There is no doubt that chiropractic care is beneficial for athletes of all kinds. An athlete moves their body with intent toward a higher purpose. This means anyone from young kids in youth sports all the way to Olympians. So yes, even playing basketball at the park with your buddies makes you an athlete! Chiropractic is essential for athletes to care for their bodies and to help optimize performance. Adjustments restore function to the nervous system, making the body adapt to stress quicker and even temporarily increasing strength. It also speeds up healing and recovery time. Because of this, more and more athletes are turning to chiropractors as part of their health team. In fact, every professional sports team has a chiropractor on staff. Did you know that Aaron Rodger’s dad was a chiropractor?
How We Treat Athletes in Sun Prairie, WI
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
While most of the general public comes to our office because they’re in pain, this isn’t necessarily the case for athletes. Some athletes do have a specific condition they want help with, but the majority are just hoping to improve their performance. This is why it’s so important for doctors to perform a detailed consultation and specific examination first. This will allow them to understand your personal history and current condition as well as set goals for your future. At Noble Choice Chiropractic, our doctors really listen and understand what it is that you are hoping to achieve.
During the examination, the doctors will perform chiropractic and orthopedic testing to determine if there are any problems. If the athlete has a complaint, these tests help the doctors discern if the pain is from a bone, muscle, nerve, disc, or a combination of these structures. Whether the goal is pain relief or functional improvement, the next step is creating a plan to heal faster and perform better.
Digital X-rays
Athletes often thrive on objective testing, and X-rays are no different. We offer digital X-rays right on-site to help diagnose any potential spinal imbalances. Specifically, we perform motion study X-rays to see where a subluxation occurs in the spine. A subluxation, or misalignment of the spine, is frequently associated with pain but also causes decreased range of motion and sometimes causes organ dysfunction. For an athlete to perform at their best, their body needs to be functioning at the highest potential as well. X-rays help us see exactly where the problems are in the spine.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Sun Prairie, WI
Chiropractors detect and correct misalignments of the spine, also known as subluxations. When the spine shifts out of alignment, this can irritate the nerves. Sometimes this irritation presents as pain, numbness, or tingling, but it can also result in weakness or restriction. For example, a golfer with subluxations in their lower back might notice he cannot rotate properly and hit the ball as far as he should.
Chiropractic adjustments help to realign the bones of the spine and take pressure off the nerves. Even if an athlete has no pain symptoms, chiropractic adjustments help restore overall body function, improving sports performance.
Types of Athletes We Help at Noble Choice Chiropractic
Runners
Whether you run six miles a day or six miles a week, you’re considered a runner! Running has immense whole-body benefits. It helps strengthen muscles, build strong bones, improve cardiovascular fitness, and reduce stress. For many people, running is their “me” time and truly helps change their lives. However, as great as running is for the body, it can be very hard on it. Tendonitis, muscle strains, and joint pain are common complaints from runners. These problems can be exacerbated if the spine and pelvis are out of alignment. For example, if the right hip is higher than the left, the right foot will strike harder with each step. This affects the ankle, knee, hip, and eventually the low back. Chiropractic adjustments help keep the body in alignment and give you the best run possible with the least side effects.
Cyclists
Not everyone has the physical capacity or desire to take on strenuous activities like running. Cycling is an excellent alternative as it is easier on the joints while still keeping motion in the joints. Other benefits of cycling include improving cardiovascular strength, muscle-building, mental health, and flexibility. Just like any repetitive exercise, there are some drawbacks. Cycling can put strain on the hips, knees, and spine. More serious cyclists report upper back and neck pain from maintaining the arrow position for prolonged periods. Similar to running, if the spine is out of alignment, it will affect how the stress of cycling is dispersed throughout your body. Chiropractic adjustments keep the spine aligned so that cycling and other exercise can continue to be beneficial.
Golfers
Golf is a fantastic game because it combines both physical and mental attributes. It also appeals to all ages and all fitness levels, making it an easy sport to love. The golf swing is very complex, from the rotation of the spine to the power driven through the shoulders and upper back. Even the neck plays a role in a great golf swing. This doesn’t even begin to describe the focus and reflex needed to drive the ball as far and as accurately as possible.
