International Sport Chiropractic
Bringing International Care to New Regions of the World
Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to participate as a healthcare provider at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Atlanta the Costa Rican National Olympic Games in San Jose, Costa Rica and the Central American Games in Guatemala City, Guatemala. As a Doctor of Chiropractic rehabilitating the athletes for their injuries you attain a special relationship with the individuals. I was not only their Doctor but their higher education as well. Most of these athletes had never even heard of a Doctor of Chiropractic much less the rehabilitative powers of the “adjustment.” As with most western nations, their perspective had been more with the traditional medical approaches of pain relievers, muscle relaxers and/or performance enhancers. Of course at any level of competitive athletics these pharmaceutical approaches are frowned on, tightly regulated, and in most cases banned during competition. The formal testing to ensure a level playing field discourages even those approved drugs should they cause any level of suspicion. The natural Chiropractic approach is hand and glove with the Olympic Ideals espoused at the highest levels of athletic achievement.
Athletes presenting at or around “game day” are a very different patient than the typical private practice patient. These individuals have been training diligently for years on a journey toward their dreams of being the best in their field. Many competitions have come and gone and each has provided a perspective on how to better their performance the next time. As the line formed each day for those desiring treatment the uninitiated stood in awe watching and attentively listening to a perspective that they had never heard before. “I explained to them that the body works optimally by an unimpeded connection between the brain and the organs that produce the chemistry that runs the body. The skull and the vertebral column protect the brain and spinal cord and it is this intimate relationship that ultimately provides the foundation for healing, maintenance of health and performance enhancement. I continued by explaining the relationship between the moving parts, the organs systems and their ability to respond to voluntary and involuntary impulses. By having an unimpeded communication with the central nervous system the body can do without outside influences and perform best.”
As they watched the adjustments being administered they were amazed that they were relatively pain free and done expeditiously. Being able to treat in a public forum provided many educational opportunities. The patient would present with whatever symptoms they wished to have treated and I would then go through the diagnostic approaches of postural analysis, range of motion analysis, leg checks, palpation, etc. A discourse with question and answer would then ensue before any adjustments were preformed. After treatment I would perform the same examination as prior and then demonstrate the changes “post adjustment.” Where prior shoulders and hips were unlevel or not aligned now they were improved. Where prior ranges of motion were limited now they were enhanced. Prior leg checks of short leg syndrome now demonstrated with balanced leg lengths and muscle tones and strengths were now relaxed, less painful and stronger.
Those that had never before experienced a Chiropractic adjustment now requested an examination and treatment. The patient lines became longer and longer each day as pre and post performances were clearly improved by the non-drug, non-surgical approach Chiropractic care offers for many ailments. Many trainers, coaches and athletes clearly came to understand that the Chiropractic approach needed to be incorporated into their regular training methods for enhanced preparation well before game day.
As the years have gone by these relationships have been nurtured and many of my colleagues worldwide are now part of the entourage toward the dream. Athletes of all ages are embracing the chiropractic lifestyle of the adjustment, regular attention to diet, exercise, rest and a positive mental attitude. If I can ever be of service please e-mail me with your concerns.