffer career-ending injuries in the blink of an eye. For non-athletes, knee tendonitis can limit daily function and cause other injuries when the body compensates. Temporary but painful repetitive motion injuries, including tendonitis, occur when the tendons become inflamed.
Patellar tendonitis affects the tendon that stretches over and connects your kneecap (patella) to your shinbone (tibia). Popliteus tendinitis or popliteal tendinopathy affects the small triangle-shaped muscle in the back of the knee known as the popliteus. It connects your thighbone (femur) to the meniscus and the tibia.
These tendons affect the knee’s ability to bend, stretch, and straighten, and overall general stability, so knee tendonitis can be debilitating.
Elbow Injuries – Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow/Golfer’s Elbow)
These forms of wrist and arm tendonitis are overuse conditions brought on by repetitive motion. Tennis elbow is tendon inflammation around the outside of the elbow and forearm. Golfer’s elbow is tendon inflammation on the inner side of the arm and elbow. The symptoms are essentially the same; the afflicted area is the difference.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammation of the plantar fascia, a supportive band of fibrous tissue in the foot’s arch. When this band of tissue is overloaded or overstretched, small tears develop in the fascia fibers, particularly where it meets the heel bone.
Plantar fasciitis is frequently seen in patients who are active runners and in patients whose occupation demands that they stand a great deal, including service workers, medical personnel, and retail employees. For patients who are on their feet all day, plantar fasciitis makes it very difficult to function.
Treatment for Sports Injuries
At East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C., Dr. Martin Marmorale utilizes Graston Technique® therapy to identify injured tissue and then manipulate the affected areas to break down scar tissue, address inflammation, and promote healing.
As a certified Graston Technique® Specialist (GTS) since 2008, Dr. Marmorale effectively treats many physical injuries using this and other chiropractic modalities. Call the East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C. office at (516) 679-2225 to schedule an appointment and start down the road to recovery.
Useful Info and Health Tips
If you have injured yourself playing sports, in addition to seeking medical treatment you can:
- Rest the injury for at least 48 hours.
- Apply ice to reduce swelling and pain, alternating on and off every 15 minutes.
- Apply a bandage for compression.
- Elevate the affected body part.
- Use a sling, crutches, or other supportive apparatus.
