Chiropractic and Sports and Performance Enhancement

Excelling in the sporting arena requires the body to be functioning optimally. Chiropractic care can play an important role - not only in rehabilitation after sporting injury, but also in injury prevention and in the enhancement of sporting performance. By enhancing the function of the nervous system, restoring correct motion to joints and restoring muscular balance, chiropractic can assist you to perform at your best. Regular chiropractic care can result in increased mobility and flexibility, improved co-ordination, decreased risk of injury and faster recovery.

Many sporting injuries are due to repetitive micro-strain (which can be caused or exacerbated by incorrect joint movements) or to sudden movements or accidents. Chiropractic can help prevent these injuries by ensuring joints are moving correctly and by enhancing mobility so that the body is more able to adapt to physically stressful situations.

Common sporting injuries like sprains, tendonitis and bursitis respond very well to chiropractic treatment. Joint problems in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle and foot can all be treated effectively with chiropractic care.

The chiropractors at Total Chiropractic all have experience working with athletes in many different sports and at all levels. We commonly treat athletes ranging from rugby players to yoga enthusiasts. We also provide information on nutrition, stretching and other techniques to both improve performance and decrease the chance of injury.

Many world class athletes such as Lance Armstrong, Muhammed Ali, Tiger Woods, Patrick Rafter and Carl Lewis receive chiropractic adjustments before competition as a ‘tune-up’. The aim is to place their bodies in a state of peak efficiency. Following competition, they are adjusted to enhance the recuperative process after the stress of their particular event.

Research has found that patients receiving chiropractic care show significant improvements in agility, balance, kinaesthetic perception, power and reaction time(1). Chiropractic has also been found to play a role in the treatment and prevention of hamstring injury in rugby(2) players and to enhance mobility and decrease injury in dancers and gymnasts.

For athletes, regular chiropractic care is essential for optimising performance. In the same way that you would not drive a car without getting a regular service, a chiropractic ‘tune up’ should be considered a regular part of your sporting preparation. This will allow you to perform at your peak and will also minimise injury and enhance recovery.

All of the chiropractors at Total Chiropractic have years of experience in sport at many levels. Sara was an elite gymnast and played state volleyball, Rebecca was a runner and Ali has coxed rowing teams at a high level. Ali has also conducted research investigating how chiropractic treatment can enhance rowing performance by increasing mobility.

We have experienced first hand the benefits of chiropractic, which has assisted us to keep performing at our peak. We have also enjoyed the benefits of staying fit by exercising regularly. Whether it is performance at work, school or sport that you want to enhance, chiropractic will help keep your nervous system functioning optimally and will allow you to reach your full potential.


Written by: 
Written by Alison de Vos, B.C.Sc; M(Chiro)

1. Chiropractic effects on athletic ability. Lauro A, Mouch B, Chiropractic: The Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation. 1991; 6: 84-87

2. Successful Management of Hamstring Injuries in Australian Rules Footballers: Two Case Reports Hoskins W, Pollard H, Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2005:13(4)

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Total Chiropractic, Ste 6, 104 Spofforth St, Cremorne, Sydney
02 9904 0101  |  info@totalchiro.com.au