Tag Archives: athletes
5 Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Athletes
In 2019 alone, over one million injuries were caused by playing sports. Many of these injuries happened on the field, where over 800,000 injuries were caused by participating in sports. Bicycling had the highest casualty numbers (over 417,000 cyclists were injured while riding), with basketball (404,000 injuries) and football (292,000 injuries) following close behind. As athletes debate where and how to treat their injuries, many will inevitably turn to chiropractic care. Chiropractic care offers many benefits for aspiring and professional athletes, but there is an overwhelming amount of information on the internet. To help, here are five benefits that athletes can expect from chiropractors:
1. It can Treat (and Prevent) Injuries:
Experienced athletes know how common it is to injure themselves on the field. Therefore, a large part of an athlete’s healthcare program should include preventing, as well as treating, common injuries. Thankfully, a chiropractor can do both!
Athletes’ bodies undergo enormous amounts of stress daily. To combat this, chiropractors can perform spinal adjustments and massage therapy to treat injuries. Spinal adjustment reduces pain in the joints and muscles, which helps to prevent injuries, while massage therapy increases blow flow to the muscles to help them heal. Additionally, it also restores one’s range of motion.
2. It can Increase Performance
According to The Odyessy, athletes who make repeated visits to the chiropractor see increased performance while playing. In fact, several studies claim that athletes can see a 30% increase in performance after 12 weeks of care. This, according to The Odyessy, is a result of the increased range of motion people receive after repeated chiropractic care.
3. Improved Strength
The European Journal of Supplied Physiology published a study in 2018 claiming that regular chiropractic care can improve athlete’s strength. After separating a group of Taekwondo athletes into two groups – one which received chiropractic care and one that did not – they found that those who received care demonstrated increased muscle strength. The experiment was replicated with a group of U.S. military personal and found similar results.
4. It’s a Natural Treatment
Surgeries and medication are typically the last resort in a treatment plan. Many people, athletes included, turn to natural remedies before considering extreme measures. Chiropractic treatment is non-invasive and drug-free. As an added bonus, the lack of surgery means that, for most athletes, they can return to the field straight away.
5. It Reduces Stress
Massage therapy is incredibly relaxing! If you’re an athlete looking to relieve stress and anxiety before playing, try the Swedish massage, one of the most commonly used techniques in America. The Swedish massage promotes general health and wellbeing throughout the body and is reportedly very relaxing.
Dr. Michael Hartle and his team are experts in treating patients no matter their activity level. Book an appointment today! Dr. Hartle can usually see you the same day you book an appointment.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help You Enjoy the Winter
Chiropractic care is vital during the winter. As the days get colder and the nights get longer, people can and will experience a wide variety of cold-related symptoms. While adjusting the thermostat or burrowing under the blankets can relieve symptoms, it’s only temporary. Thankfully, chiropractors can relieve some of the most common ailments during winter.
Cold and Flu-Related Symptoms
Sometimes going to the pharmacy isn’t enough. For some flu and cold sufferers, joint or muscle pain can linger five to seven days after initial exposure. If you have aches and pains that won’t go away, consider adding a chiropractor to your treatment plan. Chiropractic adjustments, a series of painless movements that realign your spine, can alleviate lasting flu symptoms.
Additionally, regular visits to your chiropractor can bolster your immune system and prevent illness. Subluxations and misalignments along the spine can cause your immune system to malfunction – meaning you’re more vulnerable to seasonal maladies. Visiting your local chiropractor for periodic adjustments can protect you and your family from common illnesses throughout winter.
Joint Pain and Stiffness
As it turns out, there is a scientific reason why your joints act up before a storm: according to thejoint.com, as the temperature drops, barometric pressure causes the fluid between our joints to move less freely. As a result, when the temperature hits 30 or lower, our joints become stiff or even painful. This effect is more pronounced in the elderly population and those who suffer from chronic pain.
Thankfully, regular visits to the chiropractor can alleviate joint pain and stiffness. Through gentle movements and adjustments, chiropractors can help the fluid in your joints move freely. The expert team at Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic can help relieve your joint paint throughout the colder months.
Depression
Several studies have shown that chiropractic care can alleviate the symptoms of depression. While depression can affect everyone no matter the time of the year, a lack of sunlight may lead to SAD or seasonal affective disorder. Thankfully, increased blood flow and mobility improvement can help alleviate the symptoms of depression. Additionally, by performing a series of slow, gentle movements, chiropractors can relieve stress and, in turn, reduce anxiety and depression.
