Chiropractic Care for Athletes: What Can Chiropractors Do?

In the world of sports, athletes are often seen as invincible. They’re the ones that make us want to get up and exercise. They’re also the reason we want to be stronger, faster, and better.

But what happens when an athlete gets injured? The recovery time can be long and frustrating. It can also be very expensive to pay for medical care and physical therapy out of pocket.

Thankfully, some chiropractors can help athletes get back in the game faster than they ever thought possible.

How Chiropractors Can Help a Sports Athlete

Professional athlete, amateur athlete, or weekend warrior, it doesn’t matter. We all want that special something to give us an edge over our competition. An increasing number of professional sportsmen, as well as professional and Olympic coaches, agree that chiropractic sports can be beneficial as part of their team’s “competitive edge.” 

Sports participants such as Jerry Rice, Chris Carter, Barry Bonds, Evander Holyfield, Tiger Woods, Al Unser Jr., and Joe Montana realize the importance of chiropractic care in increasing athletic performance and relieving pain from injuries.

Proper mechanics and alignment mean everything to an athlete. Can you imagine a car with unbalanced tires? This would affect how the car was handled, and as time passed, the tires would wear out and more serious problems could arise. It also holds true for an athlete. If things are not in proper alignment, the body must work harder to compensate for the disturbance, and nagging aches and pains can develop. Chiropractors also offer chiropractic adjustments to help restore proper alignment, thus removing undue stress on the joints and surrounding soft tissue.

Sportsmen often experience pain from injuries during training and competition that can range from minor strains to serious sprains or fractures. A sports chiropractor will be able to evaluate your condition, determine the best course of treatment, and monitor the progress of your recovery.

Chiropractic care can also help restore function to the spinal (and extremity) joints that are “locked up,” fixated and not moving correctly. For athletes, this may feel like a “catch” or they may feel that their joints feel “tight.” By restoring proper motion to the “restricted” joint, a fuller range of motion is allowed, improving overall performance.

Besides treating pain, chiropractic is also beneficial for reducing inflammation and speeding healing. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments depend on proper joint movement and nerve supply for peak performance. Pain and injuries to these tissues can reduce the range of motion, affect delicate nerves, decrease blood supply, and take you out of the game.

Normalizing spinal function and alignment also helps speed up the healing of these soft tissues and reduces the deconditioning effect of being on the sidelines. A proper spinal alignment is essential for peak performance at work or play.

Chiropractic Solutions to Help Athletes Get Back in Shape

Trigger Point Therapy: Sports chiropractic care will use trigger point therapy to treat muscle aches and pains caused by overuse or injury. Trigger points are small knots in the muscle that cause pain when pressed.

Muscle Stretching – A  Dr of chiropractic can teach you the proper way to stretch your muscles before and after exercise, which will prevent pain also injury and speed up recovery time if you do get injured.

Spinal Decompression – Spinal decompression involves applying a gentle force to your spinal column while lying down on a table so that it bends slightly backward and forward. This helps remove pressure on the disks between each vertebra in your spine so they can rehydrate, which may relieve some types of back pain.

Massage Therapy – Chiropractic massage therapy is a type of massage that focuses on the body’s nervous system.  Athletes who suffer from muscle strain or tendonitis may benefit from the chiropractic massage treatment. Chiropractors use their hands or elbow to apply pressure to specific areas of your body. This pressure helps increase blood flow, which increases healing time and reduces pain. Chiropractors also offer massage therapy as part of solutions to overall injury prevention programs.

Getting Help with St. Paul ML Chiro

McCarron Lake Chiropractic is one of the chiropractic clinics in St Paul, MN, that offers chiropractic care for sports athletes to help restore their health, relieve their pain, improve their performance, and increase their competitive edge. Whether you golf, play softball or walk, we offer the best treatment for sports injuries.

Our main goals in treating pain are to restore normal function, relieve pain, and reduce inflammation. Also, we want to help you get back on track with your training program without further complications or setbacks.

McCarron Lake Chiropractic Clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota, serves customers from St Paul, MN, and surrounding areas, including Maplewood, Roseville, Little Canada, Falcon Heights, and Arden Hills.

To find out more information on how sports chiropractic could benefit you or if you need a diagnosis for an injury or condition requiring chiropractic treatment, contact our St. Paul chiropractors at McCarron Lake Chiropractic at (651) 489-6550 to set an appointment today.