Are your kids back into the swing of things with Spring sports? Are you playing in your local softball league? If anyone in your family is playing sports, consider having them see a chiropractor regularly. Before we get into why, let me share a few interesting facts about professional athletes and chiropractic that may surprise you.
- All NFL teams have a full-time chiropractor on staff.
- According to the Professional Football Chiropractic Association, professional football team chiropractors perform over 2,700 adjustments in just what used to be the 16-week season. That number has increased with a 17+ week season and is even more when preseason and the playoffs are considered.
- All NBA teams have a full-time chiropractor on staff.
- Most MLB teams have a full-time chiropractor on staff.
- Over 75% of PGA golfers use a chiropractor regularly and many of them have one that travels with them.
If professional athletes and team owners make it a point to make chiropractic part of routine care, there must be a good reason. Here are just a few:
Preventing Athlete Injuries with Chiropractic Care
Having a full range of motion is critical for athletic performance. Mobility and flexibility are essential for improving performance, as well as reducing injuries from strains and sprains.
Adjustments help improve joint mobility, range of motion, and flexibility. Chiropractors often use soft tissue work to further help reduce tension, spasms, and cramping. Better muscle flexibility and joint mobility also allow you to improve strength and stability through different ranges of motion and activities. Improving mobility and strength not only reduces pain but it will help improve an athlete’s form and enhance their overall performance.
Chiropractors can also educate you about strength and stretching to help improve flexibility, proper treatment for injuries, like whether to use heat or ice and nutrition to meet the body’s demands during the sports season. All of this works towards preventing injury.
When your body is injured, it has to work extra hard to repair any damaged areas. This can significantly affect energy and fatigue levels, which can lead to delayed healing or even additional injury. By improving strength and mobility, and learning how their body should move, athletes are less likely to experience this fatigue that can lead to additional injuries. Chiropractors often will discuss proper sleep and recovery techniques and tools to help reduce overuse and fatigue-related injuries.
Faster Recovery for Athletes with Chiropractic Care
When injuries do occur, they are often accompanied by symptoms like inflammation, swelling, and muscle spasms. It’s important to realize that these symptoms are a necessary part of the healing process, and overuse of usual medical treatments like pain medications and muscle relaxers can do more harm than good by slowing the healing process.
As a primary health care provider, chiropractors are able to screen for fractures and tears, and when these unfortunate injuries occur, will refer you to the appropriate professionals. An appropriate, thorough chiropractic evaluation can often save athletes unnecessary testing and medication use. A good chiropractor will help you manage injuries correctly to help you maintain as much activity as possible while you heal and rehabilitate.
Have you ever been told to just sit and do nothing while you heal? While rest is important, keeping yourself moving is equally important! More often than not, when someone has a muscle injury, they are scared to move the affected area at all because of the pain. Chiropractic adjustments help restore joint movement by preventing the shortening of muscles and ligaments that inevitably happens with immobility from an injury.
No matter what skill level an athlete is, chiropractic care is a safe, non-invasive, and effective way to play any sport optimally and to help prevent injuries of all kinds. Every athlete’s body works hard on and off the field so use chiropractic to help it heal and feel better! To schedule a consultation for the athlete in your family, visit our website.