Go to a Chiropractor for Tennis Injuries

TENNIS, ANYONE?

The sport of tennis is often saddled with a reputation for being a rather "dainty" game, thanks to the well-mannered fans who frequently grace the stands at professional tennis matches-not to mention the elite country clubs that typically provide tennis facilities. According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), however, the game of tennis can be not only an extremely physical challenge, but also a tremendously healthy endeavor.

"Tennis is a game that-if you start playing early and continue to play it-can actually reduce your risk of heart attacks because of the cardiovascular workout it provides," says Dr. Scott Bautch of the ACA's Occupational Health Council.

BENEFITS
One of the great things about playing tennis is that you only need to find one other person to play with in order to play a match. In fact, if you can find a tennis facility that has a tennis wall-or a wall with a horizontal line that simulates a tennis net-you can get a great tennis workout all by yourself.

"The combination of both high and low exertion levels that tennis offers can provide a unique exercise experience, as well as tremendous health benefits," says Dr. Bautch. In addition to helping to reduce your risk of heart attacks, playing tennis can also tone the muscles of your upper and lower body, burn calories, and improve your balance, hand-eye coordination and agility.

EQUIPMENT
Perhaps the most important element to beginning a tennis regimen is selecting the right equipment. Basic equipment includes proper tennis shoes, socks, appropriate attire and a good tennis racket. Dr. Bautch offers the following recommendations:

SHOES & SOCKS
Because of the constant pounding your feet will endure, it is critical to select a true tennis shoe. Don't purchase a shoe that is designed for basketball, running or cross-training. The shoe should be built low to the ground yet designed to be shock-absorbent to minimize stress on your feet.

"Socks are extremely important too," says Dr. Bautch. "Perspiration is a concern for tennis players, so look for socks that will help keep your feet dry." Some new synthetic fibers used in making socks are scientifically engineered to move sweat away from the body. The more traditional acrylic socks also work well in preventing perspiration buildup on the feet. Avoid cotton socks, as they tend to trap perspiration and hold it close to the skin. According to Dr. Bautch, "you should also consider a foot powder to help keep your feet dry. If your feet are wet, you have a greater chance of developing painful blisters."

ATTIRE
While some professional tennis players may be able to get away with wearing tight-fitted clothing on the court, most of us need to exercise a bit more caution. Avoid wearing sports attire that pinches any part of your body. These "pinch points" can inhibit circulation, causing you to tire more quickly than normal. They can also cause uncomfortable blister marks and rashes. And just as with socks, skip the cotton apparel in favor of synthetic fibers that will absorb sweat and move it away from your body.

RACKET
"Two important considerations when selecting a tennis racket are the size of the racket and your hand comfort when gripping the racket," explains Dr. Bautch. "Beginning tennis players often try to pick out an oversized racket to give them a better chance at hitting the ball. But with an oversized racket, you tend to catch the ball on the extreme edges of the racket, which can twist your hands and wrists beyond their normal range of motion. Look for a normal-sized racket instead."

The grip of your racket should be comfortably cushioned to absorb the shock that comes from hitting a tennis ball. The grip should also be thick enough so that your hand fits around it without having your thumb and fingers overlap one another.

HYDRATION
"Do not underestimate the importance of drinking water," urges Dr. Bautch. "When playing tennis, you lose a lot more fluids than you realize because a lot of your perspiration simply evaporates." According to Dr. Bautch, "water is your best choice for hydration. Whatever you do, don't drink sodas, because they actually take more water from your body to push them out of your system than they put into your body."

To determine the optimal amount of water to drink in a given day, take your bodyweight and cut it in half. That figure represents the number of ounces of water you should drink. For example, if you weigh 100 pounds, you should try to drink 50 ounces of water per day.