Weight Gain
The winter months are well-known for an abundance of food. But all those delicious holidays treats come with a price – weight gain. While you likely won’t experience drastic weight gain during the holidays (Americans put on 1-2 pounds over the holiday season), the added weight can cause unnecessary strain on your joints. In turn, this leads to unnecessary joint pain and more weight gain.
If you or a loved one have weight-related joint pain, book a chiropractic appointment today! Regular chiropractic appointments are an investment in yourself and your future. Traveling to and from appointments will keep you moving, while regular treatment will relieve joint pain and encourage movement.
Ready to book an appointment? Head over to the Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic’s page to schedule with us today! Dr. Hartle and his team can usually see patients the same day they call.
Should Children Visit a Chiropractor?
Childhood is marked by dramatic change. From infancy to adolescence, your children will experience behavioral changes, growth spurts, and more! Unfortunately, these changes may reveal underlying health problems or developmental delays. While you should always consult your child’s general practitioner (or GP) if they are experiencing pain or discomfort, chiropractors can provide a holistic, natural way to relieve your child’s pain.
Do Chiropractors Treat Children?
Yes, many chiropractors treat children. While 35 million adults visit the chiropractor’s office annually, over 11% of patients are under 18. If you’re looking for a chiropractor that treats children, look for practices with “family” in the name – Family Chiropractors treat all ages.
How Early Can a Child Visit a Chiropractor?
That depends on the parents! Typically, children can visit the chiropractor once they’re a few months old. Birth can be a traumatic event for both mother and child, which can result in damage to a newborn’s nervous system and spine. Chiropractic care can alleviate a newborn’s pain and strengthen their nervous system. If you’re nervous about letting a chiropractor see your child, be sure to schedule a consultation first!
What Does a Pediatric Chiropractic Appointment Look Like?
Treatment is always tailored to the patient’s unique needs. First, a chiropractor will schedule a consultation to determine your child’s individual needs. This includes obtaining a medical history from the child’s guardians or parents. Then, the chiropractor will schedule a physical examination to identify spinal issues and any other health problems.
It’s important to note that chiropractors will apply less pressure to younger patients. Many chiropractors will use fingertip pressure to gently correct spinal issues and bolster the nervous system. While adjusting spinal joints, you may hear some soft popping noises. This is normal and will not harm your child.
When Should a Child Visit a Chiropractor?
Generally, children should see a chiropractor if they suffer from debilitating or chronic pain. If your child’s primary doctor cannot alleviate their pain, a chiropractor may be a useful addition to their treatment schedule. If your child suffers from limited head/neck mobility, back pain, neck pain, hunched shoulders, or irregular sleep patterns, a visit to your local chiropractor may reduce their pain while improving their quality of life.
What Ailments Can a Pediatric Chiropractor Treat?
Chiropractors can treat a wide variety of ailments, no matter the patient’s age. However, children seeking chiropractic care will see improvements if they suffer from several chronic conditions. Chiropractors can alleviate infants’ breastfeeding problems, reflux, colic, and movement issues. Older patients often seek out chiropractic to help with headaches, scoliosis, spinal misalignment, asthma, growing pains, constipation, urinary incontinence, and other chronic issues.
Does Chiropractic Treatment Hurt?
No. Unless your practitioner is treating a severe injury, chiropractic treatment is painless. Any sensitivity your child experiences during treatment is short-lived and should fade shortly after the adjustment.
Fun for the Whole Family
The Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic is proud to serve clients of all ages! If you or your child needs chiropractic services, schedule an appointment with us today. Dr. Hartle and his team can usually see you the same day you call.
Why NFL Teams Use Sports Chiropractic Care
American football is one of the most dangerous contact sports to date. According to the Seton Medical Center, over 1.2 million young men are injured while playing football per year. The most common injuries players experience are concussions, overuse, and heat injuries. As players – especially the pros – are vulnerable to injuries, more and more coaches require their team to visit chiropractors. The NFL considers chiropractors essential to a team’s health and well-being, and all 32 teams have chiropractors on staff. As players consider longer careers and spend less time off the field, chiropractors have become a vital part of the NFL.
