Sports chiropractors are adept at recognizing when an athlete has developed muscle imbalance, before it progresses and causes damage elsewhere in their body. Their training equips them to design prehabilitation programs which reduce injury risk while simultaneously increasing performance and decreasing injury risks.
No matter if you are an elite professional athlete, recreational participant or weekend warrior – our team of specialists are on hand to offer personalized care tailored to each of our patients.
Prevention
Sports chiropractors can assist with injury prevention by addressing posture, muscle balance and body mechanics issues. Additionally, they offer chiropractic adjustments and assistance with stretching and exercise regimens designed to boost performance and enhance athletic ability.
Chiropractors recognize that all parts of the body are connected, and an injury to any one part can have ripple effects throughout. With this knowledge in mind, chiropractors are trained to recognize muscle imbalances early on and stop them before becoming serious problems.
Athletes often push their bodies to the limit in pursuit of excellence, leading them down a path that leads to overuse injuries. Most overuse injuries affect joints through repetitive motion such as kicking, jumping or swinging; sports chiropractic can provide treatment without resorting to surgery or drugs and reduce recovery times and help athletes perform at higher levels. A pound of prevention truly is worth its weight in cure when it comes to sports injuries!
Treatment
Sports chiropractors specialize in more than treating injuries; they also employ techniques designed to boost an athlete’s overall performance, such as increasing strength, speed and endurance through proper balance and alignment of the musculoskeletal system.
Athletic injuries typically require the services of a sports chiropractor. This could include runners suffering foot, knee or ankle issues; as well as overuse injuries in players such as tennis or baseball players that cause shoulder or elbow discomfort.
Treatment methods can include gentle joint manipulation or the active release technique, which breaks down scar tissue and fascia that restricts muscle movement. Such treatments help athletes recover faster while decreasing future injuries.
Studies are ongoing to ascertain if chiropractic treatment improves sports performance, yet it’s already well known that chiropractic can enhance posture, balance, flexibility and range of motion – thus helping an athlete train harder, longer and more frequently while simultaneously increasing his or her adaptability against physical stress and injury.
Rehabilitation
Sports chiropractors utilize manual techniques and soft tissue manipulation to assist injured athletes with recovering quickly and painlessly from injuries, as well as identify muscle imbalances and recommend exercises to prevent future injury.
Externals specialists are trained to examine hands, shoulders, knees, feet and hips as well as different areas of the spine – this allows them to detect and treat issues such as tennis elbow, shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff injuries and chronic foot pain.
Many chiropractic schools feature on-campus Human Performance Centers where students work alongside experts to help collegiate and high school athletes rehabilitate from injuries and maximize performance. Take a look at this video for an introduction to HPC Director Dr. Andrew Klein and how his students gain the invaluable experience of working alongside top athletes from around the globe.
Performance
Sports chiropractors use advanced techniques to assist their patients in reaching their athletic goals, often employing holistic, natural and drug-free approaches for treating injuries.
An athlete’s training and experience allow them to avoid pain more rapidly while healing faster. Athletes also possess the necessary expertise to assist patients cross-training to strengthen other areas of their bodies. Engaging in proper warm-up and cool-down routines before and after exercise increases blood flow, loosens muscles, reduces tightness and soreness in muscle groups and promotes overall wellness.
Therapists specialize in treating overuse injuries and aches caused by athletic activity, including runner’s knee or hip problems, golfer’s back issues, tennis player upper extremity pain issues and even concussions. Furthermore, they can address imbalances and asymmetries that commonly exist among athletes that increase susceptibility to injury; their team uses techniques like spinal adjustments, soft tissue mobilization and functional exercise programs to address side-to-side differences in strength, balance and coordination as well as teaching patients self-care techniques like stretching tight muscles or how best to protect yourself by wearing the appropriate protective gear against potential injuries.