Sports Chiropractic in Edmonton
Whether you like to golf, spin, do yoga or play hockey, you want to be at your athletic best. That starts with a healthy spine. If the spine isn’t moving optimally, the body has to start compensating for that lack of movement. When it begins to compensate, it decreases efficiency, wastes energy, and is unable to perform at as high a level.
Imagine a car with black smoke coming out of the back, weighing everything down. That’s your body when it has suboptimal spinal movement. A misaligned spine also increases your chance of being injured.
The Importance of Proprioception
When we have ideal movement in the spine, we have what’s called proprioception. “As the spine moves, there are little sensors in the spine that tell the brain where the body is in space,” said Dr. Don.
If those aren’t moving, our brain doesn’t get enough information about where we are in space. If your brain doesn’t have enough information to know where it is in space, whether you’re working out or doing sports, it’s more likely to get injured.
On the other hand, if your brain has all the information about what’s going on in the environment, you can make better decisions, which helps prevent injuries and improve performance.
“Often I find that the best thing for injuries is to improve the underlying mechanics of the joint–get the movement going so that the brain knows where the body is in space,” said Dr. Don. “Then when you have full range of motion, you can fire the muscle which can strengthen, and that’s how the layers of rehabilitation would go.”
The Foundational Role of Chiropractic
Chiropractic focuses on restoring movement. To strengthen or rehab any joint in the spine, we need to get the movement back. If we can get the joints moving, we can fire the muscles to strengthen it.
When your spine is more efficient, your brain is more in tune with your body. You’re more at ease and relaxed. Your body can be in a state of stress, sympathetic (fight or flight), or parasympathetic (rest and repair). If our spine is out of alignment and we have extra tension–lack of movement in the spine–our body will default to going more into the stress tension response.
If we can get into a more parasympathetic state, that allows the body to heal faster. The whole nervous system goes more into a rest state, and you’re improving the mechanics of the spine and posture simultaneously. When that happens, you can participate in your favorite sports or activities and perform at your best.
Schedule an Appointment
Regardless of your age or level of athleticism, chiropractic care may help you stay active now and for years to come. Contact South Side Chiropractic today to book an appointment!
