If you would like to improve your golf game this year, add a strategy the world’s finest pro golfers and athletes have come to rely on for decades, chiropractic. Tiger, Phil, Rory, DJ, Jordan Spieth, and dozens of other tour pros regularly seek care from chiropractors. NFL greats: Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Aaron Rogers; NBA stars: Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan; MLB legends: Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Junior, and Wade Boggs, Olympians: Lindsey Vonn and Michael Phelps, among thousands of other professional and amateur athletes, trust and depend on regular chiropractic care, to help keep their bodies strong, flexible, and injury-free.

Chiropractic has grown in acceptance and popularity over the last few decades. It is now the 3rd largest primary healthcare profession behind the practice of medicine and dentistry. Over 35 million Americans seek care from doctors of chiropractic (DC) each year. (American Chiropractic Association www.acatoday.org)

Up until the early 1980s, medical physicians risked losing their licenses for referring patients to chiropractors. These same providers now commonly refer patients to DCs for back pain, neck pain, headaches, and other musculoskeletal conditions. In addition, the Academy of Family Practice Providers currently recommends that physicians refer patients to chiropractors for conservative care before prescribing addictive opioid medications or performing surgery.

As experts in the structure, function, and care of the spine and extremities, chiropractors successfully treat conditions that plague athletes and non-athletes alike. These include rotator cuff injury, golf or tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, muscle strains, ligament sprains, knee pain, plantar fasciitis, and more. It is not surprising that nearly every professional sports franchise, including all professional golf tours, has chiropractors as an integral part of their sports medicine teams. 

I’ve always known that chiropractic care improves function and balance and reduces the pain associated with the grind of repetitive movement and high-speed movement in the golf swing. Since Zach (Johnson) has been on TOUR, I have seen firsthand how much professional golfers rely on chiropractic care. – Dr. David Johnson, chiropractor, and father of Zach Johnson.

Doctors of chiropractic assess musculoskeletal function and analyze body movement to find the root causes of pain. These sources often are located far from the painful area. They include imbalances in muscle strength or tension, inefficient movement patterns, restricted joint motion, and overuse injuries. Chiropractors examine how each of these factors may be affecting their patients and work with them to correct each problem. Treatment goals aim to relieve pain, improve flexibility, rehabilitate strength, prepare the athlete for competition and eventually condition the athlete to prevent future injury and optimize performance. 

One thing I know through experience is that I need to keep seeing my chiropractor, even when I have a few weeks off from golf, getting ongoing chiropractic care helps me to stay injury-free. It also helps me to deal with symptoms when they begin so that they don’t turn into bigger injuries down the road. – Padraig Harrington.

Chiropractic treatment focuses on restoring motion to restricted joints in the spine and extremities. Doctors of chiropractic use their hands or an instrument to deliver a controlled impulse to a fixed joint. These manipulations or chiropractic adjustments restore optimal joint motion and often produce a harmless popping or cracking sound when applied. After a few treatments, functional movement returns, and the pain and tension surrounding the joint subside. Chiropractors may also use other therapies such as soft tissue massage or instrument scraping (Graston Technique), electric stimulation, laser, ultrasound, and Kinesio-taping to reduce pain and tension and enhance recovery.

Being a chiropractic patient has helped me immensely. Lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor have made me a better golfer. I’ve been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing. – Tiger Woods.

Most people, especially athletes, experience pain, tension, lack of mobility, and injury at some point in their lives. Whether you are a scratch golfer or high handicapper, take it from Zach, Paddy, Tiger, and others, experience the benefits of chiropractic yourself, and add chiropractic to your bag. 

If you have pain or an injury and would like to learn more about chiropractic care, contact Dr. Greg Freitag of Freitag Family Chiropractic in Bloomington, MN.

Call 952-818-2485 or email: drgreg@freitagfamilychiropractic.com or visit them on the web at www.freitagfamilychiropractic.com.

Dr. Freitag specializes in gentle chiropractic care for pain relief and sports performance and has over 20 years of experience working with athletes and weekend warriors of all ages and abilities.