Making a Case for Chiropractors on Collegiate Sports Staffs
FEATURE
Leslie Reece
DC
As chiropractors, we are trained to watch how the body moves. We utilize a variety of adjustments and techniques to perfect those movements and return a body to normal function. We’re licensed to diagnose and prevent disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system, we can recommend stretches and strength exercise routines, and offer nutritional and lifestyle advice. We can treat the entire body. Because of this, chiropractors make the perfect addition to the staff of a sports team.
Over the last five years that I have been a practicing chiropractor, I have had the pleasure of working with athletes of all kinds. From elite collegiate athletes to weekend warriors, I have seen first-hand how people that are committed to being active require a unique method of care.
Having a chiropractor on a sports team’s staff greatly benefits the athletes. Research shows that chiropractic can help reduce pain and speed up injury recovery time in athletes, enhance performance by building strength and flexibility, and improve sleep, which is when an athlete’s body does most of its recovering. In addition, receiving regular chiropractic adjustments can help prevent injuries in the first place.
Aside from providing adjustments and other related care, chiropractors offer a unique perspective in creating treatment plans. Because we’re trained to analyze body movement patterns, we deeply understand errors that may be causing pain. For example, if an athlete is experiencing shoulder pain, it may be stemming from their hip mobility. Improper joint mechanics may cause immobility in the muscles surrounding the hip, which works its way to the upper body, resulting in shoulder pain.
We often work closely with a team’s sports staff, including athletic trainers. Currently, through a partnership which began over five years ago between Logan University and Fontbonne University - a small, private university also located in St. Louis, Missouri - my team and I treat athletes in a variety of sports alongside Fontbonne’s athletic trainers.
Our chiropractic team participates in meetings with the Fontbonne sports staff to create athlete treatment plans, we attend games to provide real-time care, and we work with athletes before or after practices. In our weekly visits to Fontbonne’s campus, we provide adjustments, soft tissue therapy, taping, functional assessments and exercise recommendations. In addition to these services, Fontbonne University student athletes can visit any of our three Logan University Health Centers free of charge to receive services that we may not be able to offer on campus. These services include diagnostic imaging, acupuncture, cold laser therapy and electrical stimulation therapy, among other techniques.
“Our athletes absolutely love visiting Dr. Reece and her team,” said Samantha Hochmuth, head athletic trainer at Fontbonne. “Many of them see her each week, so it’s been great to watch them form relationships with Dr. Reece and her students. They appreciate the work her team does to help them recover or maintain their physical fitness.”
Working with athletes is also extremely rewarding. They are committed to their health and fitness and are excited to continue bettering themselves. They’ll work hard and will do their part in the maintenance or recovery process. At the end of the day, chiropractors and athletic trainers are working toward the same goal: to help the athlete achieve peak performance
As sports chiropractic continues to gain popularity, it is increasingly important for chiropractors to be included in collegiate sports. This gives chiropractors access to a large patient population, which allows us to provide care to a younger demographic than ever before.
When chiropractors join a sport team staff, it is important to be aware of existing roles within the medical staff team. Athletic trainers are tasked with strengthening, protecting and healing athletes. As the first healthcare provider typically on the scene of an athletic injury, they have a lot to handle. As chiropractors, we can take some of the stress away from the athletic trainers and provide the same necessary care and recommendations as the athletic trainers.
“Having a chiropractor on our staff has given our athletes an elevated athletic experience,” Samantha said. “I’ve worked at universities that did not have a chiropractor on their sports staff, and there is a very noticeable difference in the level of care here at Fontbonne.”
For sport team staff interested in adding a chiropractor to the team, Samantha encourages them to make sure the chiropractic services offered fit the athletes, as well as the goals the athletic trainer is working to accomplish. In the end, having another set of hands to treat athletes and an additional perspective better serves our patients, which is why we all entered the medical field.
Leslie Reece, DC, MS, CCSP earned her DC from Cleveland University and her masters in sports science and rehabilitation from Logan University. Dr. Reece is a member of the American Chiropractic Association. She currently works with Fontbonne University athletes through Logan University’s 3+3 program. She can be contacted at 1(636) 230-1891 or [email protected]
