In the past year, both the World Champion Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies organizations have worked with chiropractors to get their players in top condition to perform through an entire year. Major League ball clubs play a 162 game schedule that includes coast to coast travel. A typical season starts in late February with a Spring Training schedule and finishes in early October. A playoff or World Series bound team is still playing in late October.

Michael Weinman, D.C., works with the Boston Red Sox and often is busy with players for three to four hours before home games. “When the body’s joints, muscles and nerves are well-conditioned, a player performs at the top of his game and is able to stave off nagging injuries. Chiropractic adjustments enhance physical health and promote top performance,” he said.

The most common problems for baseball players include rotator cuff injuries; neck, mid-back and lower back conditions; and hamstring pulls. The hamstring problems tend to be incurred by a player in a standing position having to quickly burst into action at top speed to make a play. Dr. Weinman says that much of his work involves adjusting joints to keep them mobile, reduce a play­er’s inflammations and to break up adhesions.

Dr. Weinman and a team of trainers and massage and physical therapists must be having a positive effect on this team. Last October, the Boston Red Sox became World Series champions for 2007 when they defeated the Colorado Rockies in 4 straight games!

The Philadelphia Phillies organization will have chiropractors available to their players for the 2008 season at all home and road games. The team has put a network of chiropractors together in all of the cities the team will visit this year. The request for Chiropractic came first from pitcher Cole Hamels who believes in the benefits of Chiropractic. He thinks that one of the reasons he was forced to miss games while on the disabled list in 2007 had to do with no chiropractor being made available to help with an elbow strain.

Hamels said he was most pleased that the team was putting in the effort to make chiroprac­tors available to them when they travel. Many other players on the team will likely make use of the services to stay healthy and play their best. “Ever since I’ve used one (a chiropractor) it’s done wonders for me. It’s great that they (team management) are going out of their way to get a network going.” Hamels thinks that with Chiropractic services fully available, that he could reach the magic number of becoming a 20 game winner this season.

Source: The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. “Play Ball! Chiropractic Adjustments Keep Boston Red Sox Organization Physically Fit Throughout the Baseball Season.” Press Release. May 2007. http://www.f4cp.com/press_releases/BostonRedSoxandChiropractic.htm and Kid Chiropractic. “Baseball Pitcher Cole Hamels Gets His Team to Provide a Chiropractor.” April 2008. http://www.kidchiropractic.com/

Figure skaters in their late 30s used to be relegated to a coaching job, but this is no longer the case. Thirty-something skaters Ninotchka Aschow, Choeleen Loundagin and William Abel are all National Adult champions. For each, Chiropractic has been an important part of their training program and has helped each of them to rise to the top of the winner’s platform. All three of these competitors get help with their injuries and also direction in their total fitness from Christina Dumbadse, D.C. in Santa Rosa, California.

Loundagin and Abel are partners in the pairs event and Chiropractic has helped Abel with injuries. “Over time, you begin to feel various pain sensations that can put your body into an uncomfortable state. For me, Chiropractic is the only thing that can turn around this type of situ­ation. I would not go to a medical doctor for something like this.” He added that, at first he would only visit his chiropractor to get adjustments. However, he soon learned that Chiropractic offers a more holistic approach to fitness and healing, and he now visits his chiropractor for pre­ventative care as well.

Loundagin, age 39, also came to realize that her chiropractor could be a valuable resource to help her get into better shape for competition. “Seeing a chiropractor two to three times a week allowed me to develop muscle and upper body strength for lifting as well as keeping my align­ment consistent,” she said. “Chiropractic care definitely helped me become stronger in areas that I was lacking.”

At age 37, Aschow was recently able to capture her second Ladies Title at the U.S. Singles Championship and credits the health and wellness benefits that come from her Chiropractic care for her level of success. “I have been seeing a chiropractor for the last 15 years and am confident that if I fall awkwardly and feel some discomfort during my performance, my chiropractor will fix my alignment and get me back on the ice later that day. I feel more vibrant and alive at age 37 than I did at age 27, and I can say that is a direct result of Chiropractic care.”

Any athlete at any age can benefit from a relationship with a Chiropractor for needed physical adjustments, nutritional advice and help with training. It’s a relationship that can keep a person competing successfully at a professional or recreational sport long past the time that many of their counterparts have taken to their couch. Here’s to “going for the gold” at any age!

Source: The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. Press Release. “Never Too Old to Go for Gold: Chiropractic Care Improves Fitness, Restores Balance to Three Figure Skaters in Their Late 30s.” June 2007. http://www.f4cp.com/press_releases/FigureSkaters.htm