What Athletes Use Sports Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic services aren’t limited to just those who suffer from acute or chronic pain. Chiropractors use their techniques for specific issues on people of all ages and walks of life. But one of the most popular services is sports chiropractic, which can help boost athletic performance and prevent injury. There are many athletes and sports fields that utilize the methods of chiropractic care.
Sports Chiropractic Favored by Athletes
Do your favorite all-stars see a chiropractor? You may be surprised to learn many famous and successful athletes use sports chiropractic care to maintain and boost athletic performance. They also use it to:
- Enhance flexibility
- Reduce pain
- Increase recovery
- Prevent or lessen injury
All of these benefits are why stars like Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Arnold Schwartzenegger, and others relied on sports chiropractic care to help them achieve goals and win championships.
Benefits of Sports Chiropractic Care
Let’s dive a little deeper into some of these benefits so you can fully understand why these athletes — and many sports teams, including 32 NFL and 28 MLB teams — use chiropractors on-site.
Flexibility and Injury Reduction
Do your muscles ever feel tight, and your movement limited? This issue can be detrimental to an athlete. Not only will their athletic performance drop, but stiff, locked muscles and joints make them more vulnerable to injury. Chiropractic services focused on sports aim to enhance an athlete’s flexibility. By correcting alignment and encouraging movement in our joints, athletes can safely move and twist their bodies (and come into contact with others or hard surfaces) without the same risk of injury.
Enhanced Recovery Time
Nothing can prevent injury completely. Even if I ran behind Michael Jordan and checked him after every slam dunk, he could still suffer an injury! However, sports chiropractic services invigorate our body’s systems to speed up healing time when damage does occur. By aligning your spine and lessening the irritation and inflammation between the vertebrae, the body gets a significant boost that allows you to perform better overall. When your body is optimized, and the injury is less impactive, you shorten the healing time.
Reduced Pain
Lastly, chiropractic services can assist athletes by reducing pain. Many athletes are just like you, and experience bouts of acute flareups or chronic pain. These conditions can be due to injury or strain, or directly from daily stress, lack of sleep, or dehydration. Athletes also suffer from things like headaches or neck and back pain. Traditional chiropractic adjustments correct misaligned or stuck bones and decompress joints.
Ice Baths, Heat, and Massage
Athletes can use other techniques to help with stressed bodies. You may see movies showing ice baths and heat applications to help relieve muscles, injury, and pain. Chiropractic services often include these techniques. Massage can be particularly healing, as it removes “knots” (aka tense muscle fibers and fascial tissues) to reduce trigger points and tightness. Massage can reduce pain and make your muscles more loose and agile.