Many American professional athletes seek the help of a chiropractor to cope with the rigorous physical demands of their various sports. Professional golfers have access to chiropractors during their tournaments, and many professional football players have been known to receive chiropractic care after strenuous games. Baseball teams have also started providing their players with much-needed chiropractic help.
In the past year, baseball teams like the world champion Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies have used chiropractic services to help their players perform well and stay in top condition. Major League clubs have to play 162 games as part of the schedule, and that includes a fair amount of travel as well. Typical baseball seasons start in late February and continue through early October. Teams eyeing the Playoffs or World Series must push through the end of October.
Boston Red Sox players can be seen with their chiropractor, Michael Weinman, DC, 3-4 hours before starting their home games. He says that players can stay away from nagging injuries and also perform at optimal levels when their muscles, joints, and nerves are in optimal condition. He also says that adjustments made by a chiropractor can also improve overall physical health and thus result in excellent performance.
Injuries that are common in baseball players include lower and middle back injuries, neck injuries, rotator cuff injuries, and also hamstring injuries. Hamstring-related issues typically start because players have to suddenly spring into action from a standing position while making their plays.
Most of Dr. Weinman’s work involves helping prevent inflammation, breaking up adhesions, and adjusting various joints to improve mobility. He, along with his coaches, physical therapists and massage therapists seem to have had a good effect on the team as they won against the Colorado Rookies in four straight games to win the World Series.
The Phillies will now have a network of chiropractors in every city where they are scheduled to play their games (home and away). The first player on the team to request the presence of chiropractors was pitcher Cole Hammels. He is of the opinion that he missed games in 2007 (while on the disabled list) because he did not receive chiropractic care for his elbow strain.
Hamels also said that he was very pleased with the knowledge that the team was making efforts to ensure that they received chiropractic assistance while paying in different cities. Other players on the team are also likely to get help from chiropractors to deal with limbs that snap. He added that consulting with a chiropractor surely has benefited him, and it was great that the team went out of their way to provide this assistance to the players. According to Hamels, the team could very well turn out to be a 20-game winner this season, thanks to Chiropractic services that are now available to all players on the team.