COMMON SPORTS INJURIES 

Dr. Thiry has been very active over the past 12 years treating athletes and sports injuries with sports chiropractic. Dr. Thiry has worked with most of the local professional sports teams as well as BSU tennis teams and hundreds of local runners, triathletes and cyclists. Being a runner and triathlete Dr. Thiry is able to combine his knowledge as a doctor and an athlete to provide the best care for the sports injuries he see’s.
 
The most common sports injuries include sciatica, tendonitis, and foot and ankle strains/sprains.
 
Sciatica is pain that runs down the back of the leg and usually does not extend below the knee. The two main causes of sciatica are:
 
1. Pinching of the nerves at the level of the spine which may be caused by a bulging disc,spinal stenosis, or degenerative disc disease. In most cases these problems that cause sciatica may be treated with the proper chiropractic and home treatment program.
 
2. The second and probably the most common cause of sciatica is a pressure on the sciatic nerve by a muscle that the sciatic nerve passes through as it travels to the back of the leg from the level of the spine. The most common area of pressure or impingement on the sciatic nerve is at the piriformis muscle located deep in the buttocks under the gluteal muscles. Many times pelvic rotation or imbalance will cause stress to the piriformis muscle causing it to spasm. As the muscle spasms it will put pressure on the sciatic nerve as it passes through, leading to pain, numbness, or weakness down the back of the leg called sciatica. The best treatment for this cause of sciatica is proper chiropractic care with a home stretching program.
 
Tendonitis is inflammation of the soft tissue (tendon) that attaches a muscle to a bone.The most common cause of tendonitis is overuse. Tendonitis may develop in someone starting a new activity or an increased intensity of an activity. In most cases tendonitis may be treated with heat, ice, gentle stretching and rest.
 
Ankle or Foot strains/sprains are also very common injuries in athletes. A sprain usually involves a ligament, which is the soft tissue which attaches a bone to a bone. Over stressing a ligament will lead to various degrees of tearing of the tissue causing pain, inflammation and abnormal range of motion. The degree or severity of the strain will determine the type of treatment needed. These treatments may vary from rest and ice, to chiropractic treatment, to surgery.
 
A foot or ankle strain involves muscles or tendons and usually the result of over stretching of the tissue. Over stretching of the tissue is usually the result of trauma, pushing a tight muscle to hard or even an altered gait. An altered gait may cause chronic stress to joints and soft tissue of the lower resulting in a sprain or strain of the soft tissue. Treatment may include rest, ice, heat, therapy modalities and chiropractic care.