Keeping the spine in alignment ensures the brain and the body has a full, uninterrupted connection to keep your nervous system functioning at its highest potential.
CrossFit Athletes
CrossFit has gained popularity over the past 20 years or so as one of the most effective ways to train the body through high-intensity strength and conditioning movements. One of the reasons CrossFit is so popular is due to the ability to modify to every fitness level while still having enough variety to challenge most athletes. A coming complaint about CrossFit is the prevalence of overuse and overexertion injuries. Besides ensuring the athlete has proper form before increasing weight, it is crucial to remove misalignments of the spine to maintain range of motion. This helps to decrease injuries and continue to increase strength.
Common Conditions We Help Athletes With
Concussions
The highest concussion incident rates per sport during gameplay are: Men’s rugby, Men’s American football, Women’s ice hockey, Men’s ice hockey, Women’s soccer, and Men’s soccer. During practice, the rates change per sport from highest incident to lowest: 1. Men’s rugby, Women’s ice hockey, Men’s American football, Women’s soccer, Men’s ice hockey, and Men’s soccer.
A concussion is an injury of the brain. Contrary to what most people think, you do not need to lose consciousness for an injury to occur. Many signs and symptoms of a concussion can be subtle and may not show up immediately. They also aren’t always physical symptoms, as concussions present cognitively and emotionally. Headaches, neck pain, blurry vision, confusion, dizziness, memory loss, nausea/vomiting, slurred speech, tinnitus, fatigue, sleep issues, lack of concentration, irritability, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and sensitivity to light and noise. Physical manifestations may show up right away, while cognitive symptoms appear hours, days, and even weeks later.
Healing the brain following a concussion injury is vital for many reasons, but in the days immediately after a concussion, it’s of utmost importance. This is because of what’s known as Second Impact Syndrome, which is often fatal.
Muscle Strains
The most common muscle strain in athletes occurs in the back of your leg, known as the hamstring. Other common areas are the lower back, shoulder, and neck. Strains are most common in athletes during sudden explosive movements but can occur during simple movements like bending down to put a shoe or sock on. This is typically due to adhesions that occur in the muscle over time. Adhesions prevent proper stretching of the muscle. Restriction of the joint, known as a subluxation, also causes an imbalance of the muscle system leading to increased tension in the surrounding muscles. Subluxation also affects the nervous system, increasing the tone and tension in the body globally.
Strains may feel like a dull, achy pain that intensifies with movement. By definition, a strain is the tearing of a muscle, like when the muscle stretches too far. To help with this type of injury, Noble Choice Chiropractic teaches patients exercises to perform at home and provides home care instructions for ice/heat/rest therapy. The most important care we provide though is adjusting the spine. Correcting subluxations improves the mechanical input to the muscle and joints, restoring normal movement.
Low Back Pain
Low back pain is one of the most common complaints that we see in our office. It’s actually the #1 cause of disability in the United States, as 80% of people will deal with low back pain at some point in their lives. Low back pain could result from a problem with the muscles, ligaments, joints, or discs. Some sports, such as weight lifting or football, tend to put extra stress on the low back. If the spine isn’t aligned properly, this stress can make the low back unstable and more prone to injury.
Chiropractic is a powerful tool to treat and prevent low back pain by adjusting the vertebrae and keeping your body functioning at its highest potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chiropractic good for an athlete?
Yes, yes, yes! Chiropractic adjustments help with range of motion, improving function and overall performance.
Do professional athletes use a chiropractor?
Almost every professional sports team has a chiropractor on staff. Chiropractic helps the body heal from injury as well as perform better.
How often do athletes see a Chiropractor?
Frequency depends on the individual athlete. If an injury is involved, more frequent adjustments may be needed until we can establish wellness care.
How do chiropractors help with concussions?
Chiropractic adjustments directly influence the nervous system and how the brain responds to incoming input. This means that the trauma from a concussion can begin to heal faster.
When should an athlete see a chiropractor?
While it’s never too late to start chiropractic care, it’s never too earlier either. The best time to start seeing a chiropractor is when athletes are children. When the spine is aligned properly, there is less chance of injury. If you are questioning whether you should be adjusted, reach out to us!