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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.

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Golfers

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Golfers

golf-collage-200-300Both amateur golfers and professionals alike find that chiropractic care helps keep them at their best both on and off the golf course. Many golfers who belong to the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) insist upon chiropractic care during a tournament. The PGA has contracted Dr. Tom LaFountain and his team of chiropractors since 1997 to provide chiropractic services at all PGA tours and Championship tours throughout the U.S.
Chiropractor Dale Richardson, who treats championship golfer Padraig Harrington, says, “The most common injuries are strains and sprains in the lower back and neck, and tendonitis affecting the wrists and forearms due to the repetitive action and overuse syndromes typical of golf. These injuries can be prevented by taking precautionary measures, such as conditioning and proactive healthcare, both of which are key to optimizing performance for anyone who plays golf.”

Harrington, winner of two British Open championships and a PGA championship, is a big supporter of chiropractic.  He says, “One thing I know through experience is that I need to keep seeing my chiropractor, even when I have a few weeks off from golf. Getting on-going chiropractic care helps me to stay injury-free. It also helps me to deal with symptoms when they begin, so that they don’t turn into bigger injuries down the road.”
In 1995, at the tender age of 17, when Tiger Woods was still an amateur golfer, he appeared as an advocate for chiropractic on the Chiropractic Centennial Foundation’s (CCF) Tournament of Roses Parade Float. Woods said, “Being a chiropractic patient has really helped me a lot. When I was in a growth spurt, my back became very sore and I was weak. My chiropractor really helped me. Not only did he adjust my spine, he also gave me strengthening exercises to do. If you are tall and gangly, like I am, or play sports, I would recommend chiropractic. It’s as important to my game as practicing my swing!”

Fred Funk, one of the oldest players to feature in the top 50 of Official World Golf Rankings, said, “I do believe chiropractic has really benefited my game.  Over the last three years, I feel I have become more exposed to, and knowledgeable about, the benefits of chiropractic for me and my game.  I realize how your body can get out of balance, and chiropractic care helps me. So many guys on the tour wanted chiropractic care that the tour had to supply a regular chiropractor that travels with us two weeks out of the month!”

Dr. Richardson added, “Golfers who access treatment by a chiropractor with multidisciplinary experience will experience fewer injuries, perform better, and achieve greater results. Restoring and improving skeletal and joint mobility with associated skeletal and joint stability is a focus of chiropractic treatment.”

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Football

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Football

football-collage-200-300Professional football teams recognize the value that having regular chiropractic care affords their players.  All of the 32 teams in the National Football League (NFL) use the services of a chiropractor for treating and preventing injuries to team members.

Dr. Spencer H. Baron, a team chiropractor for the Miami Dolphins and past president of the Professional Football Chiropractic Society, said, “The robust need for chiropractic care in the NFL has been deeply driven by the players’ desire for peak physical conditioning and not simply for injuries. From the earliest years of full contact football, their bodies are subject to structural stress that doctors of chiropractic are specially trained to care for. Many DCs who provide their services to professional athletes travel with their respective teams throughout the season, treating players up until game time, during the game and sometimes immediately following.”

A number of professional football players are staunch advocates for chiropractic care and the ability it gives them to perform at their peak.

Emmitt Smith, a former NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals and NFL all-time record holder for rushing, dealt with a lot of hamstring problems during a tough season in 1994. He related how he had some difficult questions to answer: “’Do I need to get more rest? Do I need to eat better? Do I need a little more training? How can I take care of my body better? Do I need to find a Chiropractor?’ It was time for me to invest in me.” Smith added, “I found a specialist that’s really good in balancing out my body to make sure my hips are rotated right, and my body is functioning properly.”

Smith continued, “I remember somebody telling me that what I put myself in during the games is like having a car wreck every Sunday. It’s against the norm. You can find yourself in awkward positions. That stuff takes its toll. But if you take advantage of the health care, balance your body back out, put it back where it’s supposed to be, you function better, and you recover faster.” He said about chiropractic, “You can have a Ferrari body, but your wheels need balancing. I felt if I took care of my body, I could still function when I got older.”

Chiropractic apparently served Smith well in helping him maintain function and flexibility, because after his retirement in 2004 he went on to win the third season of Dancing With the Stars, teamed with professional dancer Cheryl Burke.

Other professional footballers have expressed their appreciation for chiropractic care as well. Joe Montana, who possesses three Super Bowl MVPs and was named Player of the Year in 1990, was so appreciative of chiropractic that he agreed to become the spokesperson for chiropractic in the state of California, saying “Chiropractic has been a big part of my game. Chiropractic care works for me.”

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Lance Moore is another chiropractic devotee. He said, “Not only did my chiropractor get me back on the field, but he helped me to stay on the field. My body just feels much better overall because of the care I’ve gotten.”

Three-time Super Bowl champion Jerry Rice, a former wide receiver with the San Francisco 49ers said, “I believe in chiropractic, and I know that it works. You probably know about my long and successful career in football. I’m flattered by the testimonials to my durability. Football is a very rough and vigorous sport. Chiropractic was the key to keeping me in the game.”

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Basketball

Look Who Else Uses Chiropractic: Professional Basketball

basketball-collage-200-300Did you know that most of the teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) now have a team chiropractor?  This is because they understand the advantage that chiropractic care gives to their players in the prevention and treatment of injuries on the court.

Following are comments from some of the greatest players in basketball about what chiropractic has done for their careers and for their health.

Michael Jordan, 6-time NBA Champion, 6-Time Final MVP and 5-Time NBA MVP, said of chiropractic, “I didn’t know how much I could improve until I started seeing a chiropractor. Since I’ve been in chiropractic, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds, both mentally and physically.”

Derrick Rose, a former NBA all-star point guard for the Chicago Bulls who was named Most Valuable Player, is also a fan of chiropractic. Rose explained how chiropractic treatment was effective in allowing him to recover from back spasms that were severe enough to keep him off the court. In an ESPN interview, Rose said, “The whole week I was seeing a great chiropractor, (Dr.) Stuart Yoss. He did a great job on getting me back.” Rose had been forced to miss five games, the most in his career, but after his chiropractic care he returned to the court in top shape.

According to Gerald Wilkins, former NBA Guard with the New York Knicks, “My shooting has improved because of chiropractic. I feel more balanced and have more coordination and control. Since I have been under chiropractic care, I have improved by leaps and bounds.”

A former point guard for the Utah Jazz, John Stockton was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996. In a 2002 interview, Stockton attributed his continued success on the basketball court at the age of 40 to “a good chiropractor.” Stockton said, “I’m not a good enough expert on what that (chiropractic) entails, but it’s not just adjustments. It’s balancing muscles and overall health. It’s been great for me, and for my family.” Dr. Craig Buhler, who was the team chiropractor for the Utah Jazz for 26 years, and who treated Stockton, said “Chiropractic care helps to give a team and athlete a competitive advantage in whatever sport they participate in. Specifically, it helps to enhance endurance levels, assist in the recovery from many structural injuries and achieve overall peak performance. By including chiropractic into an athlete’s regular health practices, one is able to maximize training and optimize functional balance and skill.

Buhler added, “A collaboration of several healthcare professionals is key to caring for elite sporting teams. Chiropractic is an essential component to this healthcare team and, as it continues to become more apparent, athletes are recognizing the value it has for accomplishing their goals of staying in the game and playing at their best.”