For an athlete, reaction times are everything. A person’s ability to react quickly in the heat of a contest could have everything to do with whether or not he or his team wins. And every single second counts. Earlier this year Six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt was beaten into second place by Justin Gatlin in the 100 meters at the Diamond League’s Rome meeting by a mere 0.01 secs.
Now comes very good news: Chiropractic adjustments can have a positive effect on this much needed ability. Not only does the potential for improved reactions apply to the playing field, but it could be a valuable skill to have in other areas of life as well. The New Zealand School of Chiropractic recently conducted a very interesting study to test the effects of Chiropractic adjustments on reaction time. In this study two groups were used to check reaction times. One group received chiropractic adjustments to the neck, while the other group was a control group for comparison and only received a short period of rest.
The results showed a marked improvement for the group that received an adjustment over the group that got nothing but rest. The group that got only rest did show an average decrease in reaction time of 58 milli-seconds, which represented an 8 percent quicker reaction time. The group that received the Chiropractic adjustment showed a decrease in reaction time of 97 milli-seconds representing a 14.8 percent quicker reaction time.
The implications are far reaching. Imagine the benefits of being able to react quicker to traffic situations or any other crisis life might throw at you. Imagine also the benefit to the athlete who depends on reaction times in order to perform at a competitive level. Today many top name athletes are regular chiropractic patients. In addition to recovery from injury most report the ability to perform better with chiropractic care. Now, thanks to the study from New Zealand, there is scientific proof of what the athletes have reported.
Former Heisman Trophy Winner and current Running Back for the Detroit Lions Reggie Bush has also said “As a professional athlete, I am highly competitive - only accept the best. When it comes to healthcare, chiropractic is an essential service. It keeps on-field performance at it’s highest level and contributes to the success of the entire team!”
* * *
Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic successfully treats athletes for a range of needs, including sports performance and sports injuries. Click here to watch the story of a local Augusta GA athlete and how he incorporated our chiropractic care into his training regimen.
The Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic Blog is written by Dr. Mark Huntsman.
Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic is conveniently located off Furys Ferry Rd in Augusta, GA and provides quality chiropractic care to the Augusta, Martinez, and Evans GA communities. Visit our main website at www.georgia-clinic.com.
Choose several options to schedule your appointment: call (706) 814-5053, use our online voicemail, or use our online form.