Over the year’s chiropractic has evolved to have different specialties within the field. Just as Medical doctors can specialize in fields of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Orthopedics. Sports Chiropractic is one of those specialty fields that has developed within the profession. After a 4-year graduate program, there is still advanced training to learn, sport-specific injuries, sport-specific diagnosis, and sport-specific exercises.
A visit to a Chiropractor that specializes in Sports Medicine can feel as though you are seeing a Physical Therapist. The evaluations are remarkably similar if not identical. If you are seeking care because of an injury sustained on the playing field, gym, practice, or weight training; you may also be taken through a “functional Exam”. This could be anything from watching you pick-up an object from floor, performing a squat, carrying a heavy weight, or simply watching you walk or run. Based on the findings from these detailed evaluations, you will be taken through a progression of exercises, slowly exposing your body to low doses of load that creates an adaptive response.
The exercises that a Sports Chiropractor will prescribe are not your typical exercises done in a gym. If a patient is coming in with shoulder pain. A thorough history needs to be taken to gain as much information to structure an effective and individualized course of care. The information gained during the evaluation will aid in the diagnosis (Shoulder tendonitis, Rotator Cuff strain/tear, Shoulder impingement, Bursitis, labral tears, etc.). Each of the conditions listed requires a different length of healing time, exercise prescription, and frequency. The number one question patients ask, “how long will this take?”. Unfortunately, there is no way, one could say with absolute certainty, what that length of time may be. This is where experience, communication, and trust play a significant role in a patient’s outcome. The better communication between doctor and patient, the better opportunity of achieving the expectations laid out.