Tim Hortons’ Roar of the Rings! Curling Injuries? Try Chiropractic Treatment

This week, Winnipeg's MTS Centre is host to Tim Hortons’ Roar of the Rings, a week-long curling championship which serves as the trials for Canada’s Olympic curling team. This year, the country's top 16 teams (8 men’s and 8 women’s) will compete for the highly coveted position. Whether you're an avid curler, or an avid curling fan - or both- this is a very exciting event.

Enthusiastic and devoted stone throwers everywhere know that curling is one of the safest sports there is, despite it being quite strenuous. The overall reported serious injury rate is only 3.5%. That being said, the strain that comes from a round of curling can be seriously tough to deal with, be it a friendly pick-up match or a competitive contest.

The most common curling injuries are musculoskeletal in nature and most often affect the shoulders, knees and back. These injuries are normally the result of movement involving stress on your joints. This stress is really not surprising when you think about the fact that the stones are made of pure granite and can weigh up to 20kg!

Tips to avoid curling injuries:

-        Stretching. This can't be stressed enough. Heading out onto the rink thinking that the sport isn't difficult and, therefore, stretching isn’t really necessary will cost you in the end!

-        Learn the proper technique. First-time curlers: this is for you! Watching Scotty’s Tournament of Hearts each year doesn't mean you know what you're doing. Make sure you get some guidance or head out with someone who can give you some specific points to help you form and refine your own stance and procedure.

-        Wear the right equipment. Jeans may be stylish but they don’t belong on the rink. Wear comfortable clothing, something with give. And don't forget gloves!

And what if you’ve already hit the rink and didn’t realize how hard curling can be on your body? There's no need to suffer through pain if you're dealing with a curling injury. Try chiropractic treatment to get your body straightened out! A chiropractor can help adjust and manipulate misaligned joints that are contributing to pain and bring you relief.

For more information about avoiding curling injuries or to find out about how chiropractic care can help you heal, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine at 1 (416) 800-0800 or visit us online at www.aesm.ca.