Athletes undergo a lot of rigorous physical and mental training to achieve peak performance and fitness.
These activities can affect their joints and muscles, leading to joint stiffness and pain. When this happens, it may negatively impact their ability to perform optimally.
Thankfully, chiropractors can help alleviate underlying dysfunction that contributes to athletes’ discomfort after an intense practice session, ultimately allowing them to fulfill their potential as top athletes. Following an acute injury, chiropractors can also assist in mitigating excessive post-injury compensation and ensure the athlete returns promptly to competition.
In this article, we’ve put together the top reasons why you should consider seeing a chiropractor if you want to improve your sports performance, whether or not you’re an athlete.
How Does Chiropractic Treatment Work?
A chiropractor is a primary contact (primary contact?) practitioner that uses various non-invasive, hands-on techniques to relieve joint pain and inflammation through joint manipulations known as adjustments.
Chiropractic treatments are therapeutic procedures to alleviate the underlying dysfunction contributing to conditions such as lower back pain, muscle stiffness, strains, headaches, and sports injuries.
Before the treatment, a Chiropractor will conduct a physical exam to determine the root cause of the patient’s issues. During the adjustment, the patient lies relaxed in various positions while the Chiropractor manipulates the affected areas to restore a proper pain-free range of motion.
Common Sports Injuries
There are several common sports injuries that chiropractors can treat and prevent in an athlete, such as:
- Joint and muscle sprains
- Muscle pulls
- Shin splints
- Shoulder, elbow, and wrist injuries
- Tennis elbow
- Sciatica pain
- Over-extension injuries from overuse
- Back injuries
If you’ve experienced any of these injuries while playing sports, it’s recommended that you seek the help of a skilled chiropractor to help improve your condition. It is also important to seek evaluation even if the injury has healed, as old injuries can cause long-term dysfunctional movement patterns.
8 Key Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Athletes
People who often perform strenuous physical activities, like sports or heavy lifting, are more likely to develop joint inflammation. But with the help of a sports chiropractor, they can be up and running in no time.
Here are the top benefits of seeing a chiropractor for athletes:
Helps Ease Muscle Soreness
An athlete’s body undergoes a lot of physical stress while practising for a game or during the game itself. Deep tissue work from an experienced chiropractor can help treat tired muscles and sore joints to ensure they can return to peak physical performance.
To ease muscle and joint discomfort, chiropractors conduct various muscular release techniques following joint manipulations to restore proper communication between the joints, nerves, and muscles of the body. Regular visits to a chiropractor help athletes recover to their innate ability and prepare for their next big competition.
Improves Strength, Agility, and Coordination
When an athlete’s body isn’t experiencing pain or stiffness, they can perform at their best. They can focus on utilizing their full power and coordination to succeed at their sport’s specific physical and mental demands.
When the body is balanced and functioning properly, an athlete can respond to anything quickly without losing balance, which also helps prevent injury.
Furthermore, hand-eye coordination is necessary for throwing, catching, and accurately hitting a ball. A study conducted by Palmer College of Chiropractic revealed that chiropractic care improved hand-eye coordination in athletes by 30%.
Increases Range of Motion
Range of motion refers to how well an athlete’s joints move. But structural imbalances, pain, or injuries can negatively impact their range of motion, putting their athletic performance on the line.
Chiropractic adjustments can correct misalignments and imbalances, thus improving flexibility and range of motion and decreasing the occurrence of stiff joints and muscles.
Speeds Up Recovery From Injury
Common sports injuries include strains, bruises, limb fractures, and abrasions. The direct impact and excessive force used by athletes can cause these injuries.
Chiropractic treatment can promote healing, reduce inflammation, improve blood circulation, and improve the body’s mobility and flexibility to lessen the risk of injury.
Can Strengthen the Immune System
Though they’re incredibly fit, athletes are still just as likely to get sick as the average person. Sickness may interfere with sports training, decreasing preparation time for an important game.
Chiropractic care can work wonders not only for your body but also for your immune system. Many athletes undergo chiropractic adjustments to lower stress hormones that weaken the immune system and stimulate the lymphatic system to help fight off diseases and aid in the body detoxing to its best ability.
Boosts Overall Well-Being
The pressure to perform well can place a lot of stress on athletes. Anxiety and tension may compromise athletes’ performance since they can’t focus well on their training. As an athlete, having a sound mind and body is vital to enhance their abilities during a game.
One way to combat stress and tension is by undergoing chiropractic adjustments. Manipulation of the joints and muscles causes the body to release endorphins which are ‘feel good chemicals’ that help soothe the body, increase blood circulation, regulate breathing and heart rate, decrease pain, and ultimately help lower stress levels.
Moreover, chiropractors may also recommend specific diets and exercises to improve overall well-being.
Offers Specialized Care
Different types of injuries and athletes require different treatments. For example, runners need someone who can care for their knees and ankles, while tennis players need specialized attention on the muscles and joints of their upper extremities.
Although certain sports predispose various injuries and movement dysfunction, each athlete varies in that a specific treatment regimen is tailored to each individual relative to their specific movement dysfunction within the given sport.
Having a chiropractor knowledgeable about these specifics ensures that the athlete receives individualized care, prevents common injuries related to their sport, and recovers properly.
Improves Reaction Time
Reaction time allows athletes to react quickly to stimuli, whether helping a teammate out or scoring points, but tired or sore athletes have slower reaction times.
Chiropractic treatments promote relaxation and ease stiffness and pain, allowing athletes to focus fully on motor tasks, whether playing a game on the field, pool, or court.
Book a Consultation with a Chiropractor at LifeClinic
For faster healing and recovery, consult a chiropractor at LifeClinic today. We provide proper evaluation and treatment options to help you improve your sports performance and overall well-being. You may also visit our website to check out our services and locations.
