Chiropractic at competitive athletic events enhances individual, team performance

September 14, 2012 — The presence of chiropractic care and the leadership role of doctors of chiropractic at major national and international competitive events — including the Olympic and Paralympic Games — are the result of positive outcomes in optimizing athletic performance: endurance, return-to-play and functionality.

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) and Phil Santiago, DC, the first chiropractor to be contracted with the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), cite the participation of DCs at the 2012 London Games: Bill Moreau, DC, serves as USOC managing director of sports medicine; and Tom Greenway, DC, led the coordination of the multi-disciplinary medical services team provided by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games.

“Chiropractic care is only one tool within the athletes’ healthcare tool box, but its unique manual, non-drug methods make it a crucial component of healthcare delivery at Olympic Games which carry strict restrictions on drug use,” shares Santiago, secretary-general, International Federation of Sports Chiropractic (FICS), noting that the U.S. finished first in the all-around medal count, bringing home a total of 104 medals from the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

At the recent London Games, Santiago reports that Greenway enlisted nearly 30 DCs to provide treatment for the elite athletes: “As with all major sporting events, the designated doctors were required to have exceptional skills in delivering efficient, thorough and patient-centered care.”

Following the trend to include DCs on top medical service teams, organizers of the World Games — which are flagship events for the Special Olympics that take place every two years and represent one of the potentially largest sporting events of the year — have chosen to mandate chiropractic care.

Spokesperson for F4CP, Gerard Clum, DC, is pleased to see chiropractic become more accessible to the elite athletes.

“The care our doctors of chiropractic provided helped our athletes prepare for the competition, perform at their best, avoid injuries and better deal with injuries when they occurred,” says Clum. “It is a privilege for our doctors of chiropractic to serve our athletes as they seek to bring honor to our nation and to themselves, being a part of the process is a career highlight for the athletes and chiropractors alike.”

To learn more about the advancement of sports chiropractic, visit: fics-sport.org/portal.

Source: Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, f4cp.com