Chiropractic care is increasingly becoming involved in sports performance. Athletes often experience a number of strain and overuse injuries that require treatment. In addition, chiropractic care offers non-invasive, drug-free techniques that allow athletes to resume play quickly after injuries, as well as stabilizing measures to enhance performance.
A growing number of athletes are discovering the benefits of chiropractic care, not only to treat injuries that occur as a result of their practice regimes and play, but also to improve their physical function and performance. Chiropractic care can help to reduce recovery time from injuries and improve alignment of the body for better flexibility and endurance. Chiropractors can also offer important nutritional, exercise and ergonomic advice to reduce the risk of re-injury.
Why Do Athletes Go to Chiropractors?
Enhance Stability & Reflexes
The human body was designed to provide coordinated movement that originates in the proper function of the spine. Chiropractic care seeks to maximize this fundamental aspect of mobility, enhancing both stability and reflexive actions.
Loosen Up Tight Muscles and Joints
Chiropractors use a number of techniques to reduce painful inflammation in muscles, helping to reduce tightness and improve their strength to support joints.
Build Power and Endurance in Muscles
Chiropractors use specialized techniques and instruments that break down scar tissue to improve muscle performance and endurance.
Quicken Physical Response Times
One of the effects of chiropractic treatment is to enhance the function of the body’s nervous system, which aids in improved muscle response.
Protect Against Athletic Injury
The focus of chiropractic care is in promoting proper alignment of the spine and related structures. Proper alignment of the body can help provide effective movement, better balance, improved coordination and greater energy. These benefits can help to reduce the risk of injury during rigorous workouts and in actual play.
Accelerate Healing After Athletic Injury
Chiropractic care uses “hands on” techniques that improve blood flow and the circulation of natural healing chemicals that the body produces. It can help to reduce downtime for healing and recovery of soft tissues.
Manage Pain Without Medications
Spinal adjustments help to realign the body, to reduce pressure on nerves that leads to pain. Chiropractors also use massage, ultrasound, laser and other techniques that improve painful symptoms.
Heightened Capabilities
Better spinal alignment allows athletes to move their bodies more efficiently, with greater confidence and less worry about injury.
Prevents Harm from Sports
Chiropractic treatment realigns the spine for better natural movement, which can help to reduce the risk for injury during play.
Superior Visuomotor Coordination
Chiropractic alignment provides better movement, so athletes can rely on their reflexes more confidently.
Faster Recovery Time From Head Trauma
Chiropractic care can also help athletes recover from head traumas more quickly, because it focuses on the alignment of the entire spine. Headaches and neck pain are reduced, and chiropractic improves blood flow to injured areas for faster healing. Inflammation is reduced, and nerve function improves.
Types of Chiropractic Techniques Used on Athletes
Instrument-Assisted Manipulation
Chiropractors use a variety of specialized instruments, along with their hands, that provide additional mobility for tissues and to facilitate healing processes in the body.
Drop-Table Techniques
A drop table is a specially designed piece of equipment that chiropractors use to make spinal adjustments. The table can make precise movements to enhance the force the chiropractor applies for proper alignment.
Manual Joint Stretching
In manual joint stretching, the chiropractor uses his or her hands to stretch out and decompress the joints to help reduce pain and improve flexibility.
Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger point therapy focuses on sensitive areas of the muscles that cause pain. These knots or “trigger points” develop as a result of repetitive contractions of muscles and can often contribute to ongoing pain. Chiropractors use deep massage techniques to break up these knots, so muscles can function normally and without pain.
Graston Technique
Graston technique uses a blade-like device to scrape the skin and underlying tissues to break up scar tissue, relieve discomfort and improve mobility.
Muscle Energy Techniques
Muscle energy technique has the individual contract their muscles in a specified direction while the chiropractor uses counterforce resistance. This action helps to stretch muscles and relax them, to provide pain relief reduced tension.
Taping/Bracing
Taping or bracing can provide additional support for areas of the body that are recovering from an injury or to offer additional strength for specific actions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can chiropractic help with sports
Chiropractic provides improved alignment of the body, helping to reduce the risk of injury and improving coordination. It also helps athletes recover from injuries faster.