SURFACES
Selecting a tennis court with a safe playing surface is another important step in starting your tennis program. Because your knees, hips and feet will take a pounding, surfaces that have some give-such as cushioned surfaces or even grass surfaces-are a better option than those made of concrete. Once you've selected an appropriate court, check it for trash, sand or other foreign objects. These unwelcome articles make it easy for you to lose your footing when practicing or playing.

LESSONS
Dr. Bautch recommends that beginning tennis players take tennis lessons, because lessons "teach good tennis habits and proper form, which will help take pressure off your wrists, spine and hips. It's important to learn to play the game correctly." If taking lessons is impossible because of financial concerns, scheduling conflicts or other reasons, there are many instructional aids available such as books, videos or DVDs. These products can be very helpful in familiarizing your body with the game of tennis.

AVOIDING INJURIES
In order to help prevent injury, it is critical to warm-up before practicing or playing. Dr. Bautch recommends that you "mimic the moves that you will make while playing, but do them more slowly and deliberately. Perform these moves through a full range of motion." You should also spend a few minutes rotating each of your legs, shoulders, hands and elbows in a slow, circular motion. Finally, move forward and back, then left and right, across your end of the tennis court, simulating the movements you would make when actually playing.

PAIN AND INJURY
Even when the best preventive measures are exercised, pain and injury can be an unfortunate fact of life with any sport-and tennis is no exception. Common tennis injuries include tennis elbow, shoulder injuries, low back injuries and turned ankles and knees. If you experience pain or injury beyond simple muscle soreness, make a doctor of chiropractic your first choice.

- Having treated collegiate and professional tennis players, I quickly learned that tennis puts a tremendous beating on the body. It is very rare to meet a competitive tennis player that doesn't have pain somewhere in the body. In grueling 3 or 5 set matches with constant repetitive and dynamic motions, these athletes are prone to injuries. The torque on the low back and pelvis that comes with lateral movements and hitting a tennis ball can be brutal to the joints. Chiropractic adjustments and stretching will help to not only alleviate pain, but restore the motion and function of that particular motion segment. Soft tissue massage and Graston to hypertonic musculature are also very beneficial techniques when treating tennis players. Whether you play for fun or compete at a high level, here at Rosa Family Chiropractic of Alexandria we treat you like a pro!

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Super Bowl MVP is "Well-Adjusted"

Professional athletes recognize the value of chiropractic care

From his son's first "stingers" to various neck, back and other injuries resulting from playing football, Dr. Ed Rodgers – Dad of championship Green Bay Packers’ winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers – was always there to make an adjustment. It was the care he received following a college football injury that led the Super Bowl MVP's father to pursue a chiropractic career.

"The structure of the human body, especially the spine, and its relationship to function can be impacted by the physical nature of accidents, falls, poor posture and injuries," says Dr. Rodgers. "That's why chiropractic care is so valuable for many acute and chronic health problems."

While providing chiropractic care for his three sons who played multiple sports during their school years, as well as his patients in Chico, California, Dr. Ed finds the natural hands-on methods of chiropractic care to be of great value. He points out that every NFL football team and the majority of college and high school athletic programs have a doctor of chiropractic available to treat their players. Athletes from all sports credit chiropractic care for their ability to recover from neck, back and other joint injuries, and play the game at a high level. Reflecting this expertise, 2010 marked the first time that chiropractors occupied the two top positions for the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) medical team.

Jack Dolbin DC, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was the starting wide receiver for the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII. His father and grandfather were chiropractors, as is his daughter.

"Patients of all ages are learning to appreciate the clinical skills of a chiropractor for conditions including headaches, neck and back pain and other health issues that are related to the spine and influenced by injuries and posture," says Dr. Dolbin.

Jerry Rice was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2010 and was recently chosen as the "greatest" pro football player of all time by a blue ribbon panel at the NFL Network. As a spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, Rice says this about his legendary 20-year pro career: "I did a lot of things to stay in the game but regular visits to my chiropractor were among the most important."

