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Category: Sports Chiropractic

Golfers Swing into Summer with Chiropractic Care

Golfers Swing into Summer with Chiropractic Care

afternoon golfing
afternoon golfing

PGA golfers Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington have relied on chiropractic care for years to stay healthy and to improve their performance over the course of their professional careers. Fred Funk and Suzann Pettersen have too. So have a great many others. So there’s really little doubt that elite golfers (and their coaches and trainers) recognize the value of chiropractic care. But what about the weekend warrior? Can chiropractic care help the average golfer play better, longer and with fewer injuries?

If you’re a golfer, you might already know first-hand that your musculoskeletal health plays a huge role in your enjoyment of the sport as well as your performance.

One of the most important things to understand is that the biomechanics of your golf swing can affect your health (back, hips, neck, elbows, etc.) and vice-versa—that your health can affect your swing.  It’s really a feedback loop that can have either a positive or negative effect on your game over time.

Many professionals around the broader golf community—from instructors and trainers to healthcare providers who specialize in sports medicine—are becoming increasingly interested in this feedback loop.  The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) is one very good example:

“…TPI has analyzed how physical limitations in a player’s body can adversely affect the golf swing and potentially lead to injury.”

“TPI’s mission is to educate golfers and industry professionals on the body/swing connection…”

Let’s talk health first.

The very nature of golf and the biomechanics associated with swinging a club make chiropractic care a great fit for golfers. Golfing can involve considerable strain on the spine as a result of the need to generate club head speed. This requires good swing mechanics—posture, balance and timing. Poor swing mechanics have the potential to create exaggerated or flattened spinal curves that can seriously affect performance. In fact, Tom Ward, PGA Golf Instructor, says, “Over 50% of all golfers will experience some sort of pain due to poor posture and the problems that arise from loss of proper curves in the spine.”

By helping to improve your spine’s stability and range of motion, chiropractic care can help prevent injuries and enhance swing performance. An individualized treatment plan including chiropractic adjustments combined with structured stretching and exercise programs may make a significant difference in how well you golf and how much you enjoy it—as well as in how long you’re able to play the game.

Now what about performance?

Recent research suggests that chiropractic care can indeed lead to improved golf performance. A recent study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine demonstrated that the combination of chiropractic care and stretching are associated with greater improvements in golfers’ swings when compared to stretching alone.

Two groups of golfers participated in the study. One group received a program of stretching only, and the second received both stretching and spinal manipulation. The stretching program was the same for both groups, and both groups had similar average ages, handicaps, and initial swings. All 43 participants initially performed three full swing maneuvers, and the average distances were recorded. Over a 4-week period, all participants hit 3 balls before and after treatment.

After 4 weeks, the stretching only group showed no improvement in swing performance.  However the stretching and manipulation group did improve their swing performance and there was greater driving distance right after treatment each week. So it appears that yes, chiropractic care can help not only top golfers such as Woods and Harrington, but it can help you improve your golf game too.

A good golf swing is the result of a complex combination of balance, flexibility and strength.  And doing it repeatedly over the course of 18 holes (or even more in tournament play) takes a high degree of conditioning as well. If you’re serious about golf, chiropractic care can help you play better, play longer and avoid injuries while you’re doing it!

Call or visit our office today to learn more!

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic Care: Beach Volleyball Players

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic Care: Beach Volleyball Players

usa-china-beach-volleyball-players-200-300For a sport with a relatively short history (it began in Southern California in the 1930s), beach volleyball has become immensely popular in the U.S. and around the world. So much so that the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was founded in 1983 to promote the sport and its athletes, and it became an official sport of the Olympic Games in 1996.

The AVP has always recognized that playing on an uneven surface puts a great deal of strain on the bodies of even well-conditioned athletes. So in order to help reduce the risk of injury and prolong players’ careers, the AVP hired a chiropractor named Tim Brown as its first Director of Sports Medicine. Another chiropractic physician named G. Douglas Andersen took over this role a couple of years later. It has become standard practice for a team chiropractor, along with all the necessary adjusting equipment, to accompany the team across the country to each competition on the AVP tour.

