Olympians and other top level athletes are increasingly seeking regular chiropractic care to enhance their performance and prevent injury.
Performance
For optimal performance an athlete must have:
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- A healthy nervous system
- Well balanced and mobile joints
- Optimal muscle tone and flexibility
- Good nutrition
- Commitment
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The Athlete requires all parts of his or her body to work in a co-ordinated, cohesive manner for the highest level of performance.
Chiropractors recognise that faulty body mechanics stress the nervous system. This upsets normal reflex reaction time, co-ordination and balance.
Chiropractors are in a unique position to assist the athlete to achieve correct body mechanics ensuring maximum performance whilst conserving energy.
Injuries
Causes:
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- Contact sport
- Repetitive jolting/jarring
- Poor co-ordination
- Excessive loading
- Lack of balance
- Insufficient warm-up
- Insufficient preparation
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Rapid recovery from injury is critical for the athlete. Correct body mechanics and a healthy nervous system are essential for rapid resolution of damaged joints, muscles and ligaments.
Chiropractic care works to restore joint mobility, improve muscle balance and remove nerve irritation. In the event of injury also follow the R.I.C.E. and H.A.R.M. directions below. At competitive levels, athletes cannot consume drugs commonly given to relieve pain and inflammation by their medical practitioner. Chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or surgery, but have developed more natural techniques to assist the early resolution of injury and enhancement of performance.
How We Help
Chiropractic education is comprehensive, particularly in areas realting to the nervous and muscoloskeletal systems, with special emphasis on the spine. Chiropractors assists is the rehabilitation of injuries to the spine, arms, legs, chest, head and jaw.
Therefore, chiropractic care plays a major role in optimising:
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- nervous system function
- joint mobility and function
- reaction time
- balance and co-ordination
- function of the internal organs
- body response to injury and disease
- enhancement of performance
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Athletes seeking peak performance should have chiropractic care on a regular, on-going basis.
Preventative Care
As well as regular chiropractic check-ups the athlete needs to take care in other areas to minimise injury. These include:
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- appropriate aerobic and general fitness
- regular stretching
- warm-up and warm-down program of exercises
- training program that suits the type of sport
- appropriate footwear and strapping to protect high risk joints if necessary
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In the event of injury use the RICE and HARM formulae to reduce the effects of inflammation.
[notice] [dropcaps]R[/dropcaps] = Rest
[dropcaps]I[/dropcaps] = Ice (10 minute applications every 1-2 hours) immediately after injury
[dropcaps]C[/dropcaps] = Compression to minimise swelling
[dropcaps]E[/dropcaps] = Elevation to help fluid drainage of the injured area[/notice]
[notice] [dropcaps]H[/dropcaps] = Heat
[dropcaps]A[/dropcaps] = Alcohol, as this increases swelling
[dropcaps]R[/dropcaps] = Running or other continued physical stress after injury
[dropcaps]M[/dropcaps] = Massge immediately after injury[/notice]
Chiropractors
… assist many world class athletes to achieve peak performance. From olympic teams to local sporting clubs, all levels have benefitted from chiropractors being a part of their health care team.