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Five Reasons Chiropractic Care Will Make You A Better Runner

19/4/2017

3 Comments

 
Kiwi Trail Running Article
Written By: Tim Leeming
 
What is chiropractic care?
The common public perception of chiropractic is that it is a manual healthcare modality focussed on the rehabilitation of back pain, neck pain and headaches. Contrary to popular belief, however, chiropractic was not founded or intended as a reactive and rehabilitative approach to health. The fundamentals of chiropractic are based upon a couple of scientific certainties:
  1. the human body is an intricate and intelligent system that has an inbuilt capacity to self-heal and self-regulate, and
  2. this is governed by a complex master control centre called the central nervous system. 
The central nervous system comprises the brain and spinal cord. It is an organ so important that the body exclusively encases it in a hard protective shell: the skull and spine – no other organ is so well protected. Herein lies the answer to why chiropractors work with the spine or ‘back’ – because of its intimate relationship with the body’s master control centre, the nervous system.
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Chiropractors adjust the spine to bring about balance to the neuromusculoskeletal system (the nerves, muscles, tendons and bones), allowing the entire body to function optimally. Specific adjustments to the spine stimulate the central nervous system, allowing the brain to perceive the body’s internal and external environment more accurately. Think of it like updating your iPhone – getting a chiropractic adjustment is like updating to a new and improved version of yourself.
 
Chiropractic is a proactive approach to health – pain is not a prerequisite: in fact, in many cases, there is more to gain for those who consult a chiropractor without any symptoms. International athletes such as Andy Murray[3], Usain Bolt[4] and Valerie Adams[5] regularly utilise chiropractic care. The managing director of sports medicine and chief medical officer for Team USA at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was Chiropractor Dr William Moreau, who says: “Chiropractic plays an important role in preventive, maintenance or injury specific care, and contributes to enhanced clinical outcomes and high patient satisfaction levels among all athletes.”  It is hard to find a better example than the USA Summer Olympic Team.

​How does chiropractic work?
Some interesting research coming out of New Zealand has recently demonstrated an increase in neurological drive from the brain to the muscles of the leg during maximum voluntary contractions[1]. After a single chiropractic adjustment, a 45% increase in neurological drive from brain to muscle resulted in a 16% improvement in the force produced. The authors of the study concluded that this amount of increase from just one adjustment is comparable to three weeks of strength training: imagine the benefit from adding regular chiropractic care to your current training schedule. The same study revealed that chiropractic adjustments also decreased fatigue and enhanced muscle recovery. Another study showed that chiropractic adjustments drastically increase activation of the core muscles – in particular, the ability to fire the core immediately prior to a given activity to provide stability[2].
 
As evidence for the neurological benefits of chiropractic for athletes continues to stack up, it also makes sense from a biomechanical point of view. The spine is the foundation of the anatomy. All limbs and appendages are anchored to the spine; the motion of the spine affects the limbs, and vice versa. If spinal biomechanics are optimal, it follows that the limbs attaching to the spine will move optimally as well. On the contrary, if the spine isn’t moving the way it should, the limbs probably won’t either.  Anecdotally, it is remarkable to see the improved functionality of the lower limbs in athletes after spinal adjustments – niggles in the hips, knees and ankles quite often melt away. This has much to do with the extraordinary interconnectedness of the human body.
Additional benefits that are pertinent to runners include improved sleep and energy levels, improved focus and mental clarity, faster reaction times, sharper cognition and enhanced immune function.
 
Chiropractic is an extremely valuable tool for performance in any serious runner’s artillery. Taking care of your body between training sessions is your best chance to optimise the work you do in training (or better yet, racing). Nutrition, rest, mobility work, massage and regular chiropractic adjustments are all highly recommended.

Five benefits of chiropractic
  1. Increased neurological drive from brain to muscles leading to an improvement in force produced.
  2. Decreased fatigue and enhanced muscle recovery.
  3. Increased core muscle activation – core firing immediately prior to activity to provide stability.
  4. Optimise biomechanical function and efficiency.
  5. Improved sleep and energy levels, mental clarity, focus and immune function; faster reaction times, sharper cognition.

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REFERENCES
[1] Niazi, I. K., Türker, K. S., Flavel, S., Kinget, M., Duehr, J., & Haavik, H. (2015). Changes in H-reflex and V-waves following spinal manipulation. Experimental brain research, 233(4), 1165-1173.
[2] Haavik, H., & Murphy, B. (2012). The role of spinal manipulation in addressing disordered sensorimotor integration and altered motor control. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 22(5), 768-776.
[3] http://circleofdocs.com/andy-murray-gets-adjusted-mid-match-then-wins/
[4] http://patch.com/iowa/ankeny/how-chiropractic-care-has-helped-me-introducing-usain-bolt
[5] http://www.digitaljournal.com/sports/world-s-most-dominant-athlete-thanks-chiropractor-for-51st-st-win/article/388583#ixzz383IU1AO4
3 Comments
Bree Ward link
8/5/2019 12:51:58 pm

It's good to know that chiropractors can adjust the yor spine to bring balance to your bones, nerves, tendon, etc. As you've said thsi si to esnure taht the body will fucntion at an optimal level. My brother is planning to be a runner athlete, and she has been practicing for the past months. He has been having joint and muscles pains lately due to over exercise. I'm gonna advise him to try chiropractor service given its benefits that you've discussed in your article. I think it will help him get better functions and agility.

Reply
David Johnson link
10/5/2019 03:42:23 am

I like how you point out that the spine is the foundation of the anatomy and so it follows that if the spine works well, the limbs attached to it will move better too. In my opinion, it also means that if one of the limbs is damaged, the rest of the limbs will still be able to function properly because the spine is taken care of. I'll have to look more into chiropractic care.

Reply
Angela Waterford link
24/8/2019 11:55:19 am

It's good to know that a chiropractic adjustment will help me get better sleep since I've been having trouble with that. I think I'll go to a chiropractor so that I can finally make myself healthier. It would be wise to pick a good one so that the adjustment will be effective.

Reply



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