Chiropractor Allen M. Manison regularly works with beach volleyball players. He says, “When one considers volleyball injuries, usually the shoulder is the region that gets blamed most. This makes sense as we usually envision volleyball players ‘spiking’ the ball. The rotator cuff and other structures of the shoulder take a beating from the high force and movement that is required of the shoulder.” However, other parts of the body are prone to injury as well. Manison says “I have seen more neck, knee, hip, low back, toe, foot, ankle, and elbow injuries than I would’ve ever imagined! Shoulder injuries are actually about half of the way down on the list of injuries.”

Manison continued, “The beach volleyball game involves tremendous stresses on the body. First, it’s two people per each side of the net, so each athlete has to cover large areas in very short periods of time. Second, the athletes are throwing their bodies around in sand, which certainly does not help with movement. Third, although the sand gives way, the athletes are barefoot and are not getting lots of support for the aggressive maneuvers they are making while they play. Fourth, there is sometimes very little rest as winning teams need to keep playing, and without enough rest and recovery, the risk for injury is increased.”

April Ross, a US Olympic Team beach volleyball player, appreciated the benefits of growing up with chiropractic in her home. She said, “I’ve worked with a lot of chiropractors in my career as a professional beach volleyball player and I grew up having one as my dad, so I think my standards are pretty high! … It’s always pleasant going in for an adjustment. I get a lot of whiplash diving around in the sand and as long as I get in regularly to see [her chiropractor] Dr. Callotta I’m able to deal with it so that I can continue to compete. I don’t know what I would do without her. Now that I am heading to the Olympics I’m counting on her to keep me healthy and ready to win the gold!” (Editor’s note: She did win a silver medal!)

Lisa Rutledge, a professional beach volleyball player had this to say about her chiropractor: “I see Dr. J for chiropractic work about 2 to 3 times a week, and honestly, if I could go more, I would. I play beach volleyball and it takes a serious toll on your body. I’m traveling all over the world – I’m going to Moscow, to Rome, to Korea – and 20-hour flights are not fun. So when I get back my body is just out of alignment, it feels weird, it just doesn’t feel right. So as soon as I get off the plane I book my appointment with Dr. J and I get my adjustment and I feel 100 times better. It really does wonders for your body.”

For High School Athletes, Sports-Related Back Pain Starts Early

For High School Athletes, Sports-Related Back Pain Starts Early

gridironPeople often assume that lower back pain (LBP) is just a problem just for the elderly, or for middle-aged adults who have a history of physical wear and tear. But this is simply untrue. The fact is that over 31 million Americans live with lower back pain on a regular basis, and a great number of them are adolescents.

Recent studies have indicated that many high school students who participate in sports programs are at high risk for developing lower back pain—and worse, few of them seek or receive proper chiropractic treatment. This is increasingly recognized as a legitimate public health concern: A 25-year-long study of adolescent risk factors for LBP, published in 2000, revealed that students who had lower back pain at age 14 were likelier to have back pain 25 years later than students who didn’t have LBP when they were teenagers. This study suggested that prevention of back pain in youth may contribute to the absence of back pain in adulthood.

14 years later, not much has changed. A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined Finnish teenage athletes participating in a variety of sports. Researchers looked at the experience of 464 male and female athletes representing 22 basketball, floorball (a type of floor hockey popular in Nordic countries), ice hockey, and volleyball teams. They found that 255 athletes (55%) had experienced lower back pain in the past year. 51 players (11%) had suffered for longer than four weeks, and 80 (17.2%) had pain so severe that they had to miss training. However, only about 73 of them (29% of those with back pain) had received any medical attention for LBP.

Another study of 12,306 adolescent soccer players found that a significant percentage of them were likely to suffer injuries that cause lower back pain, resulting in the loss of 10,265 training days and—more importantly—putting them at higher risk for LBP as they age. The study also concluded that the likelihood of injury resulting in LBP increased dramatically if a young athlete received no medical attention, then returned to play before the injury had healed.

Parents of teenage athletes should weigh all of this information carefully if their son or daughter begins to complain of lower back pain. Don’t let them ignore it and go back to playing without having the condition treated. Remember—“walking it off” today could have longer-term health consequences that go beyond the discomfort or pain they’re feeling in the moment. Parents should also know that other studies have found chiropractic care to be the safest, most effective form of LBP treatment. Your chiropractor can help relieve your child’s pain today and help prevent a lifetime of lower back pain in the future, without drugs and without surgery. Call or visit our office today to learn more.

