Chiropractic enhances athletic performance
Athletes have been benefiting from chiropractic care for many years. Athletes of all types, from the weekend warrior to the world-class athlete, utilize chiropractic because it is a drug-free way to help increase performance and improve health outcomes.
Chiropractic adjustments can help ensure that the body functions as efficiently as possible, which can maximize healing and recovery from all types of injuries. Anyone who engages in athletics can benefit from regular chiropractic checkups to ensure that their spine is balanced and free from structural stress. When the spinal column is brought into balance and alignment, the body’s nervous system and body biomechanics (posture) are maximized. Doctors of chiropractic focus on the entire structure of the body rather than only focusing on the injured body part. For this reason, they can often detect an injury that might normally be overlooked or ignored.
Doctors of chiropractic are experts in the field of human biomechanics and are aware of proper posture and movement. By observing an athlete in action, a chiropractor can often detect and prevent a structural problem that can lead to injury or poor performance. Athletic injures are often caused by improper biomechanics or muscle imbalances within the spine.
A Canadian research team included chiropractic care in the rehabilitation program of 16 injured female long-distance runners. Not only did these runners recover quickly, seven of them actually scored “personal best” performances while under chiropractic care.
A landmark research effort from the New Zealand School of Chiropractic and the University of Auckland has evaluated the effects chiropractic adjustments may have on reaction times. Two groups were tested to study variations in reaction times; one group received spinal adjustments, while the other group, only receiving a short period of rest, acted as a control group for comparison.
There was a marked improvement for the group that received an adjustment over the group that got nothing but rest. The group that got only a rest period showed an average decrease in reaction time of 58 milliseconds, an 8 percent faster reaction time. The group that received the chiropractic adjustment showed a decrease in reaction time of 97 milliseconds, representing a 14.8 percent faster reaction time.
Call Natural Spine Solutions today at 208-966-4425 for a consultation to see how chiropractic can help aid in increasing your athletic performance.
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Dr. Wayne M. Fichter Jr. is a chiropractor at Natural Spine Solutions. The business is located at 3913 Schreiber Way in Coeur d’Alene, 208-966-4425.