Have you ever hit your funny bone or stubbed your toe? What did your mom tell you to do as a kid? (By the way, she was right!) Rub the area you hit!
But why does that help?
Because the impulse from movement to the brain is FASTER than feeling pain. You can actually beat the pain pathway embedded in your nervous system. How cool is that!?
Often times we hear athletes say, once I'm warmed up, I don't feel the pain. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Does that mean the injury went away? No. But it does show that pain NEEDS movement.
What is the first thing we recommend when an athlete comes to us with an injury?
1: Move NOT rest. The goal is to stay in the prehab range. Meaning, don't let the work you're doing exceed that joints capacity to handle the load placed on it. What would happen if we wrapped up a tissue and didn't let it move? Let's use the ankle as an example. What would happen to the quality of that tissue if you didn't allow it to move? It would atrophy and get weak. If someone gets injured, the first thing we recommend to do is MOVE. Avoid the pinch/ouch points but get motion into that joint right away in a pain free arc. When we stop moving due to an injury, there is no feedback to the nervous system. No AFFerent feeedback (going in to the joint), no movement, no nutrients to the joint, no healing taking place. Motion is lotion. Keep it movin'!
2: Get Adjusted
The nervous system is highly responsive to Chiropractic care because of the focus that Chiropractic places on the spine. The goal of the adjustment is to properly realign spinal structures which can enhance nerve connection. The more input that segment and joint receives, the more movement can occur. This helps decrease inflammation, increase range of motion, and decrease the pain pathway. We get to the root cause by addressing mobility, stability, and strength of the body.
3: Nutritional intake is important with athletes.
Proper nutrition first and foremost. Optimizing lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds, healthy carbs and staying away from inflammatory foods helps with recovery and increases athletic performance.
However, a lot of athletes may still be depleted. Specific nutrients and oxygen are required to sustain a heavily used muscle. Overuse soft tissue injuries result when the supply of nutrients are unable to meet the demands of the muscle/tendon junction. Therefore, additional specific nutrients assist the body in its natural repair function. Listed below are some of the supplements we recommend. https://nzoma.metagenics.com/
Three phases of care:
Phase I: Acute (The first 72 hours)
Inflavanoid IC
Myocalm
Phase II: Corrective (Day 4-8weeks) Osteovantiv Omega (DHA/EPA) 720 Collagenics Phase III: Wellness and Maintenance Vitamin D Vitamin C Omega (DHA/EPA) 720 Magnesium Glycinate Ultra Flora Spectrum
4: Optimize sleep and other recovery modalities
Implement habits that can improve the quality of your sleep. This is where recovery takes place. A chance for our cells to rejuvenate and tissue to heal.
Stay consistent and create a rhythm for your body
Get natural sunlight first thing in the morning and throughout the day
Turn off the noise in your head- Deep breathing techniques
Light active recovery before bed such as stretching, foam roller, or muscle stimulation
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