Low Back Pain

Study: Starting with Chiropractic Saves 40% on Low Back Pain Care

A new study finds that low back pain care initiated with a doctor of chiropractic (DC) saves 40 percent on health care costs when compared with care initiated through a medical doctor (MD), the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) announced today. The study, featuring data from 85,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield beneficiaries, concludes that insurance companies that restrict access to chiropractic care for low back pain treatment may inadvertently pay more for care than they would if they removed such restrictions.

Low back pain is a significant public health problem. Up to 85 percent of Americans have back pain at some point in their lives. In addition to its negative effects on employee productivity, back pain treatment accounts for about $50 billion annually in health care costs—making it one of the top 10 most costly conditions treated in the United States.

The study, "Cost of Care for Common Back Pain Conditions Initiated With Chiropractic Doctor vs. Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy as First Physician: Experience of One Tennessee-Based General Health Insurer," which is available online and will also be published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, looked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee’s intermediate and large group fully insured population over a two-year span. The insured study population had open access to MDs and DCs through self-referral, and there were no limits applied to the number of MD/DC visits allowed and no differences in co-pays.

Results show that paid costs for episodes of care initiated by a DC were almost 40 percent less than care initiated through an MD. After risk-adjusting each patient’s costs, researchers still found significant savings in the chiropractic group. They estimated that allowing DC-initiated episodes of care would have led to an annual cost savings of $2.3 million for BCBS of Tennessee.

"As doctors of chiropractic, we know firsthand that our care often helps patients avoid or reduce more costly interventions such as drugs and surgery. This study supports what we see in our practices every day," said ACA President Rick McMichael, DC. "It also demonstrates the value of chiropractic care at a critical time, when our nation is attempting to reform its health care system and contain runaway costs."

The American Chiropractic Association, based in Arlington, Va., is the largest professional association in the United States representing doctors of chiropractic. ACA promotes the highest standards of ethics and patient care, contributing to the health and well-being of millions of chiropractic patients.

Professional Athletes Love Chiropractors

"I don’t know how much I could improve until I started seeing a chiropractor. Since I’ve been in chiropractic, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds both mentally and physically."

- Michael Jordan- 6-time NBA Champion, 6-Time Final MVP, 5-Time NBA MVP

"The team wasn't just riders. It was the mechanics, masseurs, chefs, soigneurs, and doctors. But the most important man on the team may have been the chiropractor."

- Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France Champion

"As long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I'm one step ahead of the game.",

-Tom Brady, Three-time Super Bowl Champion and two-time Super Bowl MVP

"It’s all about taking care of yourself and the things that you have to do every week to prepare yourself to take a beating and get ready for the next week – the cold tubs, the hot tubs, the massages, the chiropractor. Whatever has worked for me, which all of these things have over the years, it’s about sticking to it. It is a routine that you have to do it every week. You can’t slack off on it because the little bumps and bruises that you get every week, they pile up, so you’ve got to stay on top of that stuff so you can be able to play next week."

-LaDainian Tomlinson, NFL All-Pro Running Back

"Those are the guys that put me on the field when I didn't think I had a chance to be on the field. These are professionals, and God put them in my life for a reason."

- Terrell Owens, NFL All-Pro wide receiver

Do I need to find a Chiropractor? It was time for me to invest in me,"Smith said."I found a specialist that's really good in balancing out my body to make sure my hips are rotated right, and my body is functioning properly. I remember somebody telling me that what I put myself in during the games is like having a car wreck every Sunday. It's against the norm. You can find yourself in awkward positions. That stuff takes its toll. But if you take advantage of the health care, balance your body back out, put it back where it's supposed to be, you function better, and you recover faster."

- Emmitt Smith, NFL's all time rushing leader

"I believe in chiropractic, and I know it works. You probably know about my long and successful career in football. I'm flattered by the testimonials to my durability. Football is a very rough and vigorous sport. Chiropractic was the key to keeping me in the game."

