SARASOTA, Fla., April 28, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A Sarasota chiropractor claims that many recreational, amateur and professional athletes can benefit from chiropractic and supportive natural treatments, including those who participate in non-contact sports such as golf, tennis and running. According to Dr. Abe Kozma of Sarasota Chiropractic, Physical Therapy & Massage, repetitive motion injuries and stress-related injuries can respond well to a program of spinal adjustments, massage therapy and rehabilitative exercises. "Our goal is to help the injured body part heal itself naturally and completely so that the patient can recover without surgery or painkillers," says the practitioner.
Dr. Kozma emphasizes that a sports activity need not involve physical contact to promote athletic injuries to the musculoskeletal system and nerves. "While a football tackle can certainly destroy a knee or cause whiplash, many of the injuries we see come from non-contact sports," he says.
He cites tennis elbow as a typical example. This inflammation of the connective tissues on the outside of the elbow is a kind of repetitive motion injury from thousands of racket swings. Poor technique, weak musculature or a postural imbalance in the player's stance can all be contributing factors; when inflammation involves local nerves, the player experiences pain.
Golfer's elbow causes similar problems, except that this common affliction of golfers resides in the inner part of the elbow. "The names do not imply any kind of exclusivity," notes Dr. Kozma. "Tennis players can get golfer's elbow, and vice versa; so can people in other sports." The practitioner prescribes chiropractic adjustment to correct any subluxations (spinal misalignments) which may be affecting the player's vertical balance and, by extension, his swing. He also makes use of massage therapy and physical rehabilitation techniques to help damaged tissues repair themselves.
The lower body can be just as prone to non-contact athletic injuries as the upper body. Sprained ankles frequently occur among joggers, basketball players, tennis players, and any other sports enthusiasts who do a lot of running and jumping. These injuries occur when an ugly landing causes the foot to roll outward or inward, damaging the muscles and connective tissues of the ankle.
"If the body is unbalanced, this sort of injury is more likely to occur on the weaker side," says Dr. Kozma. Poor arch support in the feet can contribute to tarsal tunnel syndrome or plantar fasciitis. Knee pain can be caused by problems in the feet, joint wear due to incorrect posture, or ligament damage. Dr. Kozma can relieve these conditions through chiropractic adjustment, physiotherapy and other supportive measures. "We urge athletes to try conservative healing measures before turning to surgery," says the Sarasota chiropractor.
In addition to sports injury treatment, Sarasota Chiropractic, Physical Therapy & Massage offers posture screenings and corrective chiropractic adjustment, chronic pain management, nutritional counseling and other services to Sarasota residents.