Proper Joint Function
Many athletes’ careers end prematurely due to improper joint function. Our joints are made of fibrous materials, with a piece of cartilage in the middle. Synovial fluid, a type of liquid found in our joints, ensures smooth and easy movement. Through a series of chiropractic adjustments, professionals help players prevent common joint injuries. These adjustments also have the added benefit of reducing pain and tension in muscles, which ensures that NFL players can run, jump, and tackle with ease.
To prevent injuries, many NFL players will see a chiropractor before or after a game. In fact, a chiropractor performs thirty to fifty adjustments in a regular season. Jerry Rice, a former wide receiver who spent twenty seasons in the NFL, had this to say about the importance of chiropractors: “I did a lot of things to stay in the game, but regular visits to my chiropractor made all the difference.”
Muscle and Joint Maintenance
Football is a brutal sport. From drills to practice to preseason games, players are putting constant stress on their bodies. This leads to wear and tear on the joints, muscles, and spine. Even if players aren’t injured, they may still feel pain and soreness all over their bodies. Through spinal alignment and manipulation, chiropractors reduce pressure on the body’s nervous system. This, in turn, relieves pain without the use of addictive medications. Continued work with a chiropractor helps players perform at their highest level.
As an added bonus, many players have reported increased strength and endurance on the field. The Excellence in Health Chiropractic & Rehab Clinic reports that chiropractic adjustments have been shown to increase endurance and stamina.
Sports Hernia Relief
Athletic pubalgia, also called “sports hernia,” is another common injury athletes suffer from. Sports hernias occur when tears or dilation occurs near the superficial ring of the inguinal canal. These injuries are incredibly painful and can prevent an athlete from participating in games and practice. Thankfully, chiropractic treatments have been shown to improve pain and range of movement for those suffering from sports hernias within eight weeks.
It Treats Symptoms at the Source
Chiropractic treatment has rightfully gained a reputation as a natural, holistic way of treating injuries. Chiropractic care treats pain at the source by applying slight pressure to painful areas. This can aid in the healing process and even reverse some of the causes of pain. For NFL players, chiropractic treatment is non-invasive, meaning they can return to the field and never miss a game.
Whether you’re an NFL player or a fan cheering a touchdown, the Allen County Family and Sports Chiropractic in Fort Wayne, Indiana, can treat your sports-related injuries. Dr. Hartle and his team of experts are fast, efficient, and can usually see you the same day you call. Book an appointment today to relieve your pain.
Happy holidays from the Allen County Family and Sports Chiropractic team!
Three of the Best Weekend Trips in Fort Wayne, Indiana
With a population of 267,633, Fort Wayne is a diverse city known for its gorgeous parks and family-friendly atmosphere. As the second-largest city in Indiana, Fort Wayne has plenty of “must-do” experiences, including restaurants, golf courses, museums, and more! With such a wide variety of attractions, it’s easy to plan a short “staycation” that will take you out of the house. If you’re looking for the best weekend getaways in Fort Wayne, here are our top three destinations.
The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Located on Sherman Boulevard, The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is educational fun for the whole family! Split into five sections, The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo holds over 1,000 animals from all over the world. With over 40 acres to explore, there’s plenty of exciting exhibits to entertain and delight your children. Explore the grassy savannahs of the African continent or come face-to-face with the endangered orangutans. Experience the colorful Indonesian rainforest or discover the outback and learn about the life cycle of crocodiles! The zoo’s bright and friendly atmosphere earned it a spot on Trip Advisor’s Top Seven Zoos in the U.S. back in 2015 and a Traveler’s Choice Award in 2020.
Foellinger-Friemann Botanical Conservatory
Founded in 1983, The Foellinger-Friemann Botanical Conservatory is a world-renowned greenhouse with over 25,000 square feet of indoor gardens. While the conservatory provides a safe haven for endangered plant species, it also hosts four changing showcases each year. The conservatory hosts a wide array of plant life – their greenhouse holds over 1,200 plants (or 500 species) and 72 different types of cacti. Their most popular gardens include:
- The main Showcase Garden, with four seasonal exhibits.
- A Tropical Garden which features waterfalls, goldfish, and 13 types of palm trees.
- The Desert Garden, which contains the Saguaro cacti, fishhook barrel cactus, and prickly pear cactus.
