Chiropractic for Athletes: Boosting Performance and Preventing Injury

As the leading experts in the musculoskeletal system, chiropractors are many athletes’ top choice for ongoing preventative and performance-based care. Used widely across many sports, chiropractic adjustments and therapies can help to boost overall performance, decrease downtime due to injury and keep athletes in top shape.

Common Injuries in Sports

Forceful impacts, repetitive motions and overuse often lead to sports injuries at any age. (Think: tackling in football, crouching as a catcher in baseball or softball, repeated movements as a gymnast.) Avoiding the injuries is optimal—and if you have experienced an injury, healing as rapidly as possible is critical to overall well-being and your ability to continue to enjoy the sport you love.

A study published in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders found that the addition of chiropractic care greatly reduced strain injuries, time missed due to knee injuries and lower back pain for athletes in a semi-pro Australian football team. These athletes also experienced an improvement in overall health and well-being.

Spinal Health and Chiropractic

Many people don’t realize how critical spinal health is to the overall health of the entire body. Misalignments in the spine can happen due to trauma and injury, among other things. Chiropractors are the only healthcare providers trained to diagnose and treat these misalignments. Poor spinal health hinders the function of the nervous system. This includes the brain, spinal cord, sensory organs and a network of nerve cells and fibers that transmit signals to different parts of the body.

Through adjustments and therapies, chiropractic physicians help to return the body to a normal state. This helps reduce tension, pain and the overall likelihood of injury.

Children’s Sports and Chiropractic

Chiropractic care isn’t just for pros and adults—children can also reap huge benefits from ongoing care. Chiropractic is perfectly safe for children of any age. It is an important tool for preventing long-term damage to your child’s growing body.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2.6 million children aged 0 to 19 years old are treated for sports and recreational injuries. Of these injuries, musculoskeletal ones are by far the most common. Whether your child is in a contact sport like football or hockey or a non-contact sport like gymnastics or swimming, regular exams, adjustments and therapies are essential.

Choose Chiropractic First

Choosing chiropractic as your first line of defense once an injury occurs can decrease the likelihood of surgery and further injury. Talk to your chiropractor to learn more about how regular care can boost your performance, as well as prevent and manage injury.

Make an appointment to talk to a chiropractic doctor about chiropractic and aging.