How Chiropractic Care Has Helped Me: Introducing Allison Jones

How Chiropractic Care Has Helped Me: Introducing Allison Jones

allison-jones-collage-200-300Competitive cycling is a sport that taxes the body in a major way. Competitions often last for days, with little time in between courses to recover. Skiing is another competitive sport that requires large amounts of endurance. Now imagine competing in these sports using only one leg! Allison Jones was born with a deformed femur and wears a prosthetic leg, but it has not stopped her from becoming one of the top female athletes in these two fields. Jones has competed in six Paralympic Games and won over a dozen medals in both in cycling and skiing, and she continues to leave her competitors in the dust.

“My parents started me skiing when I was five years old … by age six I was cycling around the neighborhood with all my friends,” Jones said. Her parents made sure that her lack of a limb did not get in the way of her being a kid. “This could have set me up for a life of lower expectations and lower activity levels but not with my parents. My mother and father were very active and I was to take part in everything. I learned to ride a bike, skate board, rock climb, white water raft, hike, ski, and to just be a kid. I only knew to be a kid and not someone with a disability.”

Jones is a strong believer in the benefits of chiropractic care. She said, “I was born without my right leg, and have met life’s challenges with the attitude that quitting is not an option. Chiropractic care has been essential to my good health and success – including earning multiple gold medals in international competitions over the past 10 years.”

Jones credits her chiropractor, Dr. Mindy Mar, with helping her to achieve the most her body can accomplish. Mar says, “Professional athletes have the same issues as everyone else when it comes to stress, aches, pains, lack of mobility – it’s just much more pronounced. Chiropractic care allows everyone to live their lives to the fullest.”

According to Jones, “I always push my body to the limit. The precise muscle releasing techniques and joint alignment that chiropractic care provides allows me to race day after day at peak performance.”
In 2011, Jones was nominated by ESPN for an Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly award (ESPY) for the best female athlete with a physical disability. During the Olympic Games in Beijing, she was the only American to have competed in both the summer and winter Olympics. She is currently training for the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. As Jones says, “Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

Chiropractic and Professional Soccer

Chiropractic and Professional Soccer

traumaProfessional soccer (or football, as it is called in parts of the world outside the U.S.) is a sport that is rough on the musculoskeletal system. It’s not uncommon to see a player suddenly drop to the ground holding his leg in apparent pain. Sometimes this is just a way of slowing down the game or trying to draw a penalty. However, it can also be a sign that the player has sustained a real injury.

Soccer involves movements that are particularly hard on the lower body. Players must often change direction very suddenly when running down the field. This means that they twist the upper body quickly in one direction while their feet are still planted in another. When this occurs, it places a great deal of stress on the tendons and ligaments in the knees, potentially resulting in injuries. Leg injuries can also occur when players are kicked repeatedly or are shoved or tackled when in vulnerable or awkward positions.

The legs aren’t the only part of a soccer player’s body that takes a beating. Their heads are often used to redirect a ball flying through the air at 60 or 70 mph, putting a strain on the entire spinal column. With all the twisting that soccer players do, it is easy for their spines to become misaligned, putting pressure on nerves and causing pain not only in the back, but in the limbs as well.

With all this abuse, many professional soccer players have found that chiropractic care helps keep them on the field and performing at their best. Dr. Mike Foudy, who was the team chiropractor for the Women’s World Cup Championship team said, “all but one member of the team received regular chiropractic care during their training and on the days of their matches. Chiropractic adjustments balanced their spine, removed nerve pressure and optimized the function of their bodies. All the players felt like they healed quicker from injuries and that the care gave them a competitive edge.”

A former World Cup champion from Brazil, Carlos Alberto Torres, credits chiropractic with resolving chronic disabling back pain that had kept him relying on crutches to walk. Traditional medical treatments had not helped, and finally someone referred him to a chiropractor. The chiropractic care he received enabled him to have a quick and full recovery so he could walk again without crutches and free of pain.

 
With the 2014 FIFA World Cup coming up in Brazil, professional soccer players will no doubt be lining up for chiropractic services. As Dr. Erik Plasker, the team chiropractor for one of the top US youth soccer teams noted, “while the other teams are scrambling to change their lineups due to injuries, our team bounces back fast and brings an energetic advantage to championship games. The players and coach agree that chiropractic care helps them compete at the highest level and avoid injuries.”

