Athletic activities involve body mechanics. An athlete relies on proper dynamics of body movement for optimal performance. Chiropractic helps restore and maintain proper dynamics of motion.

Chiropractic care can improve athletic performance by enhancing joint function. An athlete's body is like a finely tuned machine: the more optimally its parts are moving together, the more efficient will be its performance. In athletic competition, where the difference between victory and defeat is measured in inches or split seconds, relative body mechanics can make the difference.

Regular chiropractic adjustments can further help the athlete by aiding in the prevention of injury. Strains, sprains, and other common athletic injuries are often caused by faculty joint mobility. A joint in which there is restricted movement will not only be more easily sprained, but it will also place increased demands on other joints by forcing them to compensate, rendering them more susceptible to injury as well. A regular program of chiropractic treatments can reduce the likelihood of injury by keeping the joints mobile.

The U.S. Olympic team has been including chiropractors on the medical staff since 1980. Numerous athletic careers have been helped by chiropractic care. More often, however, promising careers are impaired or cut short by disabling back ailments for which chiropractic care is never sought. Every serious athlete, whether a sufferer of such problems or not, should seek the benefits of chiropractic treatment for the relief and/or prevention of such debilitating problems as well as for maximizing performance.

1. Evaluation of physical fitness. The physical evaluation of the athlete determines his or her current level of strength, flexibility, heart-lung endurance, and leanness. High levels of these four factors provide a margin of safety from sporting accidents.
2. Total conditioning. Total conditioning incorporates maximum degrees of muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and joint flexibility, combined with efficient learning and a correct ratio between muscle mass and body fat.
3. Significant factors in sporting activities. The other significant factors affecting sports activities are age, environment, psychology, drugs, and sex.
4. Sports injuries. Sports injuries occur on the playing field. In various sports, certain parts of the body are more vulnerable than others. Such injuries require professional attention.
5. First aid. First aid is the immediate care given to an injured athlete.
6. Rehabilitation. Rehabilitation returns the athlete to the playing field in equal or better condition than he or she was before the injury.
7. Personal body basics. Personal body basics is the athlete's year-round commitment to his or her own health and strength.

There are three main areas in which sports injuries may be prevented. First, and foremost, is the strength of the skeletal muscles. The majority of sports injuries occur through a deficiency in strength, stamina, flexibility, or skill-deficiencies that directly relate to some aspect of the skeletal muscles. For example, the majority of injuries during team sports occur in the closing stages of the game, when fatigue causes movements to become uncoordinated and accidents more likely. The fitness demands of any activity need to be assessed and a training schedule needs to be devised that will prepare the competitor to cope with likely traumatic situations.

The second area is protective equipment, which tends to either support or shield parts of the body at risk. In general, sport is in itself a developmental activity, such development occurring through body parts being gradually and increasingly stressed and compensating for this extra load. This development will occur in almost all body tissue but can occur only if the tissue is exposed to overload. For instance, ligaments that are supported artificially will not develop in strength because they are not being subjected to gradually increasing stress. On the other hand, ligaments that are not supported artificially may suddenly become subjected to too much stress, resulting in severe injury. Artificial support (taping and wrapping) also tends to restrict movements and can handicap skillful performance. Even more important, artificial support that gives way suddenly under stress can throw an even greater burden on an ill-prepared jomt, resulting in even more serious injury.

The third aspect of injury prevention is the game, or contest rules themselves. Whatever athletes may think, most rules are framed by experienced competitors or ex-competitors in order to make the game more enjoyable, demanding, and safe. A willingness to adhere to the rules by all concerned would drastically reduce the incidence of sports injuries.

• Report all injuries to the coach, the athletic trainer, or the physician as soon as they happen.
• Eat well-balanced meals. Do not overeat.
• Drink plenty of water before, during, and after training and competition. Staying hydrated is an athlete's best defense against heat illness.
• Do not take salt tablets.
• Count calories to reduce body fat. Water reduction causes harm, not fat loss.
• Do not wear plastic clothing.
• Avoid constrictive clothes. They interfere with heat exchange.
• Get strong and stay strong using proper training techniques. Strength will benefit performance and safety.
• Pay particular attention to injuries and weaknesses when strength training.
• Do not confuse strength training with skill training. Mixing the two promotes unnecessary danger and compromises performance.
• Wear and use protective equipment when needed. Check it routinely for tears and breaks. Repair or replace it when necessary.
• Train and compete in a well-ventilated area.
• Do not use tobacco or drugs. They cannot help performance. They only hurt activity and health.
• Keep open wounds clean to prevent infection.
• Keep toenails and fingernails trimmed short and square. It will prevent injuries to the nailbed.
• Do not train or compete when ill. If a physician or an athletic trainer says to rest, do as he or she instructs.
• Do not allow anyone to persuade an injured player to continue training or competition when he or she knows he or she should not.
• Do not overuse tapes and wraps. Although they can offer protection, they can also weaken andpromote injury.
• Wear mouth and eye protection if the sport requires it.

Try to stay in condition year round. Establish an exercise routine for off season. Establish a schedule of maintenance exercises that can be used during the week as well. It need not be too time-consuming or aggressive but does need to be regular. Don't overdo your weekend participation. Learn to pace yourself and recognize when you are tired. Don't try to prove how strong you are or young you feel. Act your age, and engage only in activities in keeping with your age and physical condition. Be careful of fast starts and stops, twisting, unusual positions, and jarring body contact. If you should suffer an injury or a pulled muscle, don't put off treatment. See a doctor of chiropractic immediately to avoid serious complications.