Chiropractic Care for the Active Individual
Why do you work out? Is it to lose weight? Gain strength? For your overall health and wellness? Whatever our reason for working out, we all struggle with consistency. What are the biggest obstacles to consistency? For some it’s creating that habit to get to the gym, for others it is finding an enjoyable form of exercise, but for most athletes it’s injuries that prevent them from continuing. Injuries are something almost every athlete will deal with at one point or another, and will go to great lengths to prevent. That’s why so many of us employ trainers and coaches to ensure the activities we are doing are performed correctly, to achieve the results we are aiming for, and prevent us from injuring ourselves.
Why Athletes Utilize Chiropractic Care
Athletes have always looked for a way to keep their bodies in excellent condition, reach their goals and excel above the rest of the field. Athletes have been utilizing conservative health care for years, but it has only recently become known by the general population via the media. Why do high level athletes choose to harness the benefits of chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, taping, and cupping? They use these treatments because they are drug-free ways to help their performance and treat injuries, along with preventing future injuries. “I would estimate that in excess of 90% of all world-class athletes use chiropractic care to prevent injuries and to increase their performance potential.”(1) – Sean Atkins, PhD Exercise Physiologist
How Can a Chiropractor Help?
Two of the fundamental issues that chiropractors look to assess when dealing with an athlete are alignment and motion. A good way to compare skeletal alignment is to the alignment of a car. When you have the alignment of your vehicle checked, the mechanic is making sure that all four wheels are pointed in same direction, without small degrees of difference. Those small degrees of misalignment, over the course of hundreds of miles, will cause your tires to wear at uneven rates. The same can happen for an athlete. Small misalignments in an athlete’s body, over time, can result in changes to joint motion, muscle imbalances and an increased likelihood for injury. These types of injuries are called repetitive use injuries. For example: that nagging pain in the front of your shoulder every time you do an overhead activity, or the lower back pain you feel post work out. Repetitive injuries are a common cause of pain for athletes. If you perform an activity over and over again, especially with improper technique, you can cause micro-injuries to muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. These micro-injuries leave an athlete with an increased risk of further injury and decreased ability to perform to their maximal potential.
How can a chiropractor help with treating these types of injuries and preventing them? The first step is a physical examination and functional screen to determine what tissues are at risk or are functioning sub-optimally. Following the examination, a treatment plan based on your needs will be created. Chiropractic treatments can vary depending on each patient’s specific needs but they typically involve manipulation of joints to improve range of motion. Other treatments that may be included are soft tissue manipulation, taping, laser or ultrasound therapies, and rehabilitation exercises.
Active individuals who are getting regular treatments may notice an increased range of motion (2), improved performance (3), and a decrease of injuries which allows for continued consistency in training and competition. Some of the world’s most elite athletes utilize chiropractic care to help recover from, and prevent injuries, aches and pains inherent with an active lifestyle. Everyone can benefit from a strong dose of athletic activity and chiropractic care can be a key element to keeping you moving and as healthy as you can be. So we ask you, why put off feeling better?
Athletes That Use Chiropractic Care
“I’ve been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing.”
– Tiger Woods
“I’ve been seeing a chiropractor and he’s really been helping me out a lot. Chiropractic’s been a big part of my game. Chiropractic care works for me. I only wish I had tried chiropractic a few years ago when I first started having back pain and maybe the surgery would have never happened.”
– Joe Montana
“Bodybuilders and fitness people have been using chiropractic very extensively in order to stay healthy and fit. I found it was better to go to a chiropractor before you get injured. We are a perfect team – the world of fitness and the world of chiropractors.”
– Arnold Schwarzenegger
”As long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I’m one step ahead of the game.”
– Tom Brady, New England Patriots
References
Wassung, K. The Winning Edge: Athletic Performance & Chiropractic.
Sandell J., Palmgren P., Björndahl L., Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. Effect of chiropractic treatment on hip extension ability and running velocity among young male running athletes, June 2008; 7(2): 39–47
Hedlund S., Nilsson H., Lenz M., Sundberg T., Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Effect of Chiropractic Manipulation on Vertical Jump Height in Young Female Athletes with Talocrural Joint Dysfunction: A Single-Blind Randomized Clinical Pilot Trial. February 2014; 37(2): 116–123
Contact Dr. Danielle or Dr. Phil today for a consultation!
2705 E Burnside St #213 Portland, OR 97214
Phone: (503)234-4288 Fax: (503)234-8613 Email: Laurelhurst Chiropractic