How Chiropractic Has Helped Me: Introducing Jerry Rice

How Chiropractic Has Helped Me: Introducing Jerry Rice

Madden 07 release photo #5Few people put their bodies through the sort of punishment that football players endure every week-during practice and at game time. Former National Football League (NFL) wide receiver Jerry Rice says that chiropractic care has been instrumental in keeping him in good condition, both on and off the field. He was named the NFL’s Player of the Year in 1987 and retired 20 years later, having broken almost every wide receiver record in the NFL. Named MVP in Super Bowl XXIII, he attributes his athletic longevity to “vigorous exercise and chiropractic adjustments.”

“I believe in chiropractic and I know that it works. You probably know about my long and successful career in football, and I’m flattered by the testimonials to my durability. Football is a very rough and vigorous sport,” Rice says. “I took some vicious hits from players nearly twice my size. Thankfully, I had the durability to withstand these tackles, or I would never have succeeded or lasted as long as I did. Chiropractic was the key to keeping me in the game.” He continued, “My first experience with chiropractic care was right before the 49ers were to play the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. A couple of our players were injured and a chiropractor turned things around. I quickly became a believer, and ever since, I have had the benefit of chiropractic care.” He added, “Chiropractic made football great for me. I was at my best and was always at 100 percent.”
Rice had chiropractic adjustments twice a week while he was training to help him recover from the regular assault his body took on the playing field. “If I had everything in alignment, I knew I could play my best football,” he said.  Seeing how it helped Rice, his teammates were soon convinced that chiropractic was better than traditional care involving drugs. “I wanted to set the standard within football,” he said. “I knew if chiropractic helped me put up outstanding numbers, it could help my teammates do the same.”

After his successful football career, Rice then went on to a new physical challenge: learning to dance like a professional. Rice related what taking on this new adventure was like. “‘Dancing With the Stars’ was every bit as exhausting and challenging. Though not nearly as brutal as football, it required many hours of practice I had aches and pains that I’d never had before. Again, chiropractic made the difference, and kept me dancing and in the competition.”

Rice wants to get the word out to as many people as possible regarding the benefits of chiropractic care. He says, “The game of life requires the edge that chiropractic provides. Chiropractic care allows me to lead a very active lifestyle. I have seen its value, both personally and professionally, among my friends and teammates.”

Jerry Rice Shares Personal Success with Chiropractic Care    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CAsGNlQEnI

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Olympic Athletes

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Olympic Athletes

olympics-collage-200-300Chiropractic care has become such an indispensable tool for athletes to keep performing at their best and to reduce the time that it takes to heal from injuries that 28 Doctors of Chiropractic (DC) were employed in the Olympic polyclinic during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. This was in addition to 27 other team DCs who traveled with their nations’ teams, not to mention individual athletes’ chiropractors. Some of the greatest athletes of all time attribute a large part of their success to the chiropractic care they receive.

Dan O’Brien, after winning three consecutive world titles in the decathlon, went on to win a gold medal in decathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He said, “If I could put a percentage value on it, I think I compete eight to ten percent better from regular chiropractic care. I think that is how much of a benefit it is – if not more. If it wasn’t for chiropractic, I wouldn’t have won the gold medal.” He continued, “Every track and field athlete that I have ever met has seen a chiropractor at one time or another. In track and field, it is absolutely essential. Chiropractic care is one of the things I think that no one has denied or refuted.” O’Brien added, “You obviously can’t compete at your fullest if you’re not in alignment.  And your body can’t heal if your back is not in alignment.  It was the holistic idea that I liked about chiropractic and that is what track and field is about.”

During an interview in the August 2012 issue of Details magazine, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who has received the most (22) Olympic medals of all time, noted that he receives Graston technique treatments to keep him in top form. Phelps said, “My trainer, Keenan [Robinson], uses Graston tools, these little metal crowbars. He carves them into my shoulder blades, my back, my knee, my hamstrings-wherever I’m really tight-to loosen things up. It’s pretty intense.”

Elite cyclist Bradley Wiggins has won the most medals of any British Olympic athlete and is the first British winner of the Tour de France. He has nothing but praise for his chiropractor, Matt Rabin. Some months before the 2012 Olympic Games, Wiggins said, “I first started working with Matt at the end of 2008 following my success at the 2008 Beijing summer Olympics. After years of struggling with minor niggles that I had learned to live with, and having never really found the answer to my problems despite having sought numerous treatment options with no great success, I went to see Matt.”

