From the rigors of the weight room and aerobic conditioning to the stress of competition, an athlete’s body takes a daily beating. In order to physically excel, a lot of time and discipline is required. Constant tension and inflammation are common occurrences. These aches and pains are generally mild, chronic, and largely ignored. However, there’s a solution that’s gaining more and more popularity. Athletes across the country are reaping the rewards of chiropractic care to aid their performance.
Correct Asymmetry
Asymmetry is common in athletes that perform repetitive motions with their dominant side, like soccer players, quarterbacks, baseball players, etc. The consistent kicking and throwing motions from these type of athletes can often cause musculoskeletal imbalances. This leads to asymmetry in the body and creates tension.
Chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue massage can help correct any imbalances, which reduces the risk of injury. The relief of stress on one side of the body stops any muscular overcompensation, allowing athletes to move more freely.
Promotes Faster Healing
Many don’t realize that inflammation is actually the body’s way of trying to protect an area from further harm. Swelling or inflammation itself is not the problem – it’s the signal that another problem exists. However, inflammation or misalignment does slow the body’s natural healing process. With chiropractic care and correction, inflammation is reduced and proper neural pathways are restored. Adjustments encourage the body’s natural healing process and thus can help speed recovery.
Increases Range of Motion
Mobility is crucial to anyone’s way of life, but especially so for an athlete. By reducing any residual pain or inflammation from exercise, chiropractic adjustments allow the body to move freely. With the release of tension, athletes gain a fuller range of motion. This allows them to execute with better form and technique. Without that physical blockage, athletes may experience increased throwing, kicking, lifting, or other such motions.
Prevents Injury
Chiropractic care isn’t just for treatment post-injury. It’s also preventative. Athletes who receive regular chiropractic care benefit from increased mobility and quicker, more restorative natural healing. These two factors combined means that they’re less likely to sustain a serious injury in the first place.
For example, a soccer player who collides with another player could roll their ankle and suffer a serious sprain or worse. However, if that same soccer player had regularly received chiropractic care, their increased range of motion could have kept them safe from harm.
Chiropractic Care in Sports
Because chiropractic care aids mobility, maximizes recovery, and increases range of motion, many professional sports teams have taken to keeping a chiropractor on staff. In fact, successful professional athletes like Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have all publicly praised chiropractic care. Tom Brady credits regular chiropractic as being one of the reasons why he can continue to play at such a high level while being almost 40 years old.
Whether you’re interested in chiropractic care to empower your athleticism or just for general well-being, look no further than Total Health Chiropractic Center. Dr. Phil Altieri has over 20 years of experience in the field, and his dedication to his patients is unmatched. By combining his chiropractic services with individualized nutritional support, you’re sure to notice improvements in health and performance. Get in touch today to schedule an appointment and take the first step towards total body wellness!
