Football may be demanding and taxing on the body, but cheerleading is no walk in the park either. In fact, even at the local school level, it’s been rated the most dangerous sport for women by the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. Cheerleaders today are as competitive as the teams on the playing fields. With all the physical demands that come with the sport, there are also the injuries that come with the territory.
The Washington Redskins’ cheerleaders recently joined the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress after experiencing positive results with chiropractic care. Several of the cheerleaders commented on how chiropractic care benefited them and their careers: “I’ve experienced multiple injuries during my career as a cheerleader — everything from pulled hamstrings to sprains and even lower back pain — setbacks that chiropractic care has always helped me recover from,” said Chelsea Causey, a third-year Washington Redskins Cheerleader.
“People don’t view cheerleading as a competitive sport, but you have to try out every single year in this industry, and it takes a large toll on your body,” noted Amanda Mitchell, a second-year Washington Redskins Cheerleader. “Without chiropractic care I would not have made it past my first year. After receiving treatment, I began to notice the pain starting to subside as well as improvement in flexibility during performances.”
With cheerleading calling for ever-higher degrees of athleticism, chiropractors say they are able to provide a unique understanding of the rigorous training and physical toll that the sport has on the body, unlike any other type of physician.
“Doctors of chiropractic are the only healthcare professionals who specialize in the process of correcting spinal misalignments with adjustments,” said Dr. Steve Goninan, a fellow chiropractor in Georgia. “These adjustments re-energize the nervous system, reduce biomechanical stress, optimize the athlete’s agility without the athlete having to overcome the side effects of drugs or irreversible surgeries.”
Dr. Goninan, who has written about the benefits of chiropractic care for cheerleading, notes that chiropractic works with the nervous system, which controls and coordinates the functions of all other bodily systems. When injury occurs to the spine – one of the key structures that surrounds and protects the nervous system it can impede the nervous system’s ability to govern the body and maintain a balance necessary for health, he said.
New research published in the authoritative Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, (March 2011), found that specific hamstring exercise intervention provided by a Doctor of Chiropractic may result in significant relief of hamstring injury-related pain. The season-long research involved 43 professional football cheerleaders who all received exercise intervention. “After the season closed, we found that those who had reported hamstring injury-related pain between June and September showed a significant decrease in pain after receiving treatment,” says Dr. Jay Greenstein, the lead author in the study. “Doctors of Chiropractic have extensive training in treating a variety of sports injuries through spinal adjustments, soft tissue techniques and rehabilitation — without the use of drugs or surgery.” So whether you’re a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or anything in between, you too can experience the benefits of Chiropractic.
Chiropractic care also can help prevent degenerative issues in the future. Many former athletes experience spinal degeneration and arthritis later in life due to the extensive wear and tear on their bodies throughout their careers. Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic has successfully treated atheletes that compete in a wide range of sports not only in the Augusta, Martinez and Evans area, but also those traveling through Augusta as well. Much of our success is due to treating each athelete as an individual patient, and then further tailoring their treatment to the specific sport they compete in, so that their recovery and performance goals go hand in hand. Consistent chiropractic care can go a long way–especially for an athlete’s career.
Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic is conveniently located off Furys Ferry Rd in Martinez, Georgia and provides quality chiropractic care to the Augusta, Martinez, and Evans communities. To schedule an appointment, call (706) 814-5053 or visit www.georgia-clinic.com for more information.
