CrossFit is taking over the world of fitness. People love it because it creates conditions in which fitness is honed in a dynamic environment of rapid fire change. Encompassing physical attributes like flexibility, strength, endurance and speed, it’s never boring.
So why am I telling you that chiropractic care is crucial for CrossFit athletes? Not just because I’m a chiropractor. The fact is that CrossFit athletes and chiropractors are natural allies because chiropractic is a rubric under which a variety of techniques fall. These techniques are uniquely adapted to prevent injury and speed rehabilitation.
Correcting movement.
Every athlete has an Achilles heel, both literally and figuratively. This is usually a dysfunctional movement pattern that can make athletes more vulnerable to injury. So, when I treat athletes, one of the first things I want to do is analyze joint mobility and movement.
When improper movement is detected, as a chiropractor I have at my disposal tools to correct it, definitively. One of the most effective of these is Active Release Technique. Joint manipulation is another technique to correct movement. Either of these techniques is accompanied by an exercise plan that re-trains the athlete’s body to move properly to protect against injury.
Body awareness education.
The squat is an incredibly useful exercise that can boost overall body strength. Unfortunately, I see many CrossFit athletes who aren’t executing the movement correctly.
Usually, they’re performing squats improperly and that has a lot to do with visualizing the movement as originating in the back (which must be in alignment to perform squats correctly) and shoulders (which can be seriously strained and injured). Many athletes need to learn more acute body awareness.
For example, an effective squat’s origins are in the feet – not the back or shoulders. When preparing to squat, thinking about the movement as flowing upwards from the feet to the core area and then training your body to perform it in this manner is crucial. As a chiropractor, I educate patients about body awareness through movement analysis, targeted manipulation and prescribed corrective exercises.
Why I love CrossFit athletes.
As a fitness lover and athlete, myself, I truly relish the opportunity to help other athletes get in better touch with the way their bodies work. I derive enormous satisfaction from treating CrossFit athletes, because of the dynamic nature of their chosen fitness environment.
More than that, it’s incredible to watch CrossFit athletes grow stronger and more proficient with the help of chiropractic care. The two work together amazingly well. The holistic nature of chiropractic and the broad-based approach to fitness offered by CrossFit inform each other and that’s exciting for a chiropractor who loves sports.
Helping CrossFit athletes prevent injuries and recover from them (because injuries happen when you’re in beast mode) makes my work even more fascinating and satisfying than it already is.
Back & Body – support for CrossFit athletes.
Back & Body Medical offers CrossFit athletes chiropractic care in a multi-disciplinarian setting. Contact us to find out how our team can support your goals.
