8 Athletes That Love Chiropractic
Want to perform like the greats?
Here are 8 pro athletes who love chiropractic!
When you make a living playing sports, performing at the top of your game is critical.
Athletes are known for their use of cutting-edge health treatments, but at the end of the day, they rely on the tried and true methods with the biggest benefits. And increasingly, they rely on chiropractic care.
For more than a hundred years, the world’s top athletes have turned to chiropractors to prevent sports injuries [link to new blog post, when published], improve their form, and provide healing. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at eight world-class sports celebrities who love chiropractic care!
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Professional Athletes Who Love Chiropractic
If you get regular chiropractic adjustments, you’re in good company!
Plenty of professional athletes rely on chiropractic care to help them stay at the top of their game. The NFL, MLB, NHL, and U.S. Olympic team all have chiropractors on staff to both prevent and treat injuries.
While hundreds of athletes reap the benefits, here are a few who have been outspoken advocates of the benefits of chiropractic care.
1. Tiger Woods
PGA Champion Tiger Woods depends on chiropractic adjustments to treat and prevent sports injuries.
“Lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I’ve been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing.” – Tiger Woods
Because golf isn’t a contact sport, it’s tempting to think of it as an “easy” one. But even amateurs have firsthand experience with the toll that a round of golf can take on your body—particularly your lower back.
Perfecting your swing can help, but the twisting motions that your spine, shoulders, and knees undergo on the course can contort your joints into unnatural positions. With enough repetition—and no treatment—this can cause pain that keeps you from your favorite activity. Fortunately, a golf chiropractor can help.
2. Tom Brady
There’s little dispute about Tom Brady’s skill on the football field. In addition to practice and dedication, chiropractic care is one of his secrets.
“Chiropractic just makes you feel so much better. When I walk out of the clinic, I feel like I’m about three inches taller and everything’s in place. And as long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I’m one step ahead of the game.” – Tom Brady
However, Brady isn’t alone in his love for chiropractic care. For the past 35 years, Patriots team chiropractor Dr. Michael Miller has been treating players before, after, and during each game.
Adjusting their knees, ankles, shoulders, and backs helps players avoid injury when tackled and keeps their bodies in proper alignment.
3. Usain Bolt
Today, Usain Bolt is the world’s fastest man. But when he was younger, scoliosis hampered his ability to break records.
“When I was younger, the scoliosis wasn’t really a problem. But you grow and it gets worse. My spine was really curved bad. The early part of my career, when we didn’t really know much about it, it really hampered me because I got injured every year.” – Usain Bolt
Whether you’re running a sprint or a long-distance marathon, good posture is key to preventing injuries and performing at the peak of your ability.
With chiropractic, Bolt was able to treat his curvature and cement himself as one of the all-time Olympic greats.
4. Michael Jordan
It’s hard to imagine that there’s anything out there that could make Michael Jordan a better basketball player. But the six-time MVP credits a large part of his game with chiropractic care.
“I didn’t know how much I could improve until I started seeing a chiropractor. Since I’ve been in chiropractic, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds both mentally and physically.” – Michael Jordan
Throughout his 15-year career, Jordan was constantly on the lookout for ways to improve, working with Peter Moore to design Air Jordans. But he also turned to regular chiropractic adjustments.
Chiropractic care helps keep joints stable and limber, allowing ball players to stay fast and flexible on the court.
5. Michael Phelps
Of all the sports to adopt, swimming is one of the easiest on your joints. But that doesn’t mean swimmers can’t benefit from chiropractic care!
Olympian Michael Phelps incorporates a wide variety of chiropractic techniques into his training regimen. In addition to various types of massage (including the Graston technique), he also benefits from cupping therapy.
“Think of us as an Indy Car pit crew looking at the structure and alignment of the vehicle to see if there is any kind of drag or anything. And if you think of how close these racers are, a little bit of restriction adds up in each stroke and can prevent a full reach. It’s basically the fine-tuning of the tissue.” – USA swimming chiropractor Kevin Rindal
Using a wide range of modalities gives Phelps a bit of an edge over his competitors.
6. Cristiano Ronaldo
Quick turns and hard contact with the ball (as well as other players) make soccer one of the most physically demanding sports out there. Thankfully, support from a sports chiropractor has helped Ronaldo overcome past injuries and rise to the top of his game.
7. Venus Williams
Tennis elbow isn’t the only issue Venus Williams tries to avoid. The tennis star relies on flexibility and quick reaction time to stay at the top of her game. But even more important than effective treatment is treatment that doesn’t cause more problems than it solves.
“Chiropractic gives me the flexibility I need to keep in the game. [T]he most important man on the team may have been the chiropractor. […] For me, it’s about trying to be as holistic as possible when healing my body.” – Venus Williams
For Williams—and many other athletes—wellness is important. It’s why holistic methods, like chiropractic care, are so popular. Free of the side effects that come with prescriptions and the long recovery times of surgery, chiropractic adjustments are a non-invasive way to treat the source of your symptoms.
8. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been an actor and politician for so long, that many forget he started out as an athlete.
As a bodybuilder, Schwarzenegger was named Mr. Universe an impressive four times, and in Hollywood, frequently performed his own stunts. Throughout it all, chiropractic adjustments were at the forefront of his training and recovery.
“What [chiropractors] do is really powerful. You, chiropractic doctors, are really miracle workers. I found out the best way […] is to use chiropractors, not only after injury, but also before injury.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Why Chiropractic?
Athletes have long been proponents of the benefits that chiropractic care has on their endurance, performance, and overall health.
In fact, a recent study involving university baseball players found that regular chiropractic adjustments improved performance, muscle strength, and circulation, while decreasing blood pressure.
As an added incentive, chiropractic care is a non-invasive alternative to treatments such as drugs and surgery.
By improving athletic performance—with no harmful side effects—chiropractic care allows your favorite sports players to keep doing what they do best.
Chiropractic: A Winning Strategy
Whether you play sports professionally or simply enjoy a game of pick-up basketball on the weekends, make sports chiropractic care an integral part of your training and recovery.
At Oviedo Chiropractic, our friendly and knowledgeable staff is trained on a wide variety of methods and techniques to prevent and treat injuries, improve endurance, and boost your performance to keep you at the top of your game.
Make an appointment today to see how we can help you.