Many chiropractors specialize in sports-related injuries and provide personalized chiropractic care for athletes to get back in the game. As an athlete, you put your body through more than usual. Sports require running, jumping, tackling and athletes need every bit of strength that they can endure. That’s why, when injuries happen, many athletes turn to chiropractic care. Professional sports leagues, including Major League Baseball MLB and the National Football League NFL, have recognized chiropractic benefits for years. In fact, most professional teams employ their own official sports chiropractor.
A chiropractic has the tools and skills necessary to optimize the performance of an individual’s musculoskeletal system, as well as their nervous system. This specialized training allows chiropractors to provide therapies that are geared towards maintaining strength and rebounding after an injury. It’s also important to help athletes avoid injuries altogether, or if that’s not possible, to effectively manage the associated pain and healing.
7 Reasons Why Chiropractic Treatments Are Important for Athletes
1. Chiropractic treatment leads to improved range of motion.
Athletes put a lot of pressure on their bodies every time they train, and physically intense activities can create problems with spinal alignment and movement.
Because of this, an athlete can easily end up with stiffness and pain in their joints. Spinal alignment issues may cause their range of motion to be limited, thereby inhibiting their overall athletic performance. Receiving the appropriate chiropractic care can help undo the damage and prevent injuries before they occur, all while promoting movement that’s pain-free.
2. Receiving chiropractic treatment can reduce pain.
Active people, even the strongest athletes, can suffer from back pain, particularly in the lower back. A chiropractor knows exactly how to work with the spine to promote proper alignment and movement.
3. Less prescription drugs are needed for athletes who receive chiropractic treatment.
While aches can be, and often are, treated with pain medications, cortisone shots, and other drugs that provide short-term relief, chiropractic care gives athletes a drug-free alternative that can reduce, or even eliminate, their pain. This also means that athletes won’t be subjected to the side effects or dependencies that commonly arise from the use of prescription medication.
4. Chiropractic treatment provides a non-invasive treatment option.
Chiropractic care is non-invasive, and it can provide relief from injuries throughout the body, not just neck and back injuries. It may even serve as a viable alternative to invasive procedures such as surgeries that would keep athletes sidelined during a long recovery period.
5. Chiropractic treatments can decrease recovery time.
Normal wear and tear usually occurs often to a healthy athlete’s body. A baseball pitcher uses a repetitive throwing motion, a volleyball player jumps, repeatedly blocking and hitting and a football player takes multiple body blows during a single game. At some point during a season, usually multiple times, an athlete experiences muscle fatigue and soreness. After a practice or a game, a chiropractic physician may utilize soft tissue techniques such as massage to make the tissue more moveable and relaxed, decrease lactic acid, and improve blood flow. An adjustment may be provided to improve joint mobility. Recommendations for rehydrating properly and dietary adjustments to assist with athletic recovery may also be discussed.
6. Chiropractic treatments can assist in injury repair.
Once an injury occurs, the athlete wants to return to their sport as quickly as possible. Adjusting joint segments that are no longer moving can enhance mechanical motion. Soft tissue techniques will improve muscle tone and blood flow to injured areas as well as decrease adhesions or buildup around injured areas. In addition, taping can provide support and certain taping techniques can assist in blood flow to the injured area.
7. Chiropractic treatments can lead to optimal wellness.
Taking care of an athlete’s body should not begin the first day of practice or after the first tournament of the season. Athletes should focus on body awareness, health, and optimal function all year. A chiropractic physician can assist an athlete in proper diet and nutrition, sleep guidelines, and proper training strategies that should be utilized as a life-long habit. Proper spinal and extremity alignment through adjustments, body mechanic evaluation, and gait analysis can assist with muscular patterns and development that are essential in a developing youth athlete. By continually keeping an athlete’s body in his or her healthiest form, will allow one to train more efficiently and effectively year-round.
Curious about Chiropractic Care?
Ultimately, if you’re an athlete who wants to maintain your physical strength and range of motion, or if you want to recover from an injury without the use of prescription drugs and invasive treatments, you may want to consider seeing a chiropractic doctor on a regular basis. You may be surprised by how much better you feel and how much your performance improves when your body is in alignment and pain-free!