So often in a competitive sport, the difference between winners and losers are a few microseconds. For this reason, athletes need all the extra speed and strength that they can amass to try and beat each other with any possible time difference. As they struggle to do it, the likelihood of them sustaining an injury is high. This is why injuries are widespread in competitive disciplines like football, basketball, basketball, sprinting, swimming, and skating. But despite this risk, sportspersons are always eager to impress as no one wants to lose. Some of them will even go as far as using banned substances so as to recover fast from injuries.
Injuries, however, are not the only concern for athletes. Since athletes want to step up their performances whenever they get to the field, this has led to some of them relying on performance-enhancing substances. Unfortunately, a majority of these substances are illegal but sportspersons still take chances. The good news though is that they can boost their on-field performance without using any banned performance enhancers. Similarly, they can prevent injuries and recover from them without using any illegal prescription. The solution is in a hands-on technique called chiropractic care.
About Chiropractic Care
In this technique, Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic, located in Murfressboro, TN, gently and methodically manipulates the spine and the injured parts so as to realign them. The aim is to clear subluxations(misalignments). There basically is no drug used or surgical procedure done. Unlike drugs which may bring about adverse reactions or the possibility of an addiction or the need for surgery which may bench you for months, you have a better chance of a safe and quick recovery with chiropractic care.
For so many years, chiropractic care has been a key consideration in the competitive sports sector. Actually, studies show that 90% of athletes in the world employ chiropractic cared to improve their on-field performance and to also prevent injuries. The primary aim of chiropractic care is pain relief but it can also achieve other objectives. Generally, here are the main goals of chiropractic care for athletes.
Injury Prevention
In a competitive sport, two things are key in winning; range of motion and flexibility. Apparently, these two factors are what causes injuries when your body can’t cope with the demands. Chiropractic care prepares your body for both factors so as to limit the chances of sustaining an injury when your body is asked to give more on the field. A spinal misalignment (what we are calling a subluxation) normally puts unnecessary stress on your whole body. This often increases the risk of suffering an injury as you compete. Chiropractic care helps to get rid of the extra burden that’s placed on your misaligned spine by clearing subluxations. This is how you are able to regain postural balance when competing and are able to do it without risking an injury.
Improved Training
A good number of athletes get injured while training. This is because they either stretch themselves too much or they carry weights that their body cannot sustain. So, joint problems are a key thing in the training grounds and the gyms. This, nonetheless, doesn’t have to be the case always since chiropractic care can help. It’s designed to help you train more effectively by boosting your joint adaptability and muscular strength. So, when you try to overstretch, your body is able to cope with the demand. This is one of the reasons who most athletes’ trainers turn to chiropractic care when they realize that their students are prone to injuries when training. Normally, a good sports chiropractor will examine your whole body – knees, shoulders, elbows, back, hips, and neck. This is meant to ensure that all is well when training and you are able to do it with agility and strength.
Enhanced On-Field Performance
Chiropractic care is crucial in improving your overall competitiveness in sports. A subluxation, however, has the power to interrupt the functioning of other systems. This is because they are all connected to the spine, directly or indirectly. This makes your level of performance to dwindle. With regular chiropractic care, the spine is adjusted accordingly so as to treat subluxations completely. This means that your spine is able to regain its effectiveness and so as the other affected systems.
In the long run, this translates to enhanced field performance. You become more agile, stronger, and faster. According to a study, chiropractic care improves the eye coordination ability of an athlete by 30% and general performance by 6.12% just within three months of therapy. The biggest beneficiaries based on the study are footballers, basketballers, and MLB players. Therefore, there is no doubt that you stand to step up your overall athleticism on the field.
Enhanced ROM (Range of Motion)
As an athlete in a competitive discipline, you are likely to put extra pressure on your body, more so the back when working out or competing. Such pressure can have a detrimental impact on your spine and this limits your range of motion. This is why you feel discomforts in form of stiff joints and muscle cramps. Regular chiropractic care is meant to improve your ROM. This means that your spine doesn’t have to suffer when stretching, running or jumping. You are able to do it without worrying about pain. According to a 2017 study, it’s pain that limits one’s range of motion and employing chiropractic care is key to achieving maximum pain relief. This means more ROM in the end.
Rapid Healing
By relieving you from possible pain and by fixing spinal misalignment, chiropractic care plays an important role in ensuring a speedy recovery process following an injury. So, you are guaranteed a shorter healing period. Some of the routines used by a chiropractor to facilitate this include:
- Combination of motion movement with massage therapy to bring about muscle relaxation.
- Muscle stimulation aimed at releasing muscle tension.
- Dry needling aimed at fighting muscle tension.
- Stainless steel technique aimed at disintegrating scar tissues.
As a sportsperson, there is nothing you’ll ever wish than to spend minimal time on the bench after sustaining an injury. This is not always the case with most therapies.
Bottomline
Generally, chiropractic care helps all types of athletes to become more competitive. Right from the training to the field, they are able to attain optimal success. No wonder athletes around the world are turning out in masses to seek chiropractic care! Whether you are a member of a professional sports team, a high school athlete, a trainer, or someone who just like keeping fit, Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic can help you!
