Sport is one of the many life activities that is closely associated with the need for chiropractic care. Many professional athletes have been utilising the regular services of a chiropractor for many years. Recently, professional athletic teams have actually employed team chiropractors. They regularly check the spines of their players for vertebral subluxations.
The most easily understood cause of a vertebral subluxation is a physical stress upon the body. Watching in awe at the physicallity a rugby league game, one has to wonder whether players have any vertebrae in their spine that are not subluxated! The human spine is the shock absorber of the body and it is designed to withstand a tremendous amount of stress. Also, athletes are usually superbly conditioned, enabling their bodies to withstand forces that would cause injury to the average person. Nevertheless, athletes can, and do, get subluxated. If that is the case for professional athletes, what about the occasional athlete, for example, the individual who plays indoor soccer or basketball once every week? The person who only plays tennis on Saturday afternoons in the summer is going to stress his or her body and likely need an adjustment by a chiropractor. In addition to not being in top condition, many sports (that is, non-contact sports such as bowling and golf) place a tremendous stress on certain parts of the body because of the one-sided, repetitive activity involved. In addition to the physical stresses, what about the emotional stress of having to sink a 10 metre putt to win a golf tournament?
The possibility of sports-related subluxations that could interfere with the nervous system, perhaps contributing to physical problems later in life, is a real concern, and sufficient reason for getting regular chiropractic spinal checks, whether you are regularly or just casually involved with sport.
But there is another important consideration with regard to chiropractic. If subluxations interfere with the nervous system, then they must reduce the ability of the body to work to its fullest potential, and if that is the case, then an athlete’s performance has to suffer. This is another reason that many athletes receive regular chiropractic care. They want every edge they possibly can have in performing at their highest level. A good nerve supply is necessary to achieve maximum eye-hand co-ordination, maximum concentration, and optimal alertness, as well as strength and endurance.
Regular adjustments will enable you to do your best in any sport.