“The robust need for chiropractic care in the NFL has been deeply driven by the players’ desire for peak physical conditioning and not simply for injuries,” says Spencer H. Baron, D.C. This statement regarding the players’ views towards chiropractic demonstrates a growing trend toward implementing chiropractic into ones lifestyle for complete physical wellness and not simply injury recovery. A common misconception among people unfamiliar with the profession is that chiropractic is only used for treating spinal injuries. This is equivalent to saying that dentists only treat cavities and pull rotten teeth. NFL players and laymen alike are realizing that chiropractic care is crucial for maintaining their spine and for allowing their body to function at %100.
All thirty-two NFL teams now officially utilize the services of a chiropractor in their care for the patients. In the past, it was rumored that chiropractors had to meet the players in hotel bathrooms and back alleys. Now, however, they share the training room or even the locker rooms with the players.
With a surge of recent research into effects of the heavy hits taken during an NFL football game on the players’ brains, it is not surprising that a growing care for the nervous system has also been occurring. It is said that a lineman’s body goes through the equivalent trauma of a severe auto accident every game, so corrective care becomes crucial in the care for the player’s most valuable asset: their bodies.
In summary, professional athletes enjoy top notch physical care in a profession that demands enormous amounts from their bodies, and it isn’t surprising that chiropractic care is a key aspect of this care.