Chiropractic and Sports go together like peanut butter and jelly, or like California and Sunshine. Chiropractic care is based on the anatomical dominance of the nervous system and its ability to control all functions and movements of the human body. Whether you are recovering from a cold or recovering from the soreness of a workout, it’s all controlled and coordinated by your brain and nerve system. Doctors of Chiropractic are experts in locating and correcting areas of nerve interference. Commonly this interference is caused by Subluxations in the spine. Subluxations in the spine cause undue tension and pressure upon the nerve system which can then lead to interference in how the body receives its messages from the brain. Body is controlled by brain, brain controls body via nerve energy, Subuxations interfere with nerve energy, Chiropractor removes/reduces Subluxations, restores normal nerve energy, body works better, performs better, heals better, athletic performance enhanced. Sports Chiropractic is simply the application of chiropractic to athletes with their unique needs and sport specific ergonomics in mind.
Chiropractic benefits Athletes in three ways:
1. Perform at their optimum levels: All athletic performance depends on a properly functioning nervous system. By maximizing the function of the nervous system, chiropractic helps athletes perform at their optimum levels. See some of the facts from studies listed below.
2. Maximum Healing from Injuries: We heal through our nerve system. Anytime an athlete has an injury, whether you are a weekend warrior that overdid it playing 2 rounds of golf, or a college water polo player with a shoulder strain, or an 11 yr. old Pop Warner Football player that got tackled too hard, we all heal through the control of our nerve system. Chiropractic helps all athletes by allowing their bodies to heal themselves by improving the function of their nerve systems.
3. Injury Prevention: Because injuries can come from overuse, improper mechanics, or poor coordination, having a nerve system set to its maximum level of expression can help ward these off. Feedback given by the body when it’s being “over used” comes from the nerve system. Body mechanics are controlled by the brain and nerve system, as is coordination. The better an athlete’s nerve system is functioning, the better feedback they will receive from their body, the better their mechanics and coordination will be. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, is never truer than when applied to athletics. This approach to maximum function through maximum nerve system expression is why many professional athletes, Olympic athletes, professional teams, world class athletes, and weekend warriors alike depend on their doctor of chiropractic to keep them in the game.
Ways we care for Athletes at PCH Chiropractic
When you come to PCH Chiropractic and are looking to improve your sport performance we will do a detailed exam to see what parts of your body and nervous system need optimizing. We will start by looking at your spine to evaluate if there are any misalignments that might interfere with full range of motion or full muscular strength output. We will know that by looking at your posture, muscle testing, and also, if needed, by X-rays. We will also look at your proprioception (where your body/brain feels you stand in space) and the way you track moving objects to give us insight at how your right brain and left brain are speaking to one another. From there we can determine what course of action we need to take to optimize your performance.
In addition to specific chiropractic adjustments, we might include:
- Balance exercises: Proprioception is one of the most important things when it comes to athletic performance. If you brain is not fully aware of where your body and all its moving parts are in space how can you fully react and adapt to your environment or hit a ball if you brain isn’t sure where your shoulder is positioned. Balance exercises and proprioceptive exercises enhances the connections in your brain that are related to body mapping and awareness. Proprioception and body awareness can be altered due to prior injuries or any smaller head trauma.
- Eye exercises: To optimize how your brain processes information and reacts to movements around you, whether you are standing in one place or in movements. The way the eyes move and track objects is a window to how your brain functions. Therefore, since the brain control all physical output, we want to make sure the communication has no interference.
- Postural exercises: Specific postural exercises are also key in athletic performance and sometimes our brain and body are so disconnected that even though we mentally want to activate certain muscles, our body can’t. This can be due to prior injuries or simply reconditioning of certain specific parts of our bodies.
- Tractions: to mold your spine, muscles, and ligaments to the new optimal posture for maximum performance
All those will be specific to your body and the way your brain processes information. Everyone is different, so no programs are alike.
At PCH Chiropractic we have 39 years of combined experience in helping all types of athletes:
Here are a few more
Motocross bikers
Football players
Baseball players
Skateboarders
Soccer players
Hockey players
Basketball players
Swimmers
Pickleball and many more!
Here’s some Sports Chiropractic facts:
Golf: 72% of PGA Tour players receive chiropractic care
90% of all golf injuries affect either the neck or back
NFL: 100% of NFL teams have a Doctor of Chiropractic on their staff. During the course of a football season, chiropractors give up to 16,320 – 27,200 adjustments to pro players.
Baseball: 100% of MLB teams have chiropractic care available for players. Regular chiropractic adjustments help baseball players significantly improve their muscle strength and their jumping ability.
