Upper Cervical Care For Sport Injury Recovery

Athletic injuries are all part of the contest, as they say.  Strains, sprains, tears, and several other injuries are very common and can cause a player to ride the bench or sit on the sidelines.  Oftentimes, injuries that turn chronic can threaten the longevity of the participation time of the athlete.  The following two common sports injuries and their impacts are reasons to carefully consider the ways in which Limitless Chiropractic, Ballantyne, Charlotte, can provide a natural way, using the body itself, to gain relief - and more!

Sciatica - Radiating Nerve Pain

The largest nerve in the body is the sciatic nerve, located in the lowest part of the spine with four roots connecting it to the spinal cord. It then branches into two and continues down both legs.  Irritation to this nerve can cause the distress of sciatica.  The major areas affected by symptoms can include the hips, lower back, legs, and buttocks.  Although the pain is generally found unilaterally, sciatica in an athlete can produce weakening and/or debilitating results.  A more strenuous case of sciatica can start at the back and go all the way down to the feet.  Often, people report feeling a “pins-and-needles” sensation, or numbness and tingling, which can make even the simple act of walking difficult.  Imagine an athlete trying to run and/or jump while experiencing sciatica!

 What is the cause of sciatica pain as a common malady amongst athletes?

• A misalignment can put undue pressure on the nerve.
• A bulging disc may cause compression to the nerve.
• Location of the nerve irritation indicates where the numbness or pain is manifesting as well as     marking the intensity of the condition.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Can Help Sciatica Patients!

When most people experience pain in the lower back and the legs, the “neck” is not generally the first place the mind resorts to when trying to identify the root cause!  Yet, even when the C1 vertebra (the atlas) encounters the slightest misalignment, significant changes can take place throughout the spine.  The body is working to compensate to keep the head on straight!  When the sciatic nerve is compressed, the body can experience pain even far away from the original point of origin!

It is vital to have the upper cervical spine checked for misalignments at any point when sciatica enters the picture!  Basic correction of  the lower back won’t fix the problem of sciatica for the long-term; the body will just learn how to counter balance for the misalignment of the atlas, resulting in the return of the pain.  Here at Limitless Chiropractics, Ballantyne, Charlotte, the docs can provide the comprehensive exam needed to calculate if indeed, a misalignment of the atlas is present and then make gentle corrections to adjust the spine for complete connection.

CONCUSSIONS - the common injury amongst every sport!

Concussions, often times a very serious injury,  are experienced by many athletes in a huge variety of sports.  Some athletes continue to play because they are unaware that they are concussed.  One does not have to experience being unconscious in order o have sustained a concussion.  Proper care and treatment of concussions is important in the healing process.

Symptoms of a concussion can include - headache - neck pain - dizziness - nausea/vomiting sensory sensitivities - confusion - delayed response time - slurred speech.

Long-term symptoms can result from a concussion if a thorough examination is not performed.  Whiplash can mimic long-term concussion symptoms due to the fact that both injuries may stem from a common underlying condition.  This is where an atlas misalignment can come into play. 

How can a misalignment be connected to the symptoms of post-concussion syndrome?

Along with the rest of the neck, that atlas contributes to the proper blood flow to the brain.  When the proper flow is interrupted, headaches, vertigo, and many other symptoms can manifest themselves.  Other concerns such as cognitive function, response time, and changes in speech can be affected as well if the brainstem is not functioning properly.  Any type of brainstem hindrance (misalignment) can put pressure on the overall central nervous system.  Since the atlas surrounds and protects the brainstem, if the signals are not allowed to be sent, many bodily functions can be affected and proper health balance disrupted.

UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC and CONCUSSIONS

Upon suffering a concussion, one should get their upper cervical spine throughly checked and analyzed before returning to the playing field.  This exam can help to ascertain if a misalignment is present.  Early correction of the misalignment may be able to assist post-concussion syndrome patient/athletes to get back up to full potential more efficiently!  Even with massive amounts of rest, as important as it is, your atlas cannot get realigned on its own!

IMPROVING ATHLETIC/SPORTS PERFORMANCE WITH UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC 

Limitless Chiropractic, Ballantyne, Charlotte

Much research exists that supports the benefits of upper cervical chiropractic care for athletes who have suffered an atlas misalignment.  Visual acuity improvement as a result of upper cervical care is just one of such studies.  When an athlete can see better, the level of athletic performance can increase!

Enhanced breathing benefits are another result produced by upper cervical care, according to another study.  As the brainstem controls the act of breathing, an unconscious activity, this makes perfect sense!  Getting that oxygen to the muscles through breathing can only help to benefit an athlete’s endurance!

Lastly, another study was specifically interested in how upper cervical care influenced the play of baseball players.  Tremendous improvements were indicated in the jumping ability of the players as well as increased overall muscle strength.

If you are looking for a quicker recovery from sports-related injuries and/or to see enhanced improvement in your playing ability, upper cervical care provided by Limitless Docs, Ballantyne, Charlotte, can be a fantastic, natural option for you.

We look forward to meeting with you to see how we can improve recovery time and enhance athletic performance!

CONTACT LIMITLESS CHIROPRACTIC!

The Charlotte Chiropractor & chiropractic experts at Limitless Chiropractic that specialize in many chiropractic services including: Chiropractic Adjustments, Pregnancy Chiropractic Care, Pediatric Chiropractor Care, Sports Chiropractor Care & Upper Cervical Care.