The Olympics have arrived! Top athletes use chiropractic because they know a properly functioning nerve system is vital to not only their sport, but their life as well. They want to express their full potential.Did you know that top athletes like Roger Craig, Dan OíBrien, Kerri Walsh, Lance Armstrong, Emmett Smith and Jerry Rice are all under chiropractic care? They are under regular care, not because of pain they are having but because they want to rehabilitate and stay at the top of their game throughout competition.Many people see chiropractors for headaches, neck pain, pain between the shoulder blades, numbness/tingling in the hands or feet, mid-or low-back pain, sciatica, low energy/fatigue, injuries due to car accidents, work or sports ñ and the truth is there are no special adjustments to get rid of these problems.Chiropractors identify areas of the spine that need correction. By properly adjusting the spine, the brain can communicate more freely with the body, which is then better able to heal itself. The healing could take place immediately, and sometimes it takes time. There is no magic formula for how long it takes to restore health. We ask our practice members to be patient.Some people have no physical complaints but they recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy connection between the brain and the body. Just like dental checkups are important for the mouth, spinal checkups help to assure that the nervous system allows for healthy communication between the brain and the body.Athletes utilize chiropractic to maintain an edge over the competition. Our bodies send more than three million messages every second through the nervous system, coordinating every function in our bodies ñ things we never even think about. Athletes are finely-tuned humans; and, when one seemingly insignificant part of their physiology is not performing correctly, they can lose function; adding time or shortening distances in their event.Here is what some well known professional athletes have said about chiropractic:ìIf not for chiropractic, I would not have won the gold medal.î Dan OíBrien, 1996 Olympic gold winner in the decathlon. ìI definitely try to get on a basis where I use chiropractic at least twice a week. I would definitely say that it helps me to perform at a higher level.î Emmit Smith, NFLìI think it should be mandatory for athletes to see a chiropractor. I go on a regular basis, because I want to prolong my career as long as possible. By getting an adjustment once a week, I feel I can sustain my career a lot longer.î Barry Bonds, MLBAs you watch the Olympics in London this month, there are teams of chiropractors behind the scenes helping these athletes on a daily basis.Chiropractic strives to serve without the use of drugs, which is one thing that attracts athletes to chiropractic, considering the controversy around doping and performance-enhancing drugs.We all have a spine and nervous system that needs to be free of interference to allow the body to function at the best of its ability. Chiropractic serves to enhance performance ñ not just for the world-class athlete, but for all of us on a regular basis.