Wiggins continued, “From my first session with him I had great results that were not short lived. That followed up with regular sessions I saw improvements that I had never seen before and that reflected in the way my body held up on a day to day basis which eventually saw me achieve 4th place in the 2009 Tour de France under his supervision.” He added, “Matt will undoubtedly remain an integral part of my medical support in the forthcoming seasons and lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games.”

If the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, used chiropractic to keep him a step in front of his competitors at the 2012 Olympic Games, perhaps you should too.

The Latest on Motorcycle Safety Gear

The Latest on Motorcycle Safety Gear

motorcycle-safety-gear-200-300There are few more iconic images than that of the motorcyclist. Whether it’s zipping through traffic when cars are at a standstill or exploring long, winding country highways, motorcycling is many people’s idea of bliss. In order to keep enjoying that bliss, however, it’s necessary to add a dash of caution and common sense. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to experience a deadly road accident than those traveling in passenger vehicles. Even the most skilled motorcyclists need motorcycle safety gear to protect themselves against injury.  Remember-more often than not, motorcycle accidents are the fault of people driving other (larger) types of vehicles…

The head, arms and legs are the areas of the body most likely to sustain injury in a motorcycle accident, so protect these first and foremost. The basics of protective clothing include jackets and pants (or a suit), gloves, boots, and of course a helmet. Jackets, pants and gloves can be constructed from leather, nylon or Kevlar. The best quality leather is made from cowhide, as it is the most durable. You can also find pigskin leather that may look nice and be less expensive, but it is far more easily damaged. Be sure the leather is a minimum of one millimeter in thickness for optimal protection. Buffalo hide is another good choice if you can find it.

Many people prefer synthetic materials, due to what some feel is greater comfort and improved weather protection. Whether you choose nylon or Kevlar, test the material to see if it can stretch and breathe. This is important when biking on a hot day. It should also be strong and durable enough to be able to maintain its integrity in the event of an accident.

When choosing a motorcycle jacket, ensure that the stitching at your joints (elbows and shoulders) is strong and preferably reinforced. A well-made jacket will have extra padding in the area of the spine, elbows and shoulders. A jacket of man-made materials should have reflective stripes. Your jacket should fit snugly without being too tight. It should allow for extra layers underneath if you are a cool-weather biker. When trying it on, be sure to also sit in it in riding position to ensure that your back and wrists remain covered while in that position.

Although jeans may be more comfortable, leather pants or chaps are always recommended. In addition to providing greater protection, chaps or insulated pants may be specially coated for water resistance, which is an added bonus in bad weather that jeans just can’t match.

The best gloves (which should be worn at all times, no matter what the weather) will have knuckle protection made from carbon fiber. Cold weather gloves are essentially the same, but with insulation – and often waterproofing – included.
Boots should be at least 6 inches in height to offer ankle protection, and sport a slip-resistant sole. Thicker soles are better at absorbing bike vibrations. Leather boots are always preferable to nylon running shoes, which offer no protection to your feet and ankles in case of an accident.

The use of brightly colored, reflective clothing has been shown to reduce the risk of road accidents by 37%. If your clothing does not have reflectivity built-in, you can add it with the addition of reflective tape kits. Anything that makes you more visible to other drivers can dramatically decrease your risk of an injury.

Although nobody enjoys wearing a motorcycle helmet, it may make the difference between life and death (or between life and living in a vegetative state). A good helmet will have a Department of Transportation (DOT) certification sticker on the back. This ensures that the helmet meets stringent safety requirements. You will get the most protection from a full coverage helmet that covers the entire head and face, with a clear acrylic visor for added protection against insects and various light road debris. Many helmets also feature vents to help keep your head cool.

A well-equipped biker is a happy, healthy one, so buy some quality gear and get out there to enjoy the open road!

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Tennis Players

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Tennis Players

tennis-collage-200-300There are about 800 professional tennis players in the U.S. who regularly play in competitions sanctioned by the US Tennis Association (USTA). Dr. David E. Stude, a chiropractor and professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota, estimates that up to 65 percent of them suffer at least one tennis-related injury. Although tennis elbow gets the most press among tennis-related injuries, chiropractors assert that they actually see more injuries to the lower extremities, as these are the areas that absorb the force created by the arm swinging the racket. Tightness in the shoulder blades of professional tennis players can lead to muscle pain and headaches, which chiropractic care can help to relieve.

