People visit chiropractors for a variety of reasons, but mainly for problems regarding their neck, back, spine, or shoulders. Recent research, however, shows that people are visiting their chiropractors for more than just these reasons.
Physical Care for the Athlete
Many new patients are young athletes that are seeking treatment for problems with their muscular-skeletal system. When athletes are younger, injury can seem devastating; college scholarships and hopes of joining a major team can all be taken away by a single catastrophic event.
Many young athletes attempt physical therapy to fix problems with their muscles, spine, ankles, or shoulders and are disappointed when little to no improvement is made. Chiropractic care is different from other physical therapies because its primary focus is on the nervous system – especially the spine – and how it interacts with the rest of the body.
The Wear and Tear of Sports
Although competing in sports can provide several benefits to an individual (such as exercise, motor skills, teamwork, and building friendships), it can also put the body through a great deal of punishment and abuse. Football, soccer, baseball/softball, volleyball, basketball, track, wrestling, cycling, and rugby all involve a lot of physical contact that can affect your spine and nervous system.
The spine is a common place of injury – especially in football and rugby. The spine is full of nerve tissues and is responsible for a large part of the functionality of the nervous system. When the spine gets stressed the vertebrae become tight, causing the brain to be unable to sense and send correct information. This could be harmful in a competitive game. Fortunately, chiropractic care can alleviate these issues by removing nerve interference. Correction of nerve interference can promote muscle strength and control.
Painrelief for Headaches, Shoulder, Neck and More
Headaches, shoulder pain, and ankle injuries are just a few other types of sports injuries than can be treated with chiropractic care. A study by Duke University in 2001 concluded that “Spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate relief for headaches originating from the neck.” Studies by the Annals of Internal Medicine shows the effectiveness of chiropractic care on shoulder pain and studies by the JMPT and Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic care on ankles improves motion and function.
Careful Treatment without Invasive Surgery
Unlike some physical therapies and medical treatments, chiropractic care can often correct these issues without invasive surgery or expensive pain killers. Below are some common chiropractic treatments. However, these are only a few of the many different types of treatments that chiropractors may perform on their athlete patients.
The Active Release Technique (ART) is a combination technique between massage and stretching. The treatment involves the movement of the effected joint through slow range of motion. It allegedly treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves.
Functional dry needling is a therapeutic treatment procedure that involves the use of a needle. The needle penetrates into deep trigger points in the body which allegedly releases tension in the muscles.
Spinal and manual manipulation is a high-velocity technique that involves the thrusting of the arms in order to reduce nerve irritability and restore range of motion in the back. This is commonly used to treat lower back pain.
Dr. Rob Hausman is a chiropractor in the Austin area. Dr. Hausman enjoys helping his patients find pain relief through the use of chiropractic care, corrective excersices and massage thereapy, especially for the everday athlete. As an athlete himself, Dr. Hausman enjoys participating in marathons, bike rides, and yoga. He knows how important it is to maintain the muscles and skeletal structure for an athlete.