Chiropractic Benefits for Athletes: Soccer Edition

Many athletes find Chiropractic care to be beneficial in improving their performance. And for good reason. Chiropractic adjustments not only keep your body moving correctly, they also help restore and improve the brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of the body. When the spine gets misaligned and creates a vertebral subluxation, it does two things: 1. It locks up that joint in your spine and can result in tightness and decreased flexibility in the spine. 2. It inhibits the brain from effectively sending signals to the rest of the body. It only makes sense that when you release that vertebral subluxation, you allow the spine to move more freely without inhibition. The tension and tightness that was hindering your body prior to treatment will be released; thereby improving the body’s flexibility. Chiropractic Improves Kicking Speed Performance in Soccer Players Picture it this way. When you are trying to water the garden and your hose has a kink in it… how fast is that water running out to the sprinkler? Because of the kink, there is not enough water pressure to effectively get the water to its final destination. Although a trickle may still get through, the pressure reduction because of the pinched hose still results in a less effective shower for your morning glories. So, what is your solution to this dilemma? Unkink the hose. The same concept applies to the human body. When our vertebrae are putting pressure on the nerves in our body, it is exactly like that kinked hose we were just discussing. How effectively is that signal from the brain being sent to the body? What can we possibly do to fix that? All you need to do is receive a Chiropractic adjustment, release the pressure caused by the misaligned vertebrae and allow your body to function optimally – just like removing the kink from the garden hose! This is why many athletes are under Chiropractic care. It improves the way the body functions and when you are competing, you want your body at its optimal level. In a recent article published in the Journal of Chiropractic and Manual Therapies, the findings of a study done on soccer players was discussed. The players had been monitored to analyze if Chiropractic adjustments had any impact on their kicking speeds and performance. Results were promising and it was noted that the combination of Sacroiliac Joint adjustments and Lumbar spine adjustments saw an improved performance in kicking speeds. Remember, you don’t need to be an athlete to take advantage of the great benefits that Chiropractic care offers. Learn more about Chiropractic by checking out our website or read our tips on finding a great chiropractor.   References: 1. Deutschmann, K. C., Jones, A. D., & Korporaal, C. M. (2015). A non-randomised experimental feasibility study into the immediate effect of three different spinal manipulative protocols on kicking speed performance in soccer players. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 23, 1. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12998-014-0046-3