January 2018 www.womanthismonth.com LIFESTYLE | wellbeing 50 While it is in the best interests of our overall health and recreation that we engage in exercise and sports — whether it be running marathons, rough-housing at rugby, showing off brawn at weightlifting or simply hitting the gym regularly — it is imperative that we pay attention to the signs of the body’s wear and tear caused by physical activities. Injuries sustained while playing sports or working out can be painful and, sometimes, life-altering. Effective and timely treatment can make the difference between bouncing back to fitness and enduring physical restrictions for years to come. A Crack in the Right Place - Chiropractic Chiropractic is a health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and their effects on the function of the nervous system and general health. It’s a noninvasive, drug-free treatment method used frequently to release tension in muscles and restore joint function and mobility. Dr Amy Bowzaylo, clinical director and CEO of InTouch Integrated Chiropractic Spine Centre, observes that more than 50 per cent of her clinic’s cases are sports injury related. In her long career, she has treated athletes competing on international platforms in rugby, triathlons, gymnastics, hockey and professional bull riding. She says: “Here in Bahrain, I have treated the national team’s footballers, fencing athletes, body builders, boxers and Olympic weightlifters, as well as those who play handball and cricket.” She believes that the main cause of injury (besides direct trauma) is increasing the intensity of training too fast. “People want to run faster, jump higher, tackle harder, lift heavier — all too fast. Performance improvements are a result of forced adaptation. In other words, your muscles will only adapt if you force them to work through sufficient load — 60 to 70 per cent of sports injuries where running is a major component are due to inappropriate training load. It is important to remember that pain is a warning sign from the brain and to distinguish which characteristics of pain are OK to work through, and which ones must get assessed and treated accordingly,” she says. Given that Bahrain is a playground for a variety of sports, Behnaz Sanjana turns your attention to two unconventional methods of rehabilitation from fitness-related injuries. Bouncing Back
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