SPORTS CHIROPRACTOR

Benefits for Professional and Recreational Athletes

Dr. Carly Zuehlke is a chiropractic sports specialist and international instructor for Federation Internationale De Chiropractique Du Sport (FICS).  There are only a handful of trained sports chiropractors in the Netherlands.

What is sports chiropractic?

A chiropractor with additional training, beyond just a chiropractic degree, who is specialized in the assessment, treatment, and management of athletic injuries.  A chiropractor will work with both professional and recreational athletes to help them gain a better understanding of their body and how it works, as well as treating specific injuries that may be holding someone back from performing at their best.

Sports chiropractic treatments are for everyone

While it is commonly associated with sports, you do not have to be an athlete to benefit from sports chiropractic treatments. In fact, anyone who participates in physical activities or leads an active lifestyle can benefit from the targeted care provided by sports chiropractors.   What sets me apart from my peers as a sports chiropractor is my emphasis on optimizing athletic performance, preventing injuries, and promoting overall wellness. Sports chiropractors are well-versed in the biomechanics of various sports and understand the specific demands placed on different parts of the body during athletic activities.

Sports chiropractic can provide assistance with chronic and repetitive injuries

Chronic and overuse type injuries build up over time. These may include tendonitis, bursitis, muscle tears and rotator cuff issues. With these sports injuries, your body is doing poor patterns and/or overloading the injured and weakened tissue. The body is smart, and since it must accomplish the movement, it will compensate, which usually results in more damage to that area of the body and others – for example, a chronic hip injury can lead to a hip and knee injury over time. Chiropractic can help with any sport ranging from running, CrossFit, ballet, soccer, golf, to ice hockey.

Sports chiropractic can provide assistance for acute sports injuries

Acute injuries like concussion, dislocation and ligament/meniscal tears that commonly occur after a forceful impact or sudden trauma will require an entirely different approach. Depending on the severity, the injury can take a couple of weeks to resolve. It is important for Chiropractors to locate the problem, provide a comprehensive list of dos and don’ts to assist in recovery, as well as perform the correct adjustments, not only to the site of the injury, but to other areas of the body that may be working harder due to the injury. For example, when you have a knee injury, you can put more pressure through the opposite hip and knee, causing overuse issues on the opposite side of the original injury.