NHL Season is Here – Are You Avoiding Hockey Injuries?

The NHL season has started and players all across North America are gearing up for the fight for the ever-elusive Stanley Cup. The ice is being readied for games across both nations and team therapists are readying team members for the added strains of season play. These doctors are working to help the pros avoid hockey injuries to keep them on the ice – but what are you doing to avoid them?

Just because you don’t play professional hockey doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take those injuries, and their avoidance, seriously.  What kinds of injuries are we talking about? Here are some of the most common hockey injuries sustained during regular (or occasional) play.

Thanks mainly to the forward posture of skating and the frequent hyperextension stress, lower back pain or pulled muscles in the back are some of the most common hockey injuries that affect the back. These can often be avoided with proper stretching of the hip, as well as training, to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. However, if you have already damaged these muscles and are suffering from an injury that keeps you off of the ice, a chiropractor may be your key to relief. Chiropractic care to treat hockey injuries is a smart way to both address the initial cause of the pain and to treat it effectively.

Knee injuries, including torn ACLs, are also common hockey injuries. This is because of the leg position (pushing off the inside of the blade). Strengthening exercises can help lessen the risk, as can the right equipment. However, if you have already suffered an injury you might want to think about a custom knee brace or viscosupplementation.

A lot of people don’t realize that a hard hit to the head, even while wearing a helmet, can jar the brain inside the skull leading to a concussion. Concussions can be hard to avoid, aside from wearing proper protective headgear, largely due to the fact that they occur as a result of a sudden traumatic jolt, such as those sustained from a hit. Concussions become even more troublesome due to the difficulty in diagnosis (most people assume being knocked unconscious is a pretty safe bet, but not everyone passes out when they are concussed), and thus should be treated seriously no matter the severity. Concussion management is a smart way to both diagnose a concussion as well as to develop a plan for recovery and returning to the rink.

Ready your body like an NHL pro by avoiding hockey injuries properly. Similarly, if you have already suffered an injury, treat it like the pros with the help of a trained and experienced sports medicine professional.

Get back on the ice after hockey injuries at Athletic Edge Sports Medicine. Call today at 416-800-0800.