Washington Park Chiropractic

By: Dr. Jake Simpson, DC

Anatomy of Sports Injuries:

Sports injuries encompass a wide range of conditions with varying degree of severity.  Realistically, sports injuries are no different than other injuries; like car accidents they just happen to occur at higher speeds, forces, vectors, etc. often making their degree of severity higher.  The most common type of sports injuries are sprains (ligament) and strains (muscular).  Both ligaments and muscles have varying degrees of tensile and elastic properties specific to their relative function.  Muscles tend to be the powerhouse behind movement, with ligaments and tendons being the support and stabilization for the movement.  Further, all tissues are connected in a complex web of fascia, a big web of tissue that runs throughout the entire body.  This web when injured can affect tissue both near and far from the initial injury site.  In fact with fascia in mind, an injury of the lower extremity can result in an injury to the upper extremity through altered biomechanics.  If you feel like one injury was the start of ongoing problems and injuries, fascia is likely the culprit.  With respect to any aspect of health, prevention is always the key but sports injuries are often unavoidable.  For sports injuries, proper acute care and management is the key. I’ll go over a several things you can do for yourself to help heal quickly and properly. 

In treating sports injuries remember the acronym: PRICE

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By: Dr. Jake Simpson

‘Tis the season to be golfing.  The weather is warm, the golf courses are green, and the golfers (much like myself and Dr. Goodman) are striving to shoot a personal best.  You can find golfers out on the tee box from sun up to sun down…. This all sounds great, just thinking about being on the course gives me goose bumps, but there is always a catch.  None of us can golf, or golf at our optimal abilities if we are injured from the very game we love.  According to some estimates, there are approximately 27 million golf injuries every year!!!  Golf is generally not thought to be highly physical or a sport that will cause injuries because of the lack of violent impact.  So what causes so many golf injuries?  I wish I could tell you there is one reason you get injured but I can’t.  All injuries are multi-factorial, meaning there are generally several underlying causes for your injury.  Some of these include

• no warm-up, no cool down
• poor flexibility
• postural dysfunction or instability
• improper swing mechanics

  Let’s help you prevent future injuries and keep you playing golf pain and injury free:

Warm-Up and Cool Down:

Along with proper posture and swing mechanics, simple warm-up and cool down exercises can go a long way in the prevention of golf injuries.  Warming up must be an essential part of your golf routine.  Warming up brings blood flow to your muscles, and lengthens the muscles to help prevent them from strain.  Much like cooking pasta, you begin with stiff and breakable noodles out of the box and boil them in water ending with a soft and flexible noodle. 

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This article was written back when Emmit Smith was still dancin, but I thought it was fun

There is no denying it, America loves ABC television’s “Dancing With The Stars.”

The ABC smash dance show continues to deliver the goods. Anyone who has watched the show can see that these dancers are under a great amount of physical as well as emotional stress.

Show coordinators for “Dancing With The Stars” were in urgent need of a chiropractor. They did what other local network studios are doing more frequently, they researched and called a good chiropractor. The doctor they found left his West Los Angeles office in midafternoon and headed over to Beverly Hills where the show was about to be broadcast live. The chiropractor arrived just in time to assist the dancers in need, and shared in everyone’s positive attitude that the show must go on.

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Advances in sports injury care with the Graston Technique

By: Dr. Lisa Goodman, DC, CCSP

The Graston Technique is used daily in my office to treat sports injuries, muscle and ligament pain and repetative stress injuries.  Over the last few years as advances in training and technology continue, I have improved my education and continue to develop my technique.  A recent study confirms the results I have been seeing in my office.

Clinical Experience: As a level 3 certified Graston Technique practitioner, I have had years of experience with static and motion treatment.  I have found a significant increase in pain relief, range of motion and function when I implement motion and weight bearing to Graston treatments.  Using motion and weightbearing are one benefit that make Graston treatments unique to any other type of myofascial release.  You would certainly find it difficult to treat tennis elbow while doing a push-up with massage or myofascial release, but with Graston I can have a patient doing a push-up on the floor while treating them.  This positional treatment can sigificantly speed results.  Often patients see dramatic results in fewer than 6 treatments!  See the study details below.