Let the Games Begin!
The Summer Olympics XXXIII in Paris are here, and the athletes are ready this Friday - July 26th! When we watch Simone Biles flip and twist on the floor, Regan Smith slice through the water in the lanes, or Grant Holloway sprint and hurdle down the track, they make it look effortless.
Just like driving a car is easy until it’s not. Consistent maintenance, fine-tuning movements, and adjustments for alignment – these athletes need serious care.
These athletes start their long-term preparation often in their youth, progressing through intense training cycles that are designed to peak during the Olympics. Talk about burnout, injury, and mental fatigue. Being an Olympian is serious business—serious musculoskeletal business.
It’s a time of incredible excitement, for the athlete and for us at home watching. The world’s best come together to compete and push the boundaries of human capability. It’s exhilarating to watch the physical reach and also the mental fitness it takes to focus, and overcome pain and injury while competing.
And guess who’s behind every great athlete competing for a medal in one of the 329 events?
A chiropractor.
And of course, a team dedicated to their well-being, including physicians, sports psychologists, physical therapists, massage therapists, trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, sports scientists, and chefs.
Chiropractors are taking an even more hands-on (no pun intended) approach this year, thanks in part to the 2021 Tokyo ad campaign by the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) and former Olympian athlete – Dr. Erica Witter–Davis. If you remember, chiropractors were brought into the spotlight when the F4CP ran a 30-second commercial, sharing the story of a former athlete who overcame pain and mobility issues to get back in the game in just three days thanks to her chiropractor on the team.
And chiropractic care has only grown since then. More and more people, including top-tier athletes, are turning to holistic wellness approaches. Chiropractic care is now a key part of their training and recovery routines. Athletes are discovering the benefits of regular adjustments for boosting performance, preventing injuries, and enhancing overall well-being with a more holistic approach to health and wellness.
And the Gold Medal Goes to Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is no longer a nice-to-have for Olympic athletes –it's integrated into their overall wellness and training plans. Peak performance takes on a whole new dimension with a chiropractor keeping the athlete’s body fine-tuned.
Mobility🥇
Chiropractic care enhances mobility by ensuring optimal spinal alignment and joint function, crucial for rigorous training and competition schedules.
Pain Relief🥇
Regular chiropractic adjustments help manage and alleviate pain, allowing athletes to train harder and recover faster.
Injury Prevention & Recovery🥇
Chiropractors play a key role in preventing injuries and aiding recovery. By maintaining proper alignment, they help reduce the risk of injuries caused by misalignments and imbalances.
Enhanced Performance🥇
For instance, a chiropractor might observe an athlete’s gait or the way they perform a specific movement. Misalignments in the spine or joints can lead to compensatory movements that put undue stress on other body parts. Through targeted adjustments, chiropractors correct these misalignments, ensuring efficient and effective body movement.
Some go as far as calling Chiropractors movement experts. They analyze athletes' biomechanics to identify areas of restriction or dysfunction. By assessing how an athlete moves, chiropractors can help identify weaknesses or imbalances that might cause pain or limit performance.
Strength🥇
Strength is essential for athletes, especially in events like the pole vault, where it can make the difference between clearing the bar and missing it entirely. Pole vaulters rely on explosive strength to propel themselves high into the air, combining speed, power, and technique. Chiropractic care can enhance upper body strength by improving alignment and function which enhances overall movement efficiency. Have you watched these athletes clear 18 feet? Quite impressive.
Chiropractic Care is a Prove Performance Boost
A groundbreaking 2017 study from the European Journal of Applied Physiology tested elite taekwondo athletes and found that chiropractic adjustments increased maximum voluntary contraction and elevated corticospinal excitability, leading to enhanced motor performance. Simply put, chiropractic treatment resulted in more strength.
Building on this, a double-blind study from The Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation found that athletes who received chiropractic care saw an average 18% increase in athletic performance after 12 weeks of regular treatments. This included improvements in strength, reaction time, agility, and balance.
With more studies popping up, it’s no longer a question that chiropractic care gives athletes a significant advantage.
The Spotlight on Chiropractors
The U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Division includes a wide array of medical professionals such as MDs, DOs, PTs, ATs, massage therapists, and Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs). For the 2024 Paris Olympics, the medical team includes over 100 sports chiropractors who are part of the Olympic polyclinic and individual team delegations. This significant inclusion underscores the recognition of chiropractic care's benefits in enhancing athletic performance, injury prevention, and recovery. Chiropractors are essential in providing spinal adjustments and maintaining musculoskeletal health.
Chiropractors work alongside other medical experts to deliver comprehensive, high-performance care tailored to the specific needs of Olympic athletes, so they can compete at the highest level and have the best chance at that gold medal.
Want to join your USA Olympians in fine-tuning your body? We are not promising gold medals, but we can eliminate pain and align your body.
Book a Consultation today at one of our Geaux Chiro locations!