Chicago Chiropractic News

What does Tiger Woods, Andy Roddick, and Lance Armstrong know that all you potential athletes and weekend warriors need to learn? They all have chiropractic in common and go to great length to prevent injuries. My name is Dr Cynthia Seaman and I have been practicing in Chicago for 25 years and have incorporated physical rehab with my practice .Check my website http://seamanchiro.com/ for more wellness tips

There are some factors to keep in mind to avoid increased risk of injury with activities and sports:

1)WEAK MUSCLES--Many injuries are in fact caused by weak muscles not prepared to handle the specific demands of your activities. That is why you can start a weight or running program , gardening or seasonal sport for the first time, do well for the first few weeks but suddenly develop foot or ankle problems, hamstring soreness or back or shoulder pain as time progresses.
Your body is simply not strong enough to handle the demands of an increased training load or increased activity demands.
At Seaman Chiropractic ,we first handle the stabilization of the skeletal structure before starting a slow, progressive increased physical rehabilitation of the muscles. That is why it is so effective to begin care before beginning a new physical activity or exercise regime. Your body needs to be stronger before it can handle the new "demands" being put on it.

2)MUSCLE IMBALANCES--This is one I see quite often in the person who works out and believes themselves to be strong. Screening for muscle imbalances is the current cutting edge approach to injury prevention. There are detectable and correctable abnormalities of muscle strength and length that are fundamental to the development of almost all musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. It could begin with structural abnormalities or misalignments. Detention of these abnormalities and correction before the injury has occurred should be part of any injury prevention strategy and will save you weeks of pain and having to stop your sport, activity or hobby.
At Seaman Chiropractic, I assess muscle strength and imbalances. Regular chiropractic care, massage and specific muscle rehab can be very beneficial in this regard.

3)PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS--Some studies have shown that athletes or weekend warriors who are aggressive,tense and compulsive have a higher risk of injury than their more relaxed counterparts. Not listening to your body, pushing through your pain and tension makes muscles and tendons tighter and strained,increasing the risk that they will be harmed during workouts or activities.
Listen to your body, try breathing exercises or visualization before starting your workouts and take breaks throughout activities to ensure you are as relaxed as possible.
Call Seaman Chiropractic in Chicago at 773-545-2233 to get expert advise to avoid injury and pain before you begin a new workout or physical activity or