LaShawn Merritt, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and eight-time World Champion in the 400 meters, made chiropractic care an important part of his training. One of the featured athletes in the film, LaShawn credits chiropractic for his ability to enjoy a very high level of performance over a long career.
Dan O’Brien, the 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist in the Decathlon, emphatically states in the film, “If it hadn’t been for chiropractic, I wouldn’t have won the Gold Medal.”
Chiropractic care for elite athletes, and athletes of all levels, is not new. Athletes have utilized chiropractic care for decades. A short list of these elite athletes includes Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Aaron Rodgers, Evander Holyfield, Michael Phelps and many others.
Their motivation ranges from improved function, reaction time, and balance to injury prevention, fast recovery time, and healing more quickly from injuries. Tom Brady stated, “Chiropractic just makes you feel so much better. When I walk out of the clinic, I feel about three inches taller and everything's in place. As long as I see a chiropractor, I feel like I'm one step ahead of the game."
Athletes who utilize chiropractic care have a solid understanding of the correlation between the body’s alignment and the function of the nervous system. Tiger Woods was quoted as saying, "I've been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It's as important to my training as practicing my swing."
One would think that with such ringing chiropractic endorsements would have always been a part of every athlete's training regime. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case.
Dr. Eric Gorman, the producer of the film and a second generation chiropractor said, “The Aligned Athlete film documents the story of how chiropractic care overcame hurdles of opposition from the medical establishment to become the standard of care demanded by the world’s best track and field athletes for optimum performance.”
In addition to working on the spine and nervous system, many DCs also work to ensure the alignment and function of the extremities such as shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, hips, knees, ankles, and feet. Why do these elite athletes insist on being aligned?
Because
Being from Alabama, I must mention that the University of Alabama under Nick Saben has added chiropractic care as a part of their treatment protocol.
Players who are properly aligned and have optimally functioning nervous systems are less susceptible to injury and often have “fresher legs" deep into competition. LaShawn Merritt, nicknamed “The Machine,” had a reputation for a fierce kick at the end of his championship races.
100:100, 100 Percent for 100 Years
Athletes who are passionate about their favorite sport want to get the most out of their career during their glory days, and they also want to be able to participate in these activities as they age. Nowadays we see events like the Senior Olympics, local 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, marathons, Tough Mudders, and all kinds of extreme sports activities.