Sports chiropractic can help athletes improve their performance. Professional Sports teams across all different sports utilize regular Chiropractic care as part of their treatment, prevention, and performance enhancement programs.
Injury prevention
Of course, the best injury is one that is avoided. While no modality offers athletes complete protection from injury while training or competing, sports Chiropractors play an important role in helping active patients avoid injury. Sports Chiropractic care identifies areas of altered function resulting in compensatory movement issues. These are often asymptomatic. If these compensatory patterns are left unchecked, they can potentially lead to excessive wear/tear or acute injuries.
In May 2019, the International Journal of Clinical Medicine Research published a systematic review of randomized control trials which noted that several studies have linked chiropractic care with faster recovery rates from ankle sprain injuries.
Of course, the best injury is one that is avoided. While no modality offers athletes complete protection from injury while training or competing, sports Chiropractors play an important role in helping active patients avoid injury. Sports Chiropractic care identifies areas of altered function resulting in compensatory movement issues. These are often asymptomatic. If these compensatory patterns are left unchecked, they can potentially lead to excessive wear/tear or acute injuries.
Research has also found that chiropractic care can help athletes improve their level of strength.
The European Journal of Applied Physiology published one such study involving elite Taekwondo athletes. In this case, 11 participants received just one session of care via spinal manipulation or passive movement control and results showed that the group receiving chiropractic experienced increased muscle strength when compared to the control.
Another study this one conducted on active duty U.S. military personnel — a group that is very physically active — found that the primary outcome after engaging in four weeks of sports chiropractic care was an improvement in peak isometric strength.
Something that most athletes have in common is a drive to always reach new heights within their sport of choice. Sports chiropractic care can help them achieve this goal by enhancing their performance.
A 2018 study published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine took 40 asymptomatic athletes and randomly placed them in one of two groups. The first group received spinal manipulative therapy and the second received sham treatments.
Upon conclusion of the study, “statistically significant differences” were found between the two groups with the treatment group showing immediate effects.
Admittedly, research is lacking in this area, with one systematic review concluding that, although four out of seven studies analyzed showed positive outcomes with increased sports performance for those utilizing Chiropractic care. However, more quality research needs to be conducted to learn more about its impact.
“All athletes can benefit from performance flexibility” according to the United States Sports Academy. Increased flexible offers greater injury protection and improved sports performance. While the academy recommends that athletes engage in different stretching techniques, chiropractic can help improve flexibility as well.
One study looked at hip extension ability for 17 male athletes between the ages of 17 and 20-years-old who engaged in distance running. After receiving high-velocity, low-amplitude manipulations targeted to the sacroiliac joints, the treatment group experienced “significantly greater hip extension ability” than the control.
