Whether  you are a professional athlete, crossfit enthusiast or the occasional Zumba fan, chiropractic care can help improve your athletic performance in leaps and bounds.

As a chiropractor, I see a range of athletes daily with a variety of medical and health concerns. Both mental and physical stress can have a large impact on the body and by keeping the spine in alignment, you are better equipped to handle these bumps in the road.

Chiropractic adjustment can also be beneficial for maintenance, even if you are not feeling the symptoms of a particular ailment.

Headache Relief
Many athletes complain of headache every now and again. When you picture contact sports like football and hockey, this may come as little surprise. Studies have found that 60 to 90 percent of all headaches are the result of neck (or facet joint pain). In most of these cases, pain can be immediately relieved through chiropractic adjustment.

Shoulder Injury Improvement
In addition to physical therapy, many athletes with shoulder injuries also come and see me for adjustments. Often when injuries occur and muscle damage or strain results, the alignment of the spine is neglected. If you are favoring a sore area of your body for example, you may be causing other injuries to the body by compensating.

Pain and Swelling Reduction
A common technique used by chiropractors, including myself, is ‘The Kinesio Taping Method.’ This is used commonly for athletes who have tires muscles, muscle pain or swelling and provide relief for muscles that are constantly in use. This non-restrictive taping method allows a full range of motion while providing support and stability to the muscle. 

Improved Mobility
Frequent adjustments allow the body to move in every way intended. Often when we have subluxations, our muscles cramp and become less flexible as a result. Frequent adjustments result in improved mobility which can drastically improve the quality of movement on and off the field.

Tennis Elbow Relief
Studies show that nearly 50% of all tennis players suffer from the condition commonly known as tennis elbow. Fortunately, these cases can be improved through joint manipulation and chiropractic care.

Injury Prevention
While of course some injuries can’t be prevented, many can be with routine chiropractic care. For those who are not properly aligned, muscle tone is often asymmetrical from one side of the body to the other. By having one side that weaker than the other, injury and strain is more likely.

Promote Faster Healing After Injury
Keeping the body in natural alignment will reduce strain and pressure on injured joints. Often when misalignment occurs on top of an injury, healing is delayed since the body  tells itself to go in to protection mode. This is why athletes commonly suffer from a condition known as splinting where the muscles around the injury grow overly tight to try and protect the area.

Improved Nerve Communication
When misalignment occurs, the ability for nerve communication from the brain and spinal column to other parts of the body may be hindered. If this is occurring, often athletes will complain of numbness, weakness or tingling in certain areas of the body.

Improved Balance
Balance is essential for all forms of sports. Dizziness is a common result of subluxation in the spine. Athletes who are frequently adjusted are better balanced and therefore, better able to perform in competition.