Problem: “I don’t feel like I am getting the best results with my current chiropractor” or “My chiropractor does the same 3 adjustments on me every time I go, and it’s not helping”
Solution: Consider seeing a Sports Chiropractor
Bottom line: A Sports Chiropractor will look at your condition through a different lens. Your pain might not be originating from the spine, so maybe you need a chiropractor that has additional training in sports injuries and extremities to truly get the results you deserve.
The word Chiropractor always has a certain connotation; every person that hears it or says it has their own preconceived notion of what a Chiropractor is and what they do.
…Follow me here…
Some people have an image in their mind that a chiropractor is someone who uses his or her mythical powers to release their innate healing powers with an adjustment. Others may visualize someone who they spend very little face-to-face time with and all they do is “crack their back”. Some people might even picture someone who uses manual muscle testing before and after their adjustment to show the “effectiveness” of their work.
-Enter the Sports Chiropractor-
Now, I will fully admit, the term sports chiropractor can be a bit confusing. The most frequent questions I receive when I say I am a sports chiropractor are: Do you only work with athletes? Do I have to have a sports injury to see you? How is a Sports Chiropractor different from a regular Chiropractor? Do you adjust, too?
In general, a sports chiropractor specializes in injury prevention and injury management. The real difference-maker here is the additiona training we receive as part of our certification. Specifically, on-field injury evaluation and emergency medical management- which happens to translate very nicely to daily clinical practice.
The key here is the additional training. Not clinical hours. Not reading/studying.
Additional. Training.
To become a sports chiropractor, you are required to spend a certain amount of time at sporting events and meet the requirements of certified additional education and training. There are (at least) two distinct titles within the sports chiropractic world, the Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP) and the Diplomate American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physician (DACBSP); you must have the CCSP to test for the DACBSP. It is certainly a very different group of chiropractors than your grandparents were probably used too!
What does all of this mean to you? Mostly, it means that you are getting a chiropractor that doesn’t just perform spinal manipulation; a sports chiropractor, for example, is more likely to know the difference between a “pinched nerve” and scapular dyskinesis. Or, someone who is more able to help you determine WHY your knees hurt when you squat, and how to avoid it in the future. Etc
Also, as a sports chiropractor, I am more likely to utilize OTHER tools to help you on your journey to become pain-free, instead of just “cracking your back”.
Don’t get me wrong, one of the most effective tools a chiropractor can use is the adjustment, but there are so many other moving parts that need to be addressed as well.
Here is an example of how you might get treated in my office: detailed investigation about what is currently bothering you (where it hurts, what it feels like, what makes it better/worse, etc), proceed to some sort of movement-based testing (checking for any and all biomechanical aspects of the injury), then there will be very specific and thorough poking and prodding to determine which tissue is actually irritated (muscle, nerve, joint, tendon, etc) and then followed by treatment, which will probably include: stretching, therapeutic massage, exercise, movement, ice/heat, scraping, taping, and probably manipulation too. (Yes, all of that in one visit!)
The overall goal of this type of care is to decrease the painful areas, send you home with stretches and exercises that improve your ability to function, and help you learn how to manage the symptoms on your own. That’s it. No long, drawn out treatment plans. No Xray’s (unless they are clinically relevant). No sales tactics.
If you’d like to learn more or see if a sports chiropractor is the right solution for you, simply schedule a free consultation with me today!