NBA: Majority of Teams have chiropractic care available for players.
Regular chiropractic care helps basketball players boost their SPEED,
FLEXIBILITY, RANGE OF MOTION, BALANCE AND STRENGTH.
NHL: Majority of Teams have chiropractic care available for players. Chiropractic care reduces painful symptoms of recurrent shoulder instability due to hockey injuries.
Athletic Performance: studies have shown that athletic performance increases after receiving chiropractic care
Eye/Hand Coordination: has shown to improve after receiving chiropractic care
Olympics: A chiropractor served as THE Chief Medical Officer for Team USA’s multidisciplinary medical team from 2016 – 2018. He also served as Team USA’s medical director before that. ABOUT 30 certified chiropractic sports physicians traditionally care for Team USA during the competition.
College Sports: Most major college athletic departments have a chiropractor on staff. Nearly 40% of college athletes receive chiropractic care.
Running: 100% of runners with joint problems reported reduced symptoms and were able to maintain or increase their training mileage after receiving chiropractic care.
Martial Arts: National-level judo athletes developed a stronger grips after just three chiropractic sessions.
Tennis: For the 50% of tennis players who get tennis elbow, chiropractic adjustments to both the spine and joints, help ease discomfort.
Soccer: Soccer players found improvement after only EIGHT WEEKS of chiropractic care and rehabilitation exercises.
Famous Athletes that use chiropractic care:
Tom Brady
Kelly Slater
Tiger Woods
Michael Jordan
Joe Sakic
Michel Phelps
Cristiano Ronaldo
Common Sports Injuries
The most common sports injuries can include the following:
Sprains/strains-Tendon injuries
Trauma or overuse are often the cause of of the sprain/strain injury in any articulation.
This is where proprioception and fast communication between the brain and the body is extremely important.
That way when the communication in optimal with proper spinal alignment, the body can react quickly to a change in the terrain to prevent an ankle injury, or the proper sequence of muscle activation when it comes time to stabilize a joint when a quick movement and/or change of direction is needed.
Shoulder injuries (including frozen shoulder and separated shoulder)
- The movement of the shoulders is a complex movement. Many muscles and joints are involved in stabilizing this shallow ball and joint socket to keep the humerus in proper alignment.
- All this is controlled by the brain with the nerves coming out of the neck. If there is any interference from a subluxation (misalignment) in the neck the shoulder joint will not be as stable and will be more prone to injury.
- Proper alignment and nerve energy coming from the spine also affects how quickly the shoulder will heal from an injury since all healing is also controlled by the brain. The spine as well as the bones that contribute to the shoulder (humerus, scapula, clavicle, sternum and ribs) also all need to be in proper alignment in order to heal long term.
- At PCH Chiropractic we not only adjust your spine, but also the shoulder joint and all the other bones that are involved in its movement.
Knee Injuries:
- Knee injuries are a common sport injury. It is important when caring for someone with a knee injury to care for the whole kinetic chain that might affect the recovery and might even have caused the injury in the first place.
- The nerves from the low back are the ones supplying strength and energy to the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the knee. Therefore, it is imperative that the communication from the brain through the nerves of the low back have no interference.
- At PCH Chiropractic we will also look at how all the bones in your feet, ankles and pelvis are affecting the actions and healing of your knee. If there are any misalignments in the bones of your foot, the impact will be passed on the amplified to the knee, which can cause chronic knee pain.
- Same situation is someone has a misalignment in their low back or pelvis. It can lead to compensation and extra weight carried on one side of the body compared to the other. This undue stress can lead to chronic knee pain and vulnerability during trauma.
At PCH Chiropractic we will look at all the joints in related to the knee injury. We will adjust your spine and all other joints as needed to make sure that the whole kinetic chain is working properly to facilitate healing and function of your knees.
Whiplash-Concussions:
This type of injury is often missed by many athletes. Our brain is a very sensitive organ and even a jolt can cause inflammation in the brain. We have a tendency to forget this part of the injury since the brain doesn’t feel pain. We tend to focus on the neck pain that can be associated with whiplash and concussions.
- Even though the brain doesn’t feel pain, it exhibits symptoms of inflammation like: Brain fog, anxiety, depression, ADHD, difficulty to fall and stay asleep and others.
- At PCH Chiropractic we will make sure that your cervical spine is in proper alignment for the very delicate upper cervical ligaments to heal and to make sure that there is no interference with the cerebral spinal fluid that bring nutrients to your brain to facilitate the healing.
- We might also give you nutritional advice to decrease the inflammation in order to speed up the healing process.
