If you’re new to the world of training or a keen athlete and you’re not currently seeing a chiropractor-you could be missing out! Many of the top sporting athletes in the world see a chiropractors to help keep them healthy and on top of their game. Chiropractic has many benefits to the new gym goer, amateur runner or the elite athlete including improved performance, increased flexibility and stability, improved range of motion and few injuries.
We often don’t realise the demands that physical activity can have on the body and the spine causing pressure on the nerves which feed the muscles, ligaments and connective cartilages. If we incur an injury during a sporting game, while at the gym or running a marathon, the body will naturally adapt to compensate for this injury as a form of protection- but also then causing stress on other structures and tissues.
How can Chiropractic Help?
As Chiropractors we are trained to identify biomechanical changes, misalignments and dysfunctions of the body. We don’t just look at the cause of injury or pain but the body as a whole to identify adaptations that may lead to pain or injury or prevent the body functioning at its optimal level.
Mobility:
A decrease in mobility is becoming increasingly more common because of the postures we are constantly putting our bodies in. Having a slouched posture leads to a decrease in shoulder movement and unbalancing of muscle groups. A study found that an increase in thoracic kyphosis (think Quasimodo!) can be associated with a reduced shoulder angle during arm elevation. Meaning that you are overusing the shoulder blade, requiring more energy. This can lead to impingements, tendonitis and instability in the shoulder joint. Having proper thoracic and shoulder mobility is vital to reduce the risk of injuries, especially with overhead activities.
Pain & Injury:
Pain and injury have a detrimental effect on our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, impacting our ability to function properly. Pain and injury are the result of an underlying dysfunction in the body, which tends to occur when we stray from optimal postural alignment. Is your body symmetric and well aligned? You may think so, but an estimated 70% of amateur athletes have postural asymmetry. Poor posture or asymmetry of your body can make you more susceptible to injuries. Posture is just as important in the gym as it is in day to day life, having poor posture leads to incorrect movement patterns while squatting, lifting or running.
Balance:
Balance and proprioception are the body’s ability to sense movement within our joints and where we are in space. The proprioceptive system is made up of nerves which can sense stretch and tension and passes this information to our brain which signals the muscles to either contract or relax to deliver movement. If the proprioceptive system is not functioning optimally, we are likely to injure ourselves or have decreased coordination leading to injury.
Strength:
Chiropractic research has found that the brain changes the way it controls the muscles depending on the function of your spine. Chiropractic works on the basis of the nervous system and having a properly working nervous system puts the body in optimal shape. Chiropractic adjustments performed on the spine and limbs work to activate the nerves responsible for causing muscle contractions, working the muscles and leading to an increase in strength of the muscle (waking it up!).
Chiropractic adjustments help with alignment of the spine and pelvis, making movement easier and decreasing the chance of injuries or re-injury. This is important in a training environment because continue stress placed on the body can lead to wear and tear and damage in the area may occur.
Chiropractic plays a role in preventing injuries by improving balance and increasing accuracy of the brains control over the muscles.
As chiropractors we focus on influencing the bodies function by structural correction allowing the body to be stable, strong and biomechanically prepared for training and competition.
Through chiropractic assessment, adjustments, mobilisations and soft tissue work, these biomechanical variations can be identified and corrected so that the body is able to function fully.
Even if you’re an amateur athlete, or you just go to the gym every now and then, your posture and spinal alignment are very important to the overall function of your body. If you would like a Complimentary Spinal Screen or to book a consultation with one of our Chiropractors- phone the clinic today on 9651 5559 or email info@simplyhealthandwellness.com.au
