During our busy, Chicago summer, many Chicagoans remain active along the lake front competing in sporting leagues, 1/2 marathons, full marathons, Olympic, sprint, and 1/2 Ironman triathlons, or the true conquest, a full Ironman. With the rigorous training these activities demand, one may suffer injury. Injuries may affect your training, your lifestyle, and hence, your ability to complete your upcoming race. For treatment of these injuries, one may seek out a chiropractor to help with their injury. This blog will distinguish the difference between a regular chiropractor and a sports chiropractor to ensure that when an injury occurs, you know who to see to get you back to doing what you enjoy quickly and safely.

Chiropractors go to school for 8-9 years (depending on the program), including your undergraduate degree. We are trained in several areas during our studies in chiropractic medicine to ensure a well-rounded education when we enter practice in the community where he/she lives. Chiropractors can treat injuries that are caused by sports, but generally, they are not trained in the evaluation, management, and diagnosis of sports injuries/conditions as a result of a particular sport(s).

Sports chiropractors must enroll in either a 100 or 300 hour post-graduate course (minimum 50 hours or 100 hours of in-classroom seminars depending on completing a CCSP® (Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician or DACBSP® (Diplomate American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians). Then, he/must pass the test administered by the ACBSP® (American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians) to earn their certification.

Moreover, concussion courses are offered through the ACBSP® to help doctors treat, evaluate, and manage brain injuries when they occur in sport as it is becoming more common. The additional training sports certified chiropractors complete makes him/her more equipped to handle a sports injury when it walks into his/her office compared to a chiropractor who says, “I treat sports injuries”.

Sports chiropractors tend to work with a variety of different athletes to help him/her back to the field when a sports injury occurs. As a final note, it is important to distinguish that sports certified chiropractors must receive a yearly minimum of 12 hours of continuing education to maintain their status as a sports certified chiropractor. This ensures that sports certified chiropractors are taking courses related to the various areas of sports: concussion information, rehabilitation, nutrition, and imaging to name a few, to ensure continuance of their education and knowledge to help athletes who present with a sports injury.

The next time you suffer a sports injury, know that sports certified chiropractors has your best interest and are not going to lead you on, but rather, develop a plan of attack to get you healthy and back on the field to prevent you from missing time away from your sport.

Brian Marion, DC, CCSP, ART, CKTP

Lincoln Park Chiropractic 2202 N. Lincoln Ave Suite 1 Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 248-2790 www.lincolnparkchiropractic.com