Anxiety and Chiropractic Treatments: How They Help

Playing hockey is a great way to get physical exercise and relieve stress, but a hockey game can also result in some serious aches and pains. Due to the physical nature of hockey, players often find themselves in need of chiropractic care.

Here are three techniques you should ask your chiropractor about the next time your hockey game leaves you feeling sore.

1. Active Release Techniques (ART)

Unlike a traditional chiropractic examination, an ART examination is customized for each individual patient. ART involves the use of the hands to identify the texture and tightness of the muscles.

If you are experiencing pain after participating in hockey, this pain could be caused by dense scar tissue that has built up to protect an injury over time. Drawing from over 500 movements that are specific to ART, your chiropractor will be able to physically manipulate your muscles to help break up scar tissue and reduce pain.

2. Acupuncture

Many chiropractors are equipped to provide their patients with acupuncture services. Acupuncture can be especially beneficial for hockey players, since this type of treatment reduces inflammation and can help eliminate swelling and bruising.

After an acupuncture session you will experience a significant reduction in pain, accelerated healing time for future injuries, and an increase in your range of motion. Be sure to ask your chiropractor about implementing acupuncture into your treatment plan in the future.

3. Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)

Hockey players put a lot of stress on their bodies. This stress can accumulate in the body, interfering with the signals sent between your brain and muscle tissue. The result is often a failure of the major muscle groups to completely contract, which can result in injury.

Your chiropractor can use EMS to help combat this stress. By manually contracting the muscle through electrical stimulation, you bypass the need for autonomic signals to be sent from the brain to the muscle. EMS achieves a complete contraction, allowing you to improve tone. EMS also has the ability to increase circulation in a specific area of the body. Increased blood flow is essential when it comes to injury rehabilitation, so working with your chiropractor to establish an EMS routine can help you reduce your recovery time.

Maintaining flexibility and strength is a goal every hockey player should be working toward with the help of a chiropractor. To help reduce the amount of pain you feel after spending time on the ice, ask your chiropractor about ART, acupuncture, or EMS in the future.

For more information, contact a professional like those at  Lincoln Chiropractic Center.