Pain, performance, and sports chiropractic

As I edited the articles for this issue, I experienced a couple of insights about sports chiropractic.

I know, of course, that many athletes use chiropractic. But I hadn’t thought about how it helps them.

Like most people, I primarily equated sports chiropractic with providing relief from pain from sports-related injuries.

One of the contributors to this issue of Chiropractic Economics is Philip T. Santiago, DC, a respected leader in sports chiropractic. In his article, Dr. Santiago writes: “Sports chiropractic relieves pain, accelerates healing, and improves performance.”

When I read that statement, the lightbulb came on: Of course! Sports chiropractic does much more than provide pain relief. No wonder professional athletes seek out the help of chiropractors!

Another lightbulb came on when I was compiling the comments from several experts in nutritional supplementation and homeopathy. I knew that dietary supplementation and homeopathy helped the body maintain optimal health. But I had not realized that certain supplements and homeopathic remedies are especially good for athletes, since they reduce pain, speed up healing, and improve performance.

Those two insights made me wonder if sports chiropractic is a “best kept” secret. I am very familiar with chiropractic, but it took those articles to make me “get” the benefits of sports chiropractic. Do casual users of chiropractic — and (more important) nonusers — have any idea how chiropractic could improve their athletic prowess?

We need to tell them.

Some chiropractors are doing a great job of telling the athletic public about chiropractic. For example, many tap into the power of testimonials from athletic heroes. This is a great way to teach by example — just make sure you do it according to HIPAA. (See “Use star power to sell chiropractic” for tips on using testimonials.)

Other chiropractors teach by showing. They have their clinics in fitness centers. In our cover story, “Working out!” several of these DCs give suggestions on setting up clinics in fitness centers.

We hope you will enjoy these articles. And while you are reading them, I think I’ll get an adjustment, take several supplements, and head out to the golf course. Maybe I’ll even break 100!

Until next time,

Linda Segall, Editor-in-Chief