Improved Athletic Ability and Chiropractic Care: a Case Study

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Why Most Professional Athletes Have a Chiropractor

The benefits of improving mobility, performance, and reaction time are a few of the benefits that an athlete utilizes chiropractic for. Misalignment in the spine can cause decreased range of motion of the body and extremities, and compromise the nerve’s ability to fire into the joints and the muscles correctly. With athletes, it is important to analyze the entire kinetic chain to see where the restriction is causing hindrance to an athletes performance.

Another important reason athletes see a chiropractor for regular maintenance adjustments is to optimize their ability to recover and prevent injury. When there is less compensation going on in the body, muscles fatigue less, and there are less sprain/strain injuries that can be debilitating to an athlete’s career and lifestyle.

A Case Study

A case study was performed on fifty athletes who were divided into two groups. One group received chiropractic adjustments, and the other served as controls.

Eleven tests were used to measure aspects of athletic ability including: agility, balance, kinesthetic perception, power, and reaction time. After 6 weeks, the control group exhibited minor improvement in eight of the eleven tests while the chiropractic group improved significantly in all tests. In a hand reaction test measuring the speed of reaction with the hand in response to a visual stimulus, the control group exhibited less than a 1% response while the chiropractic group exhibited more than an 18% response after 6 weeks.

After 12 weeks the chiropractic group exhibited more than 30% improvement in athletic ability.

A List of Reasons Athletes have chiropractors

  1. Enhance Performance and reaction time

  2. Improve Mobility and Strength

  3. Optimize Recovery from Post-Work Outs

  4. Prevent Musculoskeletal Injuries

Reach out to a chiropractor today to learn more! Heighten your athletic abilities with chiropractic care.

Thank you

Dr. Katherine McCarty, D.C.

Resource:

Lauro A. Mouch B.   Chiropractic: The Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation. 1991; 6: 84-87

Article retrieved from:

http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/chiropractic-effects-on-athletic-ability.html