Sports Chiropractic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sports Chiropractic also known as Chiropractic sports sciences/medicine is a specialty of Chiropractic medicine which is generally a 4 year post-graduate residency program and received a designation of certified chiropractic sports specialist CCSS (Canada)[1] or at a minimum acceptance into a Masters Degree in Sports medicine program to be eligible for accredition.[2] The American equivalent is the Diplomate of the American Board of Sports Physicians (DABSP).[3]
Practice parameters
The focus of chiropractic sports specialists is to provide care in the conservative management, rehabilitation and performance optimization of neuromusculoskeletal system for athletic populations and to participate in a multi-disciplinary sports injury care environment[citation needed]. The book "Opportunities in Chiropractic Careers" states that sports chiropractors have made contributions to protective gear and trauma management in contact sports, athletic health maintenance, therapy, and enhanced rehabilitation after injury.[4]Spinal injury prevention has been identified as a role that sports chiropractors play.[5] A 2007 study suggests that other non-traditional physician health care providers, such as nurse practitioners and chiropractors have seen an increase in their scope of practice to include screening high school students engaged in organized competitive sports.
Currently 31% of National Football League teams use a doctor of chiropractic in an official capacity on their medical staff.[7] A study analyzing Division I NCAA college athletes at inter-college sporting events in Hawaii found that chiropractic usage within the last 12 months was reported by 39% of respondents. [8]
Olympics
Chiropractic sports medicine specialists first began treating Olympic athletes in limited at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Since then, chiropractic representation at the Olympics has steadily grown[citation needed]. As part of a demonstration project, for the first time in Olympic history, chiropractic care will be fully integrated and in treating athletes in the polyclinic in 2010 at the Winter Olympics games in Vancouver.[9][10] Only chiropractors who have obtained their specialty in Sports Chiropractic are allowed to be part of the medical staff at the Olympic games and treat athletes.[citation needed]