- The Streetside Garden, where ornamental grasses and shrubs surround beautiful bronze statues.
Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve
For aspiring hikers, boaters, and environmentalists, Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve offers a wide variety of activities in the great outdoors. Founded in 2005 with help from the federal Wetlands Reserve Program, Eagle Marsh was the site of the largest wetlands restoration project in Indiana. Today, the preserve is over 831 acres, with fourteen miles of extensive hiking trails. If you’re looking for a less intensive way to spend the weekend, Eagle Marsh is also a great place for bird watching and photography. The preserve boasts over 245 types of birds and 45,000 native trees and shrubs.
Communing with nature is a proven method of stress relief. However, if hiking isn’t enough to relieve your everyday stressors, try massage therapy at Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic! We offer outstanding chiropractic, nutritional, and rehabilitative programs that will reduce stress symptoms. Allen County Family & Sports Chiropractic also offers massage therapy services which, according to the Mayo Clinic, can reduce stress, minimize muscle tension, and alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain. Our office is fast, efficient, and provides same-day services.
Can Seeing a Sports Chiropractor Help your Athletic Abilities?
Patients generally use chiropractic care to help alleviate and prevent pain in the body. The targeted pain tends to be in the muscles and joints because of alignment issues. This type of care is beneficial to all because don’t we all want to be pain-free? But there’s also an entire focus that often goes unnoticed in the field, which is the work of sports chiropractors.
Good, strategic chiropractic care goes beyond the stereotypes surrounding it. As a family chiropractor in Indiana, Allen County Family and Sports Chiropractic offers services and a treatment philosophy that promotes overall health and well-being. This focus goes beyond muscles and bones and includes food, exercise, and sports. With consistent treatment by a sports chiropractor, you can:
- Enhance your athletic performance
- Prevent injuries
- Reduce recovery time for injuries
- Increase endurance during training
Sports Chiropractors & Enhanced Performance
Spine misalignment can cause a ripple effect throughout your body. Many normal bodily functions and systems can suffer, leaving your body more prone to acute and chronic pain. You can develop pain within your muscles, nerves, and joints, plus generate issues with discs and ligaments. When your body is experiencing discomfort and reacting to it, it can limit your athletic potential by slowing down your ability to perform adequately.
Sports chiropractors implement the same techniques and treatments as any chiropractor, but they focus on athletic bodies and performance. By keeping the spine aligned and healthy, you create a balance in the body. As a result, athletes experience less pain and better performance within their sport.
If you think chiropractic care isn’t for athletes, then you’re mistaken. Over 90% of professional athletes use sports chiropractors, as do most teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
Increased Endurance & Fewer Injuries
If you’re an athlete and want to increase your endurance for training purposes, consider chiropractic care. When your spine is aligned correctly—resulting in reduced pain in muscles, joints, ligaments, and more—you can train harder and longer. With better training comes a reduction in injuries, as your body’s alignment lessens stress on the body and improves your range of motion. When your body is stiff in action, it’s more prone to injury. But when you have fluid movement without the risk of injury, you can do so much more.
Reduced Recovery Time
As a family chiropractor in Indiana, we offer sports care to keep athletes healthy and to prevent injury. But we can’t prevent all damage, so when an injury does occur, we use regular chiropractic care to reduce healing time. Because your chiropractor aligns your spine and lessens the irritation and inflammation between the vertebrae, the body performs better overall. This enhanced function also includes the body’s ability to heal.
Aside from regular adjustments, massage and stretching can also help reduce healing time due to sports injury. Healthy eating and mental health are also essential components in optimal athletic performance. With a holistic view of treatment, athletes can benefit greatly from chiropractic care.
Types of Chiropractors
Visiting a chiropractor is often a result of some pain in the body. When deciding which type of chiropractor to see, it’s essential to understand which variety of practice is best for your situation. In general, there are a few types of chiropractic methods: symptom-relief, sports, and wellness. Your symptoms, kind of pain, and treatment goals will all determine which approach is best for you.
It’s also essential to consider the purpose of your treatment. Are you interested in relieving symptoms or healing the body? Are you hoping to enhance sports performance and daily life, or do you need simple adjustments? Whatever your goals for recovery, there is a different type of chiropractor for you.