Can you play sports after chiropractic adjustment
Chiropractors recommend a period of rest after chiropractic adjustment and other techniques to allow toxins to dissipate and to allow the body to adjust to better structural function.
Is chiropractic good for bodybuilding
Chiropractic treatment can be helpful for bodybuilders, because it keeps the body in good spinal alignment for efficient movement. In addition, chiropractic care can help to treat muscle pain that may result from workouts, without the need for strong pain relievers or for long recovery periods.
Does chiropractic increase energy
Chiropractic care focuses on the whole body, which can have a beneficial on muscle tension and sleep, to improve your energy levels. Treatment is designed to make movement more efficient, which can improve your energy during workouts.
Why chiropractic is better than physiotherapy
Chiropractic care offers therapeutic treatment that looks at the overall function of the body and its movement in relationship to the spine. Physiotherapy generally only focuses on specific areas of the body that need conditioning.
How can chiropractic help runners
Chiropractic treatment can provide better alignment of the spine, hips and knees, to improve painful symptoms from overuse and to prevent re-injury to the joints. It can also be useful in treating muscle soreness and nerve compression that can lead to pain and poor performance.
Is it better to go to chiropractor before or after gym
It’s advisable to have chiropractic treatment after your gym workout rather than before. A day or two of rest allows the body to take full advantage of the improved spinal alignment and healing of soft tissues.
What should I avoid after chiropractic
Generally, you should avoid highly strenuous activities, such as those that require explosive movements or intense muscle strain. Avoid sitting for long periods of time. Limit your use of alcohol. Drink plenty of fluids to flush toxins from the body. Avoid restrictive clothing. Your chiropractor can give you the best advice for activities you should avoid after treatment, based on your health condition.
When should I stop chiropractic treatment
Your body will tell you when your chiropractic treatment has successfully accomplished its goals. You will enjoy greater physical comfort even after vigorous workouts, and you will notice better performance because your body is in better natural alignment. You may decide to continue your chiropractic care to keep your spine in proper alignment and to optimize your nervous system function.
Do chiropractic adjustments help muscles?
The proper alignment of the spine facilitates normal movement, so strain on muscles trying to compensate for poor structural alignment of the spine is reduced. Specialized techniques also help to relieve pain and reduce scar tissue in muscles so movement is improved. Increased blood flow to muscles also aids healing of the tiny tears that often occur during athletic activity.
Do chiropractors give exercises?
Chiropractors often provide corrective exercises to strengthen muscles that support the joints to provide better function and improved mobility.
: What do chiropractors do to muscles?
A chiropractor may use a number of different techniques to loosen tightness, reduce scar tissue and improve strength in muscles. Chiropractic treatment utilizes a number of small instruments to work muscle tissue and improve muscle function.
Do chiropractors recommend exercises?
Yes, exercise is often a part of chiropractic treatment. A chiropractor may focus on working specific muscles groups to provide greater support for the joints and spine, to improve mobility.
Can chiropractor fix tight muscles?
Yes, the techniques chiropractors use can help to relieve muscle tightness from overuse, tension and other factors. Manual adjustment, massage, corrective exercise, heat and cold therapy and other techniques can relieve muscle tightness in athletes.
Can I lift weights after chiropractic adjustment?
You should avoid vigorous activity after your chiropractic treatment. It takes some time for the body to adjust to the physical changes after a treatment. A day or two should be sufficient time to wait before lifting heavy weights. However, your chiropractor may recommend waiting a longer time, based on your individual health needs.
Why do I feel high after chiropractor?
Elevated mood occurs when the manipulation of the body stimulates the production of feel-good biochemicals. In addition, the increased blood flow helps to nourish the nervous system, which causes improved mood.
How healthy is chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is a recognized and respected alternative health practice that many traditional physicians recommend to their patients for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions.
Benefits of chiropractic care for athletes
Chiropractic care offer improved joint mobility, greater flexibility, increased circulation, reduced discomfort and better coordination. The specialized techniques can help to reduce recovery times and give athletes a greater sense of physical well being for play.
