What Is Sports Chiropractics and How Can It Help Me?
Sports Chiropractics is a branch of Chiropractics specializing in the care of athletes. Sports chiropractors specialize in the functional assessment and manual treatment of disorders and injuries to the musculoskeletal (muscles and joints) system. In a holistic approach, sports chiropractors work together with physical therapists, massage therapists, personal trainers, and acupuncturists because they all look at the whole person they treat.
Sports chiropractors are recognized as expert providers of spinal and peripheral joint manipulation. By ensuring proper mechanics of the spine and peripheral joints, a sports chiropractor can improve a number of body functions; from balancing and restoring normal muscle tone, to enhancing balance, as well as minimizing joint stress and disease. The sports chiropractor can enhance an athlete's recovery from injury, prevent future injury (such as overuse or over-training problems), and improve athletic performance.
The Special Needs of Athletes
You don't have to be an Olympian to be an athlete. Anyone who engages in sports is an athlete. Athletes put physical demands on their bodies by running, jumping, tackling and falling in both team and individual sports. These demands on athletes' bodies may present themselves as sprains, strains, and chronic injuries. An athlete engaging in sports with the proper body mechanics has the greatest ability to perform at his or her best.
Many world class and Olympic athletes, as well as professional or amateur players and teams, have retained sports chiropractors to provide care. In the competitive sports world, athletes realize that if spinal or extremity problems exist, their performance will be compromised. Regardless of your involvement in sports, the goal for each patient is to get him or her in peak performance to produce a winning result or avoid injury.
Why do Athletes Choose Sports Chiropractors?
Professional, amateur and weekend athletes seek out sports chiropractors for many reasons, including:
- Prevention of injury
- Quicker recovery after training or games
- Better balance
- Peak performance
Progressive coaches, athletes, and doctors are realizing that pain killing drugs are not always the answer. They merely cover up the symptoms, deceiving the athlete into actions which could make the injury more serious.
Most sports involve body contact, fast starts and stops, and positioning that places an unusual amount of strain on the back, the core muscles and structural system.
Sports chiropractors use what is called a sophisticated "kinetic chain approach" for evaluation and treatment. This approach takes into consideration the function of joints and soft tissues above and below the area that is causing symptoms and distress. Treatment plans can be tailored specifically to the individual needs of a patient, using effective manual procedures and stabilization exercises for balance. The goal is to restore optimal musculoskeletal function. It is also important for a sports chiropractor to educate patients about self-care and prevention of future injuries, much like a physical therapist does.
Probably more than any other health professional, a sports chiropractor's approach to health closely relates to the needs of the sports participant.
Do you suffer from a condition that has failed to respond to previous treatment? Do you continue to experience recurrences? If so, maybe it's time you tried sports chiropractic.
About the Author:
Stephen Kelly is a entrepreneur and freelance writer. Be sure to check out this Cambridge Physical Therapy website for more great articles like this one.
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