Sports and Chiropractic
Chiropractic Care Gives Athletes and Edge
Why do professional athletes in almost every
sport rely on regular chiropractic care? The simplest answer
is, because it works. In fact, the role of chiropractic in
sports is three-fold: it speeds recovery from injury, it enhances
performance, and it helps prevent future problems. Common
sense tells us that what can help the professional athlete
can also help the rest of us.
Although it’s true that injuries are
possible in any sport, the increased fitness and fun of athletic
participation make it not only satisfying but worthwhile.
Sports chiropractic is a specialty area that helps athletes
return to peak performance by applying chiropractic principles
to restoring biomechanical and muscular function. Not only
do athletes in “high impact” contact sports such
as football, hockey, basketball and soccer benefit from care,
but golfers, bowlers, joggers, tennis players, skiers and
many others also have fond that chiropractic care gives them
a decided “competitive edge”.
Sports Injuries
The injuries received in a contact sport such
as football or hockey are often the same type you might suffer
in an auto accident. The body is subjected to a forceful impact.
When an arm or leg is fractured, the bone is set and in time
heals. When a vertebra is damaged or displaced in the neck
or back, it may not be detected until much later. When this
creates pressure on adjacent nerves, other health problems
are sure to follow.
Contact sports are not the only ones to produce
injuries. Disc and soft tissue involvement is common in sports
such as golf and tennis which require a twisting motion. Runners
subject their joints to punishing wear and tear with constant
jarring.
When spinal bones lose their normal position
and motion, this can exert pressure on adjacent nerves, impair
neural function and affect the function of virtually every
other tissue, organ and system in the body. Doctors call this
a vertebral subluxation. These spinal injuries limit motion,
strength, endurance and speed. Until the joint is restored
to normal motion and position, complete recovery from an injury
is not possible and athletic performance is also limited.
The chiropractic doctor restores spinal function wish a series
of manipulation that gradually realign the spinal bones.
A Warning to “Recreational Athletes”
While trained athletes often suffer muscle
and joint injuries, the dangers to the “recreational
athlete” are perhaps even grater. Because their muscles
and joints may lack the flexibility and conditioning of the
trained athlete, strains, tears and inflammation often occur
and can heal more slowly.
Doctors in sports chiropractic have special
training in reducing inflammation and increasing joint function.
Only they are qualified to fully evaluate and treat joint
dysfunction.
Improving Athletic Performance
For many of us, even before we are “sidelined”
by a sports injury, we may not be functioning to our fullest
potential. Any malfunction in the neuromusculoskeletal system
causes your body to “compensate” by changing or
adapting the way other parts function with it. This “compensation”
causes your body to expend more energy to achieve the same
result it did before the malfunction. Even when other symptoms
are not evident, proper function may be lacking. With correction,
the athlete could experience improvements in range of motion,
muscle function, coordination, balance, and as a result, overall
performance.
Prevent Further Problems
Many potential problems could be avoided or
eliminated with early detection and correction of joint dysfunction.
Your doctor of Chiropractic can provide you with guidance
in conditioning and flexibility exercises, and give you a
clearer understanding of your musculoskeletal structure. With
proper diagnosis, care and preparation, athletes can prevent
many of the sprains, strains, and pains that can take the
fun out of athletic participation.
Your doctor may also suggest related therapies
including hot or cold compress to reduce inflammation, massage
to speed soft tissue healing, and exercises to increase muscle
conditioning and joint flexibility.
What You Can Do
Before you begin serious conditioning for a
new sport, or after you suffer a sports-related injury, seek
a full evaluation by a Doctor of Chiropractic.
Whether it is some previously undetected joint
or spinal problem, or years of poor posture, a chiropractic
checkup will discover any problems that could limit your athletic
performance. Regardless of your age, conditioning, or health,
chiropractic care can improve your athletic potential.
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