Northwestern Health Sciences University chiropractor travels with US Bobsled, Skeleton teams

January 19, 2011 — A chiropractor at Northwestern Health Sciences University was selected as one of the team chiropractor for the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton teams.

Jonathan Mulholland, DC, CCSP, CSCS, assistant professor and chief of staff at the Bloomington Natural Care Center will be traveling with the teams to the 2011 world championship on Feb. 14-27 in Konigssee, Germany.

Mulholland will treat approximately 40 athletes from the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton teams. “I volunteered to work with them, but you have to be selected to go,” he said. “This is the biggest event of the year; it’s an honor to be chosen as a member of the medical staff.”

Throughout his life, Mulholland has been involved with bobsledding. He strived to be like his father, a 1972 winter Olympic bobsledder. As a child he attended and competed in bobsledding events. After becoming a doctor of chiropractic, he started working with athletes at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.

For the last six years, he has worked alongside Eugene Bryne, MD, chief medical officer for the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation. Mulholland has been traveling with the teams throughout North America for the last two years. “I think they really appreciate my knowledge of the sport,” he said.

Traveling with the teams can be a strenuous job. The on-the-spot treatment has taught Mulholland to adjust to working in different environments. “It is a rough sport and I see a lot of different injuries,” he said.

Mulholland is looking forward to representing Northwestern at the races in February. “I would like to continue working with individual teams to demonstrate my abilities,” he said. “My ultimate goal is to be a provider at the Olympic Games.”

Source: Northwestern Health Sciences University, www.nwhealth.edu/nwtoday/index.html