I recently wrote a blog post about why I don’t think CrossFit is an inherently dangerous sport as long as athletes perform movements using good technique and a weight their body can handle. In this post, I want to expand upon a point I made toward the end of that article, which is that eventual injury is almost assured if you participate in a sport while misaligned.
Most U.S. adults who are not currently under chiropractic care have misalignment’s, or joints that are out of place in their bodies. Misalignment’s can arise from anything, including a traumatic fall, a football tackle when you were in high school, a car crash two year ago, the way you slept last night or just from the fact that you spend eight hours a day sitting at a desk.
Just because you are not in pain doesn’t mean that you aren’t misaligned. As I’ve mentioned in my previous blog posts, your body is a master at compensating for misalignment’s to prevent you from feeling pain. Your body will pretty much do anything and everything to keep you from feeling pain, including pushing your head forward, tilting your pelvis, lifting one shoulder, etc… Trust me, I’ve seen it all.
When you do feel pain that means your body is at the point where it just can’t find any other way to compensate for misalignment’s. You could have been misaligned for years or even decades before you feel pain.
Imagine what will happen when you participate in a sport if you are misaligned. Say that you are a runner, and your spine is misaligned. Normally, every time your foot impacts the ground, the impact travels through your bones, joints and muscles evenly. This impact is a good thing – it helps keep your muscles, bones and joints strong. But if you are misaligned, then each step sends the impact in the wrong direction. Maybe your pelvis is tilted and you’re running too forward. Maybe your shin is absorbing all of the impact, or all that force is landing in your low back.
Over time, you’ll start to develop shin splints or low back pain and wonder what is going on. This can happen in any sport. Think about the injuries you could cause doing kettle bell swings with a misaligned spine or a 200-pound deadlift! You could even injure yourself doing a “gentle” sport like yoga if you are misaligned.
I work with many athletes in my practice who assume that injury is a part of every sport. Sure, falls, slips and twisted ankles happen, but in many cases, a sport merely aggravates an existing misalignment or subluxation.
If you are an athlete of any kind who is not under chiropractic care, you are setting yourself up for injury. You’re also limiting your overall potential to excel in your sport. If you have a subluxation, your body and brain are not communicating optimally. A subluxation can lead to low energy, slower healing time, lower concentration and low stamina.
My chiropractic practice is located in the 4S Ranch area of San Diego, California, and I serve patients in San Diego, Escondido, Poway, Rancho Santa Fe and Rancho Penasquitos. I specialize in working with all types of athletes to help them recover from injuries, prevent future injuries and realize great improvements in their athletic performance. Come visit my 4S Ranch chiropractic office for a free consultation.
