The benefits of working with a sports performance oriented chiropractor

5 Ways a performance therapist can improve your rehabilitation

In the pursuit of athletic greatness, don’t let aches, pains, injuries, asymmetries, or compensations interfere with your goals. What most people don’t realize is that there is an enormous void between being cleared to pay and pre-injury performance. As an athlete you might notice and be frustrated by the difference between your pre-injury performance and your capabilities upon returning to a sport post-injury. Even if you have been cleared to play your sport again you are most likely still dealing with asymmetries, compensations, and discomfort. 

The current trend of short visits, incomplete results, and masking the symptoms in performance with western medicine is insufficient rehabilitation for professional and aspiring athletes. Don’t worry!  Dr. Werner has a decade of experience as a strength and conditioning coach, is trained as a chiropractor, and learned electro-acupuncture from the prestigious McMaster Contemporary Medical Acupuncture program. This diverse skill set transforms him from a “regular” chiropractor to a performance therapist. Each visit you will receive a thorough assessment to identify if your joints are acting like joints, do your muscles feel like steak or jerky, and determine which muscles and movement patterns need a boost so you can recover and exceed your original performance expectations.

Improve Movement Capacity & Mobility

If you’ve been cleared to play your sport again, but have observed that it is uncomfortable or challenging to assume the positions and postures required, then it is time to work with a sports oriented performance chiropractor. A sports performance oriented chiropractor is going to work closely with you to help you improve your movement capacity and mobility. Evaluation and therapy will work to ensure that your joints bend and flex smoothly. This also includes your ability to fire and coordinate your muscles in the appropriate sequence to produce maximal force and power. A performance therapist may provide physical adjustments, therapeutic exercises, and electro-acupuncture to treat movement capacity and mobility issues.

Correct Asymmetries and Compensations

Too often asymmetries and compensations go unnoticed because they are rarely painful and you can still compete at a high level, but every compensation will eventually catch up with you and cause “wear and tear” injuries. For example, a silent cause of compensations in most athletes is an asymmetry in ankle mobility. Research has shown that athletes who have a little as a 4cm difference in their ankle mobility are at a 2.5X greater risk of lower body injuries. A sports performance oriented chiropractor will help you identify and address asymmetries and compensations during the rehabilitation process to help you avoid future injuries.

Address and Relieve Muscle Tightness

If you are able to get into positions without pain or movement compensations, but things still feel tight, a performance therapist is going to address the cause of your muscle tightness. If you have had a surgery or serious muscle tear, scar tissue may be to blame. Adhesions that develop between the muscles, nerves, and fascia quickly transform your muscles from the quality of a nice steak to a piece of jerky. More likely, issues are caused by poor functioning muscles. When a muscle doesn’t “activate” or fire properly they go into protection mode to prevent potential injuries. When this happens the muscle tightens up creating knots and trigger points. A performance therapist will help you identify the location and cause of muscle tightness and will use a variety of techniques including physical adjustments and electro-acupuncture to help treat this symptom as a part of your rehabilitation. 

Treat Joint Restrictions

Athletes experience joint restriction as a joint that feels “stuck” or out of place. This is often caused by adhesions between the joint surfaces or in the joint capsule as the result of an injury or surgery that creates scar tissue limiting range of motion. A sports performance oriented chiropractor will address joint restrictions with joint manipulation or acupuncture; both of which act as a neurological reset. This begins to fix muscle tightness, asymmetries, and weakness by improving the blood flow to the muscles and joints. 

Rehabilitation to Performance

After identifying and treating limited mobility, asymmetries, compensations, muscle tightness, and joint restrictions, Dr. Werner will continue to utilize his diverse skill set as a Performance Therapist to develop a program that will help you regain the “pop” you need to get back to training and competing at your best. This step of rehabilitation is enhanced by working with your sport coach and strength coach to reestablish the anaerobic and aerobic systems with sport specific drills. Another key component of your athletic rehabilitation includes addressing your biochemistry which can be diet plans, lifestyle, and lab tests to ensure you are fueling your body with appropriate vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

Are you ready to experience first hand the benefits of working with a sports performance oriented chiropractor? Werner Athletics is ready to facilitate your athletic rehabilitation. Click here to receive your free report on how Werner Athletics can help you regain and protect your competitive edge or click here to schedule your first appointment.