Sports and Chiropractic

Chiropractic and sports are tightly intertwined. Chiropractic treatments are immensely popular with professional athletes not only for problems but also to maintain the body in the best possible condition to compete. In football, the AC Milan Training Centre is run by a chiropractor and is held as the leader in performance and injury maintenance. Here is an article from the Daily Mail describing it.

Chiropractic care has the capacity to help an athletes body be in the best possible condition to perform. A research study conducted by Drs. Anthony Lauro and Brian Mouch, published in the journal of Chiropractic research and Clinical Investigation, 1991, indicated chiropractic care might improve athletic performance by as much as 16.7% over a two week period.

Manipulation is the primary treatment modality I use. By adjusting the bones of your body into the correct position and correcting misalignments your body is at the biomechanically most efficient and strongest state. When your body is in a stronger healthier state it is far less likely to get injured.

For some conditions in the clinic I use Kinesio tape. Its the flexible often brightly coloured tape you are seeing more and more being worn by athletes. I’ve included a photo of David Beckham and a photo of US President George Bush admiring the rib tape of a US volleyball player (at least that’s what I assume he’s admiring). The tape is supporting and uplifting but crucially for sportspeople its non-restrictive meaning there is not a detrimental impact on performance.

The involvement of Chiropractic in Sports and for athletes is growing. You can see the evidence with Chiropractors now provided for the competitors within the Olympic village. In 2011 over in the US, 77% of NFL trainers incorporate chiropractic care for the teams and players and 31% of NFL teams have a Chiropractor officially on staff.

I thought I ‘d finish with some famous sports-peoples quotes on Chiropractic.

Seven Time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has said that he could not have won without his chiropractor’s help.

Tiger Woods – top professional golfer
“Being a chiropractor patient has really helped me immensely.”

“…lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I’ve been going to Chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing.”

Decathlon Gold Medallist Dan O’Brien “If it were not for Chiropractic, I would not have won the gold medal.”

“You obviously can’t compete at your fullest if you’re not in alignment. And your body can’t heal if your back is not in alignment. It was the holistic idea that I liked about chiropractic and that is what track and field is about. Every track and field athlete that I have ever met has seen a chiropractor at one time or another. In track and field, it is absolutely essential. Chiropractic care is one of the things I think that no one has denied or refuted.”

“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.” Sean Atkings, Ph D Exercise Physiologist

en español El Deporte y la Quiropráctica