Boost Performance & Prevent Injury: How Chiropractic Care Supports Athletes

Lots of different types of patients can seek chiropractic care. Maybe you have chronic back pain, maybe you sustained a whiplash injury in a car accident, or maybe you just think it feels good. However, what else can it do for you? Why do so many professional sports teams employ chiropractors? The answer lies in the fact that chiropractic care can improve athletic performance.

One study done on Brazilian judo athletes, who compete at an international level, showed that grip strength was significantly increased in both hands after a chiropractic adjustment in the cervical spine. This increase in strength was not seen in the group that received a "sham" chiropractic treatment.

Another study done in 2008 on Swedish runners looked at the effect of chiropractic adjustments on hip extension (bringing leg backwards) and running velocity. Adjustments were performed based on restrictions found in the SI joints. They found that hip extension was significantly increased after manipulation. There was no statistically significant change in running velocity between the group who received chiropractic care and the group who didn't, however there appears to be some minor decrease in time taken to run a 30M sprint between the two groups.

I'd like to propose another benefit though. We know that chiropractic care can reduce pain. Doesn't it make sense then that you will perform better with less pain? We also know that chiropractic care can restore range of motion. Doesn't it make sense then that an athlete with proper range of motion is less likely to be injured? It's not a far stretch to say that chiropractic care can help reduce risk of injury, and that's critically important to athletes.

So, whether you're someone in pain or just an athlete looking to get to that next level, chiropractic care may be an option you haven't thought of. I'd love to help you get to where you want to be.