-Jerry Rice, wide receiver, three-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP

"Seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I've been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It's as important to my training as practicing my swing"

-Tiger Woods, 14 time PGA Championship golfer

"When you get to the the NFL, hits are a littler harder, thats why I go to the chiropractor. After some of those hits you see that your body is not in line.

-Maurice Jones Drew, NFL All-Pro Running Back

"Without chiropractic, I wouldn't be able to play consistently throughout the season."

-Johnny Damon, MLB center fielder and two-time World Series champion

"I have to have an adjustment before I go into the ring. I do believe in chiropractic. I found that going to a chiropractor three times a week helps my performance. The majority of boxers go to get that edge.

- Evander Holyfield, four-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion

"Let me tell you there is no better profession than chiropractic. You really helped me. Every day you are preventing injuries; every day you are helping people. You let them walk out of your office feeling great about themselves and feeling good in their bodies, relieving pain. I can tell you this from firsthand experience. Bodybuilders and fitness people have been using chiropractic very extensively in order to stay healthy and fit. I found it was better to go to a chiropractor before you get injured. We are a perfect team, the world of fitness and the world of chiropractors."

- Arnold Schwarzenegger, seven-time Mr. Olympia, former governor of California

"I go to my Chiropractor on a regular basis because I want to prolong my career as long as possible. I see him about once a week in between my training. By getting an adjustment once a week from him, I feel I can sustain my career."

-Barry Bonds, MLB All-Star Home Run Leader

"I've found that it's a great stress reliever to get adjusted. It takes away a lot of the tightness in the muscles."

- Jose Canseco, Former MLB All-Star

"Chiropractic has been a big part of my game.... Chiropractic works for me."

- Joe Montana, 3 time Super Bowl MVP

The Long Run: Kinesio Tape Keeps Athletes Going

The Long Run: Kinesio tape keeps athletes going
- Gerry Chester

When an athlete suffers an injury, they are left with one of two choices: Stop working out altogether or wrap it and try to train through the setback.

While today’s injured athletes use a variety of taping procedures to allow them to continue training, heal more quickly and protect their muscles during competition, a unique way of treating sports injuries called Kinesio taping has appeared on the scene and achieves the same results.

While most Americans received their first glimpse of Kinesio tape from watching American volleyball player Kerri Walsh during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, it has been around since the 1970s, when chiropractor Dr. Kenzo Kase developed it as an alternative taping technique to help his Japanese athletes heal injured muscle tissue.

Up to that time, conventional taping methods supported the injured muscle but severely reduced the athlete’s range of motion and many times inhibited the actual healing process.

Kinesio tape still provides support and stability to a person’s joints and muscles but doesn’t reduce circulation or, more importantly, the athlete’s range of motion.

Extremely strong, flexible, and non-restrictive, it supports the injury and relieves pain and promotes healing by lifting the skin away from the muscle, which helps increase circulation to the injured area.

William P. Macnamara III, a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician for the past 20 years in Killingly, explained that "Kinesio taping is based on a different way of thinking, which aims to give the athlete free range of motion to help the body’s muscular system to heal itself biomechanically."

Kinesio tape is available online and at most sporting goods stores, and while there are a multitude of videos and self-help websites that demonstrate how to tape yourself, it is recommended that your first taping session be done by a trained professional.

While specific procedures for each treatment need to be followed initially, they can be easily learned once the therapist demonstrates the proper technique.

Once described as a gimmick by its detractors, Kinesio tape is now used in practically every sport and at all levels of competition from elite athletes to weekend warriors.

Meb Keflezighi, winner of the 2009 New York City Marathon, and Molly Huddle, current American record holder in the women’s 5,000-meter run, are just two of the many top-flight runners who use Kinesio tape in their training.

- Here at Rosa Family Chiropractic of Alexandria, we utilize the benefits of kinesio tape on a daily basis; providing kinesio treatment to high performance and non-athletes.

Dr. Nick Andolina
Chiropractor, Physiotherapist

Alexandria, VA