What kind of treatment do these NFL players get? All teams have a team doctor; all teams have a team trainer, and all have a team chiropractor. What does the chiropractor contribute to the players that allow them to reach their full potential? Well, the answer is simple: Chiropractors help the player’s nervous systems function the best they possibly can. Good health is directly proportional to the nervous system’s ability to communicate with all the cells, tissues, glands, and organs of your body, and the spine houses and protects the nervous system. Paradoxically...the same spine that protects your nervous system when it is in alignment...will offend and irritate it when it's out of alignment. Chiropractors call this condition a vertebral subluxation and it's what we treat. If the spine is in proper alignment, and the joint is not stuck, then the spinal nerves will be able to exit without any interference. If any segment in the player’s spine is subluxated then the chiropractor adjusts it back into place. With all the hard hits and falls the players take, their spines are constantly getting subluxated.
The adjustment is not the only treatment these NFL players receive from chiropractors. They also receive soft tissue work, but not just any soft tissue work…most receive the only patented soft tissue therapy in the world: Active Release Technique (A.R.T.). In fact, the founder of A.R.T. is the Denver Bronco’s chiropractor. A.R.T. restores the soft tissue back to normal by breaking up the adhesions that have developed through injury, allowing the muscles contract and lengthen the way they are supposed to.
The diversity of relationships among the 32 NFL teams and their chiropractors has generated the formation of the Professional Football Chiropractic Society (PFCS). Their main goal is to provide consistency among constituents, as they take the best practices from each alliance and create a template to apply to chiropractors who work with other pro sports teams. They meet each year at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis for their annual meeting.
Here is what some Hall of Fame players have to say about chiropractic:
“My first experience with chiropractic care was right before the 49ers were to play the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII in 1987,” said Jerry Rice in the promotional video. “A couple of our key players were injured and a chiropractor turned things around. I quickly became a believer and ever since, I have had the benefit of chiropractic care.”“Football is a very rough and vigorous sport,” said Rice in the video. “Many of the pass patterns in a game — either long or short — required a maximum effort. I took some vicious hits from players nearly twice my size. [Rice is 6’2” and his playing weight was 200 pounds] Thankfully, I had the durability to withstand these tackles — or I would never have succeeded or lasted as long as I did. Chiropractic was the key to keeping me in the game.”
“Chiropractic's been a big part of my game. I only wish I had tried chiropractic care a few years sooner when I first started having back problems.” –Joe Montana
LaDainian Tomlinson called to ask Emmett Smith about his longevity, how he'd rushed for 1,000 yards for 10 straight seasons. Smith's advice? Massages on Monday and Friday and ''find a good chiropractor.''
Chiropractic is paramount not only to NFL players, but to the general public as well.
To schedule an appointment for NFL caliber chiropractic care or Active Release Techniques (ART), please call Executive Express Chiropractic at (415) 392-2225. Or request an appointment online.
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