In 2016, there were 349,050 soft tissue injuries in the workplace, most of them involving the back. 

Soft tissue injuries can occur just about anywhere, suddenly or over time. Everyone is susceptible to a soft tissue injury whether at work or at play. 

It’s important to stay informed and prepared about the nature and treatment of soft tissue injuries. Keep reading for more information about soft tissue injuries and how a chiropractor can speed up your healing.

What is a Soft Tissue Injury?

A soft tissue injury is the result of trauma to your muscles, tendons, or ligaments. They differ from fractures, which are injured of hard tissue (bone) and injuries to internal organs (brain, stomach, heart, intestines).

Soft tissue injuries can occur as a result of acute trauma and the external force applied to the body or overuse resulting from physical activity in sports or work settings. Injuries resulting from acute trauma come on suddenly while overuse injuries develop overtime essentially from repetitive trauma. 

Types of Soft Tissue Injuries

There are several types of soft tissue injuries. The type of injury that occurs will depend on the nature of the trauma to the body and whether it was acute or repetitive. 

Contusions – Contusions do not have open wounds and instead cause blood to become trapped within the tissue. These are essentially bruises. The trapped blood causes swelling and can cause pressure on other blood vessels, reducing blood flow to surrounding tissues.

Sprains – These are a type of acute injury caused by leverage being applied to the tissue rather than a sudden blow. It is still considered trauma, despite being different than lacerations and contusions.

Strains – Strains are the fourth common soft tissue injury and the one most commonly curring as a result of overuse. The onset of the injury is gradual rather than resulting from a single acute trauma. The tissue and muscles become stressed beyond their limit and function at limited capacity until healed.

How Can a Chiropractor Help?

Chiropractors use their expertise to create customized healing plans for each patient. A chiropractor can help you perform exercises that relax stressed muscles and improve joint mobility. These exercises will also work to relieve pain and increase flexibility, balance, and strength.

Chiropractors are experts in joint mobility and have expertise that other providers lack. They are trained to spot spinal misalignment and help improve the mobility of your joints.

When you sustain a soft tissue injury your range of motion is limited. Chiropractors will work with you to increase that range of motion to make sure the tissues heal correctly. Maintaining an impaired range of motion will interfere with the healing process. Soft tissue injuries continue to heal after inflammation and pain are reduced. A chiropractor will make sure the injury is fully healed before any activity is restarted to avoid further injury. 

Contact A Chiropractor Today

If you are suffering from a soft tissue injury you should contact a chiropractor today. The sooner you seek chiropractic care for your soft tissue injury, the sooner and better it will heal and the sooner you will be back to normal activity.

Request an appointment with a Fort Wayne chiropractor today for a consultation.