A chiropractor is basically a therapist who works into a method of treatment that manipulates body structures to relieve low back pain or headache or high blood pressure or other such health issues. A sports chiropractor is a highly developed and knowledgeable provider of chiropractic medicine who is an expert in the prevention as well as treatment of sports related injuries.
One has to acquire expertise and high level knowledge in sport specific strength and conditioning techniques and optimal biomechanics and the use of musculoskeletal imaging studies.
Origin
Chiropractic medicine was founded in the late 19th century. The first school of chiropractic medicine was founded in 1897 in the United States in Davenport. It is a relatively new subspecialty in the area of chiropractic healing. It has evolved tremendously in the past few decades. Now, more and more practioners are specializing in a variety of healing methods. Earlier, it was considered as an alternative form of medicine but now it is being considered main stream.
The chiropractors rank third in the list of medical care providers in the United States after physicians and dentists. Both medicine and dentistry have grown exponentially and shown steady popularity. Similar has been the case with chiropractic care and it has also developed a variety of subspecialties. One such group is of the sports chiropractor.
Philosophy
Chiropractic Care has gained popularity and recognition as a legitimate therapeutic method of medical treatment in many states including Japan, Mexico, Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland and Australia. The primary focus of chiropractic medicine is on the overall well-being and optimized general health of a person. They specialize in the care of musculoskeletal injuries, prevention being a part of it, and so it has become a boon for the athletes today.
The sports chiropractor has a multidisciplinary approach in order to treat the individuals. They perform their task in a wide range from providing advice and suggestions on performance issues to treatment of a sports related injury. In this manner, sports chiropractor is considered to be an important element in the well-being of an athlete and keeping their bodies in peak Condition.
The sports chiropractor acquires a comprehensive knowledge of sports and sports related injuries. Therefore, they’re specifically qualified to diagnose and treat a sports related injury with using any drugs or invasive surgical procedures. It is therefore defined as “hands on” approach to healing. This is the primary reason that it is becoming an increasingly popular way to stay well (especially among athletes) without depending on drugs or surgeries.
The sports chiropractor mainly stresses on the disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system and the effects that these disorders yield on one’s general health. The dominant principle here is that ‘structure affects function’. It clearly states that in order to function properly, the body must be properly aligned.
The central idea here is spine manipulation which is a highly technical method that is put to use in order to re-align the vertebrae, the bones of the spinal column. It helps in the rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal structure and provides the body with the opportunity to heal itself. Also, many kinds of therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises with nutritional, dietary and lifestyle modification counseling are implemented into the sports chiropratic care. It helps in the evaluation of the body without the use of drugs or surgeries and aims at achieving and maintaining optimal health from a global perspective.
It mainly uses evidence based practices, conducts researches and statistics in order to be effective in treatment of the problems they deal with.
Sports chiropractor: A propagation of chiropractic care 
Earlier, athletes consulted medical physicians who specialized in orthopedic care in order to maintain good health and well-being. Although these physicians were highly skilled and trained in anatomy and surgery related treatments but lacked in the knowledge of prevention of injury and rendering most effective performance.
This role was emphasized on by the sports chiropractor and so the concept gained momentum. It was then brought to the vanguard of professional sports in 1976 when Olympic athletes started working with sports chiropractor. As stated by reports, in 2015, every National Football League (NFL) team had appointed an athletic chiropractor offering care and treatment to the athletes. Again, most major baseball teams also integrate routine chiropractic care and consultation into their training regimes.
Many professional sports organizations have now recognized the importance of incorporating chiropractic care into their regular training regimes. While there have been several barriers towards smooth chiropractic care, over the years, well developed training and injury prevention have fixed its place in the professional world of sports and medical care. But, even in the modern times people still might feel issues like increase in pain after chiropractor visit.
Professional athletes using sports chiropractor
A lot of distinguished athletes regularly use chiropractic care. The list includes names such as:
Roger Craig
Jerry Rice
Joe Montana
Evander Holyfield
Aaron Rodgers
Patrick Willis
Justin Smith
Dennis Alexio
Barry Bonds
Cole Hamels
This list is long and can be continued further. However, it is enough to explain the fact that a lot of top-level athletes use and in fact rely on regular chiropractic care for proper health maintenance and preventing sports related injuries.
Sports chiropractor is not merely Doctors such as an orthopedist. They add much more comprehensive care to their patients than spinal manipulation. They work on physiology, strength and conditioning training, nutrition and well-being, rehabilitation and therapeutic exercise to name a few.
Educational Requirements
Sports chiropractor is basically a Doctor of chiropractic (DC) for which one is supposed to complete a four year doctoral graduate school program which further includes 4,200 hours of curriculum of classroom, laboratory and clinical internship time. Along with the basic training in chiropractic medicine, a sports chiropractor can have two further educational certifications namely CCSP (certified chiropractic sports physician) and DACBSB.
Treatments offered
The list of treatments that a sports chiropractor offers includes:
Strength training
Conditioning
Stretching activities
Soft tissue techniques
Taping
Muscle work
Core strengthening exercises
Rest
Compression
Difference between sports chiropractic and other medicine providers
Physical therapists unlike the sports chiropractor spend 3 years in a post graduate program and then specialize in areas of care. While both practitioners have expertise in the overuse injuries, PTs specialize in the treatment of neurologic disorders and such. Again, straight chiropractors adhere to the teachings of chiropractic medicine founder D.D. Palmer. In this, spinal manipulation is the only form of treatment and prevention of diseases unlike specific sports chiropractor.
Most athletes believe in the effectiveness of sports medicine chiropractor and also the fact that the results are better when combined with general physician’s consultation. You can also get to know the complete difference between chiropractor and physical therapist here.
All in all
So this was the complete article on sports chiropractor. I hope this article was helpful to you and if you have any suggestions then you can mention them in the comments down below.