The finest athletes in the world know that staying in optimal shape helps them perform at their fullest potential and stay at the top of their sport. Athletes' achievements are closely tied to the health and strength of their bodies and they tend to push their bodies to the limit. They can't afford losing training time to injuries and rely on chiropractic to keep them in top shape and speed their recovery rate after intensive training or competitions. It is no coincidence that most college and professional athletes, including nearly every team in the NFL and NBA are under the care of a chiropractor. Some athletes turn to chiropractic after an injury, but most athletes incorporate chiropractic therapy into their training routine.

In sports, where the difference between winning and losing is often measured in fractions of a second or inches, athletes are always looking for a little extra something to give them an advantage. Chiropractic can give athletes an edge without the dangerous side effects of performance enhancing drugs. Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to increase range of motion. Athletes getting routine chiropractic adjustments notice better flexibility, increased blood flow, and may suffer fewer injuries. Because spinal adjustments reduce the irritation of the nerve roots between the vertebrae, the healing time from minor injuries can be shortened. Chiropractic is also helpful for stress reduction and toxin removal, both of which are necessary for better overall health.

€Chiropractic adjustments offer many other benefits to athletes, such as:
€Improved posture
€Improved immune system to fight off illness
€Better focus and concentration
€Reduction of migraines or severe headaches
€Increased blood circulation
€Better joint flexibility
€Reduced risk of injury
€Increased blood and oxygen flow throughout the body
€Improved recovery rates after a sports injury
€Reduction of pain in major joints

Seattle Chiropractor, Dr. James Devine, uses a wide variety of therapies to treat athletes, including chiropractic adjustments, Graston technique, and Kinesio Taping. Chiropractic adjustments, Graston Technique and Kinesio Taping have been shown to decrease treatment time and reduce a patient's need for pain medication.

Graston Technique is a manual massage-type rehab technique invented by an athlete named David Graston to break down scar tissue that lead to his suffering a chronic injury. Graston, who was unable to fully recover from a knee injury, designed a set of 6 stainless steel instruments to manually break down scar tissue, which is less elastic and more painful than healthy tissue. By using his specially designed tools and using cross-friction massage, developed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Cyriax, chiropractors can break up scar tissue adhesions and detect areas of chronic inflammation. Graston is used to treat cervical sprain/strain, tennis elbow and golfer's elbow, lumbar sprain/strain, rotator cuff injuries, Achilles tendon injuries and more.

Kinesio taping is a technique of taping injuries, based on the body's own natural healing process. Kinesio Tape is applied over muscles to reduce pain and inflammation, relax overused muscles, and support muscles in movement. It is non-restrictive and allows for a full range of motion. Kinesio Tape is used for headaches and foot problems and just about everything in between, including carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back strain/pain, knee conditions, shoulder conditions, hamstring injury, groin injury, rotator cuff injury, whiplash, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, and as a support method to prevent injuries.

Dr. Devine has been treating Seattle athletes and helping them recover from sports injuries for over 20 years. To learn more about chiropractic treatment for the prevention and rehabilitation of sports injuries, or schedule a consultation with Dr. Devine, please visit http://www.Seattlechiropractor.com.