Plantar fasciitis:
At PCH Chiropractic we will make sure that there is no interference to the nerve supply to your feet and the platter fascia. We will also check and adjust all bones of the foot and ankle that might be out of alignment and contributing to the inflammation in the fascia.
Other conditions that we help and adjust the spine and all extremities involved to bring back nerve supply and proper alignment and communication to prevent and heal:
- Shin splints
- Tennis elbow
- Golfer’s elbow,
- Ankle sprains.
- Low back pain
The experienced doctors of chiropractic at PCH Chiropractic are experienced in the specific needs of athletes, and are trained to recognize and correctly identify your sports related injuries and work to establish an environment within the patient of self-healing. Even if you have not yet experienced an injury, our team PCH Chiropractic can help you optimize your athletic performance by improving neural efficiency and prevent long-term stress-related injuries by teaching you better training habits and educating you about your body’s strengths and weaknesses. Building a good working relationship with your doctor is essential, not just when you are injured, but to get that extra advantage over your competition.
Perhaps one of the most exciting studies just published actually showed an increase the velocity of the impulses coming from the brain into the rest of the body when normal posture and alignment were restored in the head and neck area. One can easily see how better/faster messages from the brain into the body could impact athletic performance.
Common Questions about Sports Chiropractic:
What do Sports Chiropractors do?
Doctors of Chiropractic are primary care providers in all 50 states and many foreign countries. Being so, chiropractors are licensed to care for athletes of all ages. Some chiropractors have “sub” specialties and Sports Chiropractors specialize in caring for athletes. When doing so they assess and care for sports-related injuries, and work to optimize athletic function, through non-invasive spine and joint adjustments. Often, the goal is to improve nerve system function which will improve muscle tone, balance, and performance resulting in a body expressing its maximum health, coordination, and regeneration. Many athlete’s consider chiropractic their “secret weapon” for an edge over their competitors. The Drs. Peet at PCH Chiropractic have nearly 40 yrs. of combined experience in the care of both elite athletes, college and high school athletes, and weekend warriors.
2. Does Chiropractic Care improve Athletic Performance and aid in recovery?
Yes, Studies have shown that Sports Chiropractic does that in many ways. Regular chiropractic adjustments help baseball players significantly improve their muscle strength and their jumping ability. Regular chiropractic care helps basketball players boost their speed, flexibility, range motion, balance, and strength. Studies have shown that athletic performance increases after receiving chiropractic care. Eye/Hand Coordination: has shown to improve after receiving chiropractic care. 100% of runners with joint problems reported reduced symptoms and were able to maintain or increase their training mileage after receiving chiropractic care. National-level judo athletes developed a stronger grip after just three chiropractic sessions. Soccer players found improvement after only EIGHT WEEKS of chiropractic care and rehabilitation exercises.
3. How can I know if a Sports Chiropractor can help me?
Contact PCH Chiropractic and schedule yourself for a detailed evaluation and examination. The Drs. Peet only accept patients that they can help, and make the necessary referral for those that they can’t. You can do so with knowledge that you will be evaluated by an office with nearly 40 years of combined experience in the care of athletes just like you. Make chiropractic your “secret weapon” to be your best on the field, on the course, on the track, in the lineup, on court, or wherever you do your sports.
4. What type of problems do Sport Chiropractors help with?
The most common sports injuries that sports chiropractors work with are: Subluxations, sprains/strains, tendon injuries, joint injuries, dislocations, frozen shoulder, swollen muscles, neck pain, whiplash, shoulder pain, low back pain, knee injuries, shin splints, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, shoulder sprains, and ankle sprains.
The experienced doctors of chiropractic at PCH Chiropractic are experienced in the specific needs of athletes, and are trained to recognize and correctly identify your sports related injuries and work to establish an environment within the patient of self-healing. They can even “coach” you on how to rehab your injuries at home, and give you tips on avoiding future injury.
5. Do the doctors of Chiropractic at PCH Chiropractic care for athletes?
Yes, they do. The doctors at PCH Chiropractic understand the needs of athletes deeply because they are athletes themselves. Dr. Palmer Peet attended a Division I University on a full athletic scholarship, lettered in both swimming and soccer, and surfs 3-4 days a week at Trestles. Dr. Catherine was a snowboard instructor, has a yoga practice, loves to mountain bike, and also surfs every week at Trestles.
They have cared for world record holders, triathletes, pro golfers, pro mountain bikers, elite motocross racers, surfing champions, football stars, lots of weekend warriors, Pop Warner Football players, soccer MVP’s, and many other athletes just like you.
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