Chiropractic Care – The healthcare treatment you never knew you needed
By Simon Smith, Chiropractor and Director at Broadgate Chiropractic Clinic
With back, neck and joint pain effecting so many of us, the impact on our mental wellbeing and performance is wide reaching. This is especially prevalent to those who participate in sports.
As sports and exercise intensity increases it is important that all elements are optimised and it is very easy to concentrate on the obvious things such as cardiovascular fitness, strength, even flexibility. However, one of the most important things to take care of is your nervous system as this is the governor of everything else. Without a healthy brain and nervous system nothing will work at its best, and this is where additional help from trained professionals can help.
As even amateur sports become more competitive and sports science pushes the boundaries of what is possible, everyone is looking for the slightest edge such as sports supplements etc whilst missing the biggest supplement of them all; Adding chiropractic care to your routine.
Many of the top sports clubs and athletes have caught on to the positive impact this non medicated treatment can have and incorporated chiropractic care into their core provision. Why? Small dips in the nervous system function lead to decreased function, imbalance in the alignment of the joints, strength and firing of muscles and postural changes to muscles. If you add all those on to a high performing sport, especially one such as Rugby where there are impact forces in excess of those seen in a head on car crash, then chiropractic care ceases to be a luxury and becomes a necessity!
So what is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a medical science that deals with improving nervous system function, typically by using manipulation to the spine and joints of the body (no they don’t just do back and necks, chiropractors in fact are trained to deal with every joint in the body!). By improving nervous system function and then working through muscular and joint function with the patient and applying the latest advances in neuroscience, the chiropractor can return the person to their sport, usually at a better level than before, once the brakes have been released!
Who can benefit from chiropractic care?
Whether you’re an athlete, amateur sportsperson, teacher or office worker, chiropractic care can help.
Chiropractic removes dysfunction and irritation to the body so people from all walks of life and all ages will see a benefit and just the feeling of wellness and the ability to do the things they love without restriction or pain is sometimes all the person wants.
Most chiropractors hate to see the limitations that ill health puts on people and actively encourage their patients to resume as soon as its safe, the activities they love so not only are they fitter and healthier and have functioning nervous systems, but they’re happier too!
What would a visit to the chiropractor involve?
All new patients are given a thorough examination of the whole body, not just the area of complaint so that the chiropractor can fully assess not just what is not working/is injured, but also how the body has been compensating for it. Examinations such a full neurological screen, movement and palpation of the joints and then strength tests will all help determine what is wrong and what needs to be about it
From there an appropriate treatment plan is put together and discussed, including the elements that the patient will do to help themselves as well as what the chiropractor intends to do to really start the process of getting them better.
Depending on how long they have had the problem it can take differing lengths of time for people to heal, but almost everyone feels an immediate improvement after just a couple of visits which increases with every treatment they have.
How to find a chiropractor
All qualified chiropractors working the UK must be registered with the General Chiropractic Council. You can search the GCC register to find a chiropractor in your area. Asking friends and family for recommendations and reading reviews are also a good way to help you find the best practitioner for you.
