Chiropractic Care for Athletes

Athletes can benefit from chiropractic care.

In the chiropractic care field, sports chiropractic is a relatively new branch.

As more and more patients turn to chiropractic treatment, it’s becoming more mainstream. Many chiropractors start to specialize in various healing methods – sports chiropractic care is one of them. This subspecialty of chiropractic healthcare for athletes and active individuals is an excellent resource.

Whether you need healthcare advice on performance functions or care for any sports-related physical injuries, an athlete will find that sports chiropractic care can keep their body and health in peak condition.

The Roots of Chiropractic Care

Modern chiropractic saw its early genesis in the late 1800s. Daniel David Palmer, a self-taught teacher, and healer performed the first manual manipulation on one of his patients.

Palmer was quite knowledgeable in human anatomy. One of his interests is learning about how the spine contributes to the function of the body’s systems and the body as a whole.

Palmer has since been hailed as the Father of Chiropractic in the United States.

Nowadays, chiropractic treatment has become an integral component of the healthcare system in the United States. In fact, it has grown to become the most prominent alternative medicine method in the country.

Its core practice is to correct any spinal abnormality issues. It utilizes specialized manual therapy. The primary focus is spinal manipulation. It’s a drug-free and non-invasive healthcare approach addressing issues of the musculoskeletal system.

As with any other innovation, chiropractic rise has attracted strife and was seen with a level of skepticism. Despite the factionalisms, chiropractic care professionals have preserved a unified system.

Chiropractors maintained their commitment to provide clinical care.

Sports Chiropractic 101

As mentioned above, chiropractic care specializes in fixing issues with the musculoskeletal system. Active individuals and athletes, in particular, can greatly benefit from this healthcare approach.

Athletes, no matter what type of sports they participate in, can benefit from working with chiropractors before, during, and after their sporting events.

Chiropractic care can provide benefits to athletes.

In fact, many professional sports teams employ a chiropractor’s services to work with them as their dedicated sports chiropractor.

Professional sports leagues such as the National Football League and Major League Baseball have already been working utilizing chiropractic care for many years.

Outside the US, many sports teams from different parts of the world have also utilized chiropractors’ services for their athletes. At the 2016 Olympic Games, chiropractors were available to treat athletes.

Many have come to them for issues with the lower back, and other extremities. There was an improvement seen in increasing the athletes’ strength, improving their flexibility, and ultimately helping them perform at their highest level.

Optimizing the Athlete’s Sports Performance

A chiropractor focusing on sports-related injuries has the tools and expertise needed to enhance the musculoskeletal and nervous systems of a patient. This specialization allows the chiropractors to provide the necessary therapies to their athlete patients.

Their expertise in sports chiropractic treatment allows the chiropractors to create a care and treatment plan to maintain and improve an individual’s strength, rebound after a sports-related injury, or avoid the injuries altogether, and promote overall healing.

Is Chiropractic Care Good for Athletes?

The short answer is yes. With well-designed chiropractic care and treatment plan and proper implementation, athletes can achieve the following:

  • Amplifies the individual’s range of motion
  • Minimizes recovery time from sports-related injuries
  • Eliminates pain without relying on medication
  • Provides a healthcare approach with non-invasive treatment options

Chiropractors are adept at leading their patients towards better health. This goal is achieved through regular exercises and stretches.

Chiropractic Care and Sports-Related Injuries

Many chiropractic professionals focus their treatment approach on sports-related injuries. They provide the same chiropractic treatment to help athletes and other active individuals to perform at their peak.

Athletes are prone to injuries.

As well know, athletes put their bodies through more physical pain and exertion than other individuals.

Also, participating in sports is an integral part of leading a healthy and active lifestyle.

Since sports require strenuous activities such as jumping, running, tackling, etc., it’s unavoidable to experience injuries at one point or another. Whether it’s tripping, falling, or moving incorrectly, sports injuries are quite common.

Therefore, athletes and active individuals need a treatment option that can help alleviate their pain.

With that said, athletes and other active individuals shouldn’t let the risk of injuries deter them from their busy lifestyle. When the inevitable sports-injury happens, many athletes depend on their chiropractors for treatment.

Prescription medications can dull reaction times. They also pose the risk of addiction. On the other hand, invasive surgeries may significantly impact the athlete’s professional life.

An experienced sports chiropractor can relieve pain and treat injuries without using medication or surgery. This option allows athletes to heal quicker and reach their peak condition.

Here are some sports-related injuries that can benefit from chiropractic care.

Strains

This is the most common among all sports-related damages and injuries. When we play a sports or do some exercises, we use several groups of tendons and muscles.

Chiropractors can help treat muscle strains.

Thus, these active and moving parts of the body are more susceptible to moving and stretching in ways that they normally do not.

The most effective way to prevent strains from happening is to stretch and warm-up before putting your body under physical and strenuous activities.

Sprains

Ligaments are prone to sprains. They are the tissues that connect every bone in our body. When we turn the wrong way, we can either tear or pull our ligaments.

The most common type of sprains among athletes are ankle sprains. Knee sprains, elbow sprains, and wrist sprains are also quite prevalent.

This type of sports injury can get extremely painful. Some sprains are quick to heal, and others take longer. In some severe cases, immobilization is strongly recommended to prevent further damage to the ligaments.

One of the things you can do to avoid sprains is proper warmups and pre-workout stretches. On top of that, you need to follow appropriate physical techniques and setups specific to the sports you are playing.

Sprains, no matter where it is in the body – often render the ligament weak. It also leaves the part of the body to future sprains. Therefore, if you’ve ever sprained an ankle, wrist, knee, or any other part of your body, you can turn to chiropractic care.

A chiropractic approach can ensure that you prevent future sprains from happening. It would also be ideal to ask your doctor for a brace. The brace will support the affected part of your body while playing.

Fractures

Contact and impact sports such as football, boxing, and rugby, can often cause bone fractures. These fractures specifically affect the legs, arms, and feet.

Bone fractures are common in athletes.

Fractures are painful. They can also take several weeks or months to heal completely.

During the recovery period, it’s not recommended to move. In some cases, surgery is needed to correct the injury.

While chiropractic care is not the primary treatment to correct fractures, it’s an effective healthcare approach to treat subluxations linked to fractures.

You can also reduce the risk of fractures by practicing good technique before, during, and after playing. This practice strengthens your bones and makes them less vulnerable to fractures.