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Kinesio Tape & Chiropractic Helping Athletes at The 2008 Beijing Olympics

August 18, 2008 on 4:08 pm | In Sports | No Comments

While Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt have been stealing the show at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, other athletes have been trying to rehab or keep their bodies in shape or healthy, and an increasing number are using alternative ways to heal their bodies. Kerri Walsh has been seen numerous times with kinesio tape on her shoulder during her beach volleyball matches. Kinesio tape has been around for many years, but only in the last 5 years has it been used widely in the US, with sports chiropractors being some of the first to use it.

Athletes have been some of the first to try and discover the great benefits of kinesio tape, just as they have been the first to try many other new forms of treatment. While chiropractic is not a new form of treatment, it is getting the same amount of respect from athletes that kinesio tape does. Many athletes over the last decade have come to use chiropractic and sports chiropractors as a way to get out of pain, heal faster, and also to get the body aligned and tuned up into peak physical performance.

U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay has used chiropractic to get himself ready for the 2008 Olympics. An injury to his hamstring at the Olympic trials threatened to end his Olympic dreams early, but chiropractic and massage treatments got him feeling better in time for the start of the Track & Field competition. While he did not win the 100m sprint, he said the problem with his slow time was not the hamstring.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Dr. Glenn Lowenberg, Dr. Marcus A McCray, and other chiropractors will be on hand with other medical staff to provide treatment to the athletes before, during, and after competition. Dr. Marcus A. McCray was selected by USA Track & Field to serve as its team chiropractor in Beijing. The roster of Olympic athletes who have benefited from chiropractic care is quite impressive. Great athletes such as Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, Edwin Moses, Dara Torres, Derek Parra and numerous others have used chiropractic to keep themselves in top physical form.

There has been a growing trend among athletes for using chiropractic care. Approximately 31% of NFL teams have a chiropractor on staff and 39% of all Div. I athletes said they use chiropractic either to get into top shape or stay there. Many say chiropractic helps them to get into top physical shape without the use of drugs. Sports and Chiropractic are a very good match for each other. Athletes are always looking to get their muscles and joints performing at their best and chiropractic is a health care discipline that provides conservative care, rehabilitation, and performance optimization of the neuromusculoskeletal system.

For those chiropractors interested in learning more about caring for athletes, please visit www.chiropracticbookstore.com and check out the book Conservative Management of Sports Injuries.