Athletes push their bodies more than the average person.
Running, jumping, tackling, and other sports require athletes to use every bit of strength and power they have. And when they sustain injuries, many of them turn to chiropractic therapy.
World estimates state that 90% of world-class athletes use chiropractic care to improve performance and prevent injuries. Chiropractors are trained to treat sports injuries like strains and sprains, knee injuries, and shin splints, to name a few. They offer personalized chiropractic services, especially for those who want to return to their sport.
Why Athletes Need Chiropractic Services
Here are some reasons athletes need chiropractic health care:
Non-invasive Treatments
Chiropractic treatments are non-invasive and can treat injuries all over the body. It’s also an excellent alternative to more invasive procedures that require athletes to stop playing and recover for prolonged periods.
Fewer Prescription Drugs
While pain medications like cortisone shots and other short-term remedies can help relieve some pain, chiropractors provide drug-free alternatives that reduce or eliminate pain. Athletes won’t have to deal with the side effects and dependence they often experience when using prescription medications.
Doctors often prescribe opioids to treat lower back pain. However, the widespread use of addiction and dependence on opioids has led the American College of Physicians to revise the guidelines on treating lower back pain. They now recommend that patients with lower back pain look into alternative and complementary medicine options like spinal manipulation before turning to medications.
Improved Range of Motion
Athletes train hard, and this can put pressure on their bodies, leading to spinal misalignment and movement problems. These often result in stiffness and pain, restricting their range of motion and athletic performance.
Regular chiropractic health care can provide athletes with pain relief and remove the stiffness they feel. This leads to a greater range of motion, preventing future injuries, reversing the damage done, and promoting pain-free movement.
Pain Reduction
Even the most active people can experience back pain, particularly in the lower back. Chiropractors are trained to treat spines to promote movement and alignment. They can also recommend treatment options that help reduce back pain in the short and long term.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Athletes
Most sports can lead to injuries, whether you’re a high school track team member or training for your first triathlon. A growing number of athletes are turning to chiropractors to have their injuries treated and get back on the field faster. Whatever your level of activity, here are some of the benefits of chiropractic care:
Faster Recovery
Faster recovery time is one of the most sought-after benefits of chiropractic care. A healthy athlete will experience normal wear and tear; baseball players use repetitive throwing motions, while volleyball players continuously dive, leap, block, and hit balls. All these can cause muscle fatigue and soreness multiple times at some point, and they usually only have one to two days between training sessions or games to recover.
Chiropractors have different ways to help athletes recover faster:
- Soft tissue techniques to increase blood flow, reduce lactic acid, and relax stiff muscles
- Physiotherapy equipment to treat inflamed areas
- Adjustments to improve joint mobility
- Dietary changes to assist with faster recovery
With a chiropractor’s expertise, these options can help athletes recover fast and better prepare for their next training session or game.
Optimal Well-being
Athletes should not begin taking care of themselves on the first day of practice or the first tournament of the season; caring for an athlete’s body is an all-year commitment to being mindful of their bodies and maintaining optimal health.
Chiropractors can help athletes care for their bodies with proper nutrition, sleep guidelines, proper training strategies, diet, and nutrition. Their spine and extremity adjustments, gait analysis, and body mechanic evaluation can help with muscular patterns and development that help athletes train more effectively and efficiently all year in peak condition.
Athlete Support
Athletes should have a support team to help them achieve their goals and care for their well-being. Chiropractors can play a vital role in helping promote their whole body wellness alongside trainers who help with muscle development and coaches who teach them how to play the sport and encourage them to love it.
Assist in Injury Repair
Each sport puts different strains and pressures on different areas of the body, making them more susceptible to injury. Dancers are more prone to leg injuries; golfers and lacrosse players experience more arm injuries than other injury types.
Most athletes want to return to their beloved sport as soon as possible after an injury. Assisting in injury repair is another benefit of chiropractic care. Chiropractors can modify some of their techniques to help aid in injury recovery. Chiropractic physicians also analyze movement patterns and determine the best treatment option. They also have a thorough understanding of injury repair and proper guidelines for returning athletes to return to their sport safely.
Improves Performance
All parts of the body have to work together to function properly; a misaligned spine or a knee injury could cause problems in different systems in the human body. And for athletes, this could affect their performance.
Regular adjustments and chiropractic therapy are essential for athletes to keep their spines healthy and function well. Chiropractors understand the interconnections between all parts of the body. One of the many benefits of chiropractic care they can provide athletes is to improve their body’s performance and athletic performance.
Reduces Injury Risk
Even minor injuries or misalignments can put unnecessary stress on an athlete’s body, often leading to more injuries. Ensuring the musculoskeletal system’s good condition to reduce the risk of injury is one of the best benefits of chiropractic care any athlete can have.
Chiropractors can also provide programs tailored to help athletes avoid future injuries. You’re less likely to overextend your muscles or land funny when your joints are free to move. They care about helping athletes reach their peak performance and enjoy their sport of choice.
Reap chiropractic benefits for your body with Advanced Chiropractors Group.
Treating back pain and helping your body move like a well-oiled machine are just some of the many chiropractic benefits you can achieve. We can connect you to our affiliate Chiropractors in Vail, CO. They provide only the best chiropractic health care treatments to help you recover faster. Call us today and get back in the game in the best condition.