Symptom-Relief Chiropractors
For those that need to decrease symptoms of pain, such as headaches or neck and back pain, musculoskeletal treatment may be best. This method involves traditional chiropractic adjustments focused on painful areas set within the spine. Symptom-relief chiropractors temporarily reduce pain, free misaligned or stuck bones, and decompress joints.
One reason why patients gravitate toward symptom-relief chiropractors is that they tend to work with more insurance companies. So check your policy because it may cover these types of traditional adjustments. However, remember that to remain pain-free requires regular visits and an extended treatment plan. Many chiropractors advise against only persuing symptom-relief practices. Instead, many practitioners recommend combining regular adjustments with wellness therapy.
Wellness Chiropractors
Wellness chiropractors use traditional adjustments and techniques to relieve pain, but they also focus on long-term healing of the body. Daily life can stress the body, specifically the spinal column. After so many weeks or years of built-up pressure, small misalignments or fixations can occur. These issues result in pain that can lead to more severe symptoms if left untreated.
Unlike a symptom-relief-only focus, wellness chiropractors continue treatment beyond feelings of pain to keep the body regenerating and healing itself. They also use healthy eating, exercise, hydration, and mental health to support the body. If you’re looking to relieve symptoms of pain quickly, but also help the body in long-term healing, then wellness chiropractic care is the better choice.
You’ll often find other professionals in wellness chiropractic offices, such as a dietician, a massage therapist, or a personal trainer. Additionally, you may use tools at home, such as foam neck extenders or specialized pillows. All-in-all, wellness chiropractors use a more holistic view to heal the entire body.
Sports Chiropractors
Those who are athletes can visit a chiropractor specific to sports. Sports chiropractors work with those who develop pain and injury from their careers in athleticism. You may be surprised to learn that many professional teams use sports chiropractors to assist with injuries on and off the field. That’s because they can use symptom-relief techniques immediately, while also focusing on wellness methods.
Sports chiropractors use their knowledge to focus on sports performance. They are well-informed about how different wellness benefits, such as diet, exercise, training, and conditioning, can enhance athletic achievement. They also use adjustments for symptom relief and to encourage natural healing and regeneration in the body when injuries occur.
Sports Chiropractors – Facts vs. Myths
If you’re a professional sports player or athletic trainer, chances are you’ve heard of – if not been to – a sports chiropractor. If you’re not one of those two groups (like the rest of us), you might have never heard of this type of chiropractic physician before. As such, we wanted to get you in the know one of the best ways we know how – busting myths and telling facts.
Are Sports Chiropractors Doctors?
Yes! Just like all other types of doctors, a certified chiropractic sports physician is required to go to chiropractic college and obtain a graduate-level degree. This enables them to practice and ensures that they can do everything in their power to heal their patients while keeping them safe.
Are Chiropractors Legitimate?
This (annoying) myth claims that chiropractic care is nothing but a scam. In reality, these doctors are real and helpful without a doubt. Trusted by NFL teams, world-class athletes, and many Olympians – these doctors know how to help your body stay in top shape. They don’t “crack bones.” They help to manipulate your spine to heal you without medicine – something everyone should love.
Do they really boost athletic performance?
In some cases, yes! While a chiropractic sports medicine doctor’s real goal is to treat and prevent injury, a byproduct can be a boost in the performance of the athlete that’s getting treated. In fact, that’s why so many professional athletes choose to go to a doctor regularly.
Is Pain Relief Real?
Along the lines of “scam” myths, many think that the benefits of chiropractic care are fake. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Sports-trained chiropractic doctors have a deep understanding of the musculoskeletal system as it related to a sports-related injury. As such, they understand what’s wrong with the body and can help heal it and reduce pain.
Are They Covered by Insurance?
In the United States, insurance is expensive. It’s no surprise and talked about almost daily on the news. That usually brings this myth to the forefront of many new patient’s minds. While it varies by insurance, chiropractors specializing in sports injury and family (like us) are part of the specialist coverage section of your insurance. However, you should always talk to your provider and call ahead to make sure you’ll be covered.
What Can They Help With?
If you think nothing is the answer, you’re not alone – but you are wrong! The truth of the matter is chiropractic doctors can help to relieve lower back pain, relieve neck pain, improve range of motion, and so much more. If you have a bodily pain and don’t know what can be done, get a consultation with us to see how it can be improved today!