Many professional tennis players make sure a chiropractor is available to them during tournaments to help keep them in top shape throughout a game that can sometimes last for several hours. Some of the top tennis players in the world are regularly treated by a chiropractor, including Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Andy Murray said of his chiropractor, “Jean-Pierre (Bruyere) has been helping my game for years.”

At the 2011 Men’s US Open Tennis Championship, Serbian player Novak Djokovic was battling Rafael Nadal in the final. During the last set, he was experiencing enough lumbar pain to ask for a 10-minute medical time-out, during which he received chiropractic treatment. He walked back onto the court a renewed man, and went on to win the set and the championship.

According to Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam Women’s Tennis champion, “Chiropractic gives me the flexibility I need to keep me in the game.”

Ivan Lendl, a former number-one ranked tennis player and winner of eight Grand Slam singles titles, believes in the power of chiropractic care. He said, “I feel that chiropractic adjustments help to prevent injury…. I try to go twice a week to a chiropractor, sometimes even more during big tournaments. I feel I am much more tuned-up with an adjustment. I support chiropractic very much. I think it is great for sports. I think it’s great for anyone!”

Retired professional tennis player and coach Martina Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles during her career, and believes chiropractic helped her to achieve this. Navratilova said, “A chiropractor was instrumental in putting my body back together. Alternative therapies will play a bigger role in our lives. After all, people like what works.”
More professional tennis players are getting on board with chiropractic each year, following in the footsteps of such greats as Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Tracy Austin and Billie Jean King, all of whom have enjoyed the advantage that chiropractic care brought to their game. It may help to improve your game too!

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Elite Gymnasts

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Elite Gymnasts

gymnastics-collage-200-300Gymnastics is among the most difficult sports and among the most demanding in terms of stresses placed on the body’s musculoskeletal system. Both overuse injuries and acute injuries are common among these athletes due to the enormous strain placed on the joints, tendons and ligaments. Gymnastics is the second-leading cause of traumatic sports injuries in female athletes (just behind cheerleading), according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. This may be due to the increasing level of competition and the more advanced (and riskier) acrobatics that come with it. A significant amount of force is placed on the spine in the many bends, flips and twists that gymnastics involves. Chiropractic care has helped many gymnasts recover from injuries far more quickly than with conventional care alone, returning them speedily to competition.

McKayla Maroney, the 2011 World Vault Champion, had been injured during the pre-Olympic trials in June 2012 during a pre-meet warm-up. She had landed on her back during a flip, hitting her head hard enough to receive a concussion and fracture her nasal bone. She had to get approval from the Olympic medical board to be allowed to compete in the national team trials. The day before her assessment, she was treated by chiropractic neurologist, Dr. Shad Groves, who assessed her neurological function and performed targeted neurological treatments to restore McKayla’s equilibrium. Despite the post-injury problems she had sustained, including problems with eye-tracking, muscle weakness and lack of balance, the Olympic medical board evaluation the day after her treatment by Dr. Groves found normal balance, improvements in her muscle strength, and no eye-tracking problems. She successfully completed the Olympic team trials and went on to become one of the five gymnasts to be included on the U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team, going on to win a silver medal on vault at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and helping her team win gold.

McKayla’s mother, Erin Maroney, said of her daughter’s chiropractic care, “My daughter, McKayla, is an elite gymnast and spends 8 hours per day in the gym 6 days per week. She was constantly in pain due to the rigorous exercise and injuries, which are common at this level of gymnastics competition. [Chiropractor] Dr. Armstrong uses low-force chiropractic, nutrition, and Class IV Laser Therapy when treating McKayla and our family. The results are simply incredible!”

Kyla Ross, another member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team who also placed first in the all-around at the 2009 Visa Championships, is another enthusiastic chiropractic patient who is treated by Dr. Armstrong. Kyla’s mother, Kiana Ross, says, “Kyla was having constant pain in both heels and had been misdiagnosed by several doctors over the course of 2 1/2 years. None of these doctors could find the cause of Kyla’s problem. During her initial examination, Dr. Armstrong immediately found that Kyla had a spinal cord impingement in her lower back that was causing her heel pain. He was able to relieve the pain after a couple of visits with chiropractic and the K-Laser and the pain never returned.”

Gymnasts both male and female can benefit from regular chiropractic care. Your chiropractor can keep your body in alignment and treat any misalignments before they become a problem and interfere with your performance.