While many people think of chiropractic primarily as a way to address painful complaints like back pain, neck pain and Sciatica (and, to be fair, it is good for that!) chiropractic can also be a fantastic way to boost performance. There’s a reason most professional athletes and sports teams now have chiropractors on staff – thankfully, you don’t need to be a professional to benefit from these advantages!
The Athlete in All of Us
Professional sports and chiropractic care go back a long way. Athletes have always sought a performance advantage, and many have discovered that chiropractic can give them that competitive edge. Nearly everyone likes to believe they are an “active” person, so as we finally move into spring, there is no better opportunity to appeal to your inner athlete and get a boost with chiropractic!
Indeed, exciting new research has begun to show the depth of what can be achieved with a simple adjustment – Researchers from Brain Science found an increase in cortical drive and strength after an adjustment[1], and the team at SPINE found periodic chiropractic care has the potential to prevent future episodes of low back pain[2].
“I did a lot of things to stay in the game, but regular visits to my chiropractor were among the most important.” – Jerry Rice, Pro Football Hall of Famer
How Pro Athletes Deal with Pain
Chiropractic isn’t just valuable to athletes for performance reasons – just like you and I athletes get injured, sore and stiff. The difference is that professional sports are big business, so athletes are given access to the best possible healthcare options to help them play at the highest level without interruption. That’s why over the past few years, you may have noticed some familiar faces on the sidelines- chiropractors. Chiropractic care is no longer just an approach for training days, instead Chiropractors are on nearly every sideline, working to keep the athletes happy, healthy, and productive in real time, over the course of a long and rigorous season.
Crossfitters! Want to Get Stronger?
Without doubt, Crossfit is one of the biggest trends in fitness right now – Crossfitters focus on strength and conditioning with a healthy dose of competition – for some, it becomes a real lifestyle! If you want to improve your WOD (that’s workout a day for the uninitiated), then you need a plan to achieve your best performance while ensuring your body can recover quickly. Otherwise, injuries may cause you to slow down or even keep you from going to the gym altogether.
As someone looking for optimal performance and recovery, there is no better choice than chiropractic. Exciting new research has shown that chiropractic adjustments can increase cortical drive by influencing your nervous system, which results in increased strength. Also, adjustments can improve spinal motion and reduce inflammation- all of which help with recovery.[3]
Be Like Mike: How To Improve Your Sports Performance
Athletes and active people are always looking for a competitive edge. No one may embody that spirit more than basketball legend Michael Jordan. He won multiple world championships and gold medals, breaking almost every record in the NBA. So, what was the secret to his success? Aside from a tremendous amount of hard work and persistence, Michael said, “I didn’t know how much I could improve until I started seeing a chiropractor. Since I’ve been in chiropractic, I’ve improved mentally and physically by leaps and bounds.”
Like you, Mike was always striving to reach his full physical and mental potential. With that statement, he joined athletes like Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Wayne Gretzky, who talked about how chiropractic care helped them stay at the top of their game.[4] With the rigors of pro sports and the demands these athletes place on their bodies, chiropractic care would be used to keep them healthy and perform to their highest potential.
Here is what a few other star athletes had to say about chiropractic.
“Chiropractic care has been instrumental in my life, both on and off the field…” -Jerry Rice
“Performing at my best is important and should be to everyone. Getting adjusted regularly along with practicing other good health habits that my mom helped me to establish – these are all part of my goal to win in life and on the field.” – Aaron Rodgers
“I’ve been going to a chiropractor for as long as I can remember; it is as important as the practice of my swing.” – Tiger Woods
Take action!
While you may well have some athletic goals you want to read, you don’t need to be a sportsperson to gain the benefits of chiropractic. Your idea of peak performance might include a fantastic presentation at your next team meeting or just making it through your child’s birthday party! Whatever your goals Don’t let pain slow you down and keep you on the sidelines.
[1] Impact of Spinal Manipulation on Cortical Drive to Upper and Lower Limb Muscles. Brain Science 2016
[2] Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long-Term Outcomes? SPINE 2011
[3] Impact of CrossFit-Related Spinal Injuries. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017
[4] The use and role of sports chiropractors in the national football league: a short report.
JMPT 2002
