Why Pro Athletes Appreciate Chiropractic
Chiropractic has become a key component in the health care regime of most professional athletes. When considering the overall health benefits of regular chiropractic adjustments, it’s easy to see why it is now so common.
Many athletes have expressed their personal satisfaction with chiropractic in their sporting careers, but studies have shown more specific and objective benefits. Some of these include:
Improved muscle strength.
Improved kicking speed.
Improved joint mobility.
Improved throwing accuracy.
Improved spatial awareness, for better balance and coordination.
Faster healing and injury recovery.
Improved circulation and blood pressure.
Improved lung function.
Improved digestive function, which will optimize sports nutrition.
A 2000 study of baseball players, “showed significant improvement at fourteen weeks in muscle strength and long jump distance in the group receiving adjustments. Moreover, this same group showed significant improvement in capillary [microcirculation] counts at five and fourteen weeks of chiropractic care.”
A 2024 study on basketball players, showed that “structured strength and conditioning programs combined with chiropractic adjustments significantly enhance adolescent athletes’ physical performance. The study concludes that consistent chiropractic care and professionally supervised training are beneficial for adolescent athletes’ development, suggesting the integration of such programs into training routines for adolescent athletes to improve their physical capabilities and minimize injury risks.”
The drug-free approach of chiropractic is another benefit, which will also improve recovery time and can prevent an acute injury from becoming a chronic one. Painkillers often create other problems, including drug addiction, while failing to address the actual issue and working against the body’s innate healing mechanisms.
Furthermore, specific chiropractic care is especially important after any type of traumatic brain injury that occurs often in sport, such as a concussion or whiplash. Long-term studies have shown that these injuries can lead to neurodegenerative damage.
Another overlooked, yet vitally important, benefit of specific chiropractic care is improvement in brain function and mental fitness. As mentioned often by elite athletes and coaches, the key to consistent success in all sport is mental fitness and stress management. Calming and relaxing the nervous system is one of the proven ways that chiropractic care can also improve athletic performance.
Remember, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to benefit from chiropractic. No matter what your role is in society, functioning and healing well is essential for you to be at your best. When you feel, heal, and function better, you are also able to be more active, further helping you to maintain a healthy and productive life.
by SJ NANA, DC, DrNana.co.za
References:
The use and role of sport chiropractors in the National Football League: a short report
The Role of Upper Cervical Care in Injury Prevention: Staying Aligned and Active
The latest research on chiropractic care for faster injury recovery
Effect of cervical spine manipulative therapy on judo athletes' grip strength
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