How a Chiropractor in Burnaby Can Help Prevent Muscle Strains This Fall

Fall’s cooler temperatures, sunshine, and fresh air, make it favourable for outdoor exercise. However, “when muscle temperature drops below core body temperature (37°C)” it’s easier to sustain a muscle tear (Scott et al., 2016).

Cold weather can tighten muscles, reducing flexibility and elasticity. This can cause the muscle to overstretch during activity, leading to a strain. What’s more, cold temperatures can constrict blood vessels, reducing warmth, local circulation, and nutrient delivery. This can accelerate muscle fatigue, resulting in overload and ultimately a muscle strain.

Let’s examine how muscle strains affect daily activities, explore preventive measures, and identify how Strive Chiropractors in Burnaby can help!

How Muscle Strains Impact Your Routine

A muscle strain is often accompanied by acute pain, swelling, or even bruising. This injury can bring your training to a halt, interrupt your sports season, affect manual labour and general mobility. If not addressed, strains can linger and lead to compensations elsewhere in the body, affecting overall alignment and function. If not rehabilitated, a weakened muscle can lead to repetitive muscle strain. In this case, injury prevention is key!

Looking for a chiropractor in Burnaby? Learn more about chiropractic care!

Why Dynamic Warm-Ups Are a Must

A sport-specific dynamic warm-up is one of the most effective ways to prevent muscle strains! It increases circulation, warmth, makes nutrients readily available, and works through the required range of motion. Dynamic warm-ups involve contraction and lengthening phases, which help activate the muscle. By engaging in a warm-up that’s tailored to your chosen activity—whether that’s running, tennis, or yoga—you can improve performance!

A soccer player may place emphasis on lower body exercises such as leg swings, whereas a pitcher may focus on arm circles and torso twists. A comprehensive warm-up can be the deciding factor between a safe workout and a muscle strain!

Need a sport-specific warm-up? Book with a chiropractor in Burnaby!

How a Strive Chiropractor in Burnaby Can Help

Chiropractic care is an effective tool for preventing and/or treating muscle strains year-round. Your chiropractor in Burnaby will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to identify postural and muscular imbalances—a common precursor to muscle strains.

Strive Health and Performance Chiropractors use manual therapy, adjustments, custom exercises, and patient education to help you reach your fitness goals.

These modalities can help:

  • Optimize alignment
  • Improve local circulation
  • Strengthen weak muscles
  • Lengthen tight muscles
  • Promote recovery and tissue healing
  • Address inflammation or pain

Strive Chiropractors can also adjust your training regimen, and provide the correct modifications or progressions to prevent future strains.

Staying Active—Worry Free

Don’t let muscle strains interrupt your fall activities—enjoy the season’s crisp air with confidence! A sport-specific dynamic warm-up and regular chiropractic visits can help you stay active and pain-free!

To help prevent or treat an injury, book with a Strive Chiropractor in Burnaby!

References:

Scott, E. E. F., Hamilton, D. F., Wallace, R. J., Muir, A. Y., & Simpson, A. H. R. W. (2016). Increased risk of muscle tears below physiological temperature ranges. Bone & Joint Research, 5(2), 61–65. https://doi.org/10.1302/2046-3758.52.2000484