What is a Sports Chiropractor?
A licensed sports chiropractor is a chiropractor who has undergone extensive training to specialize in sports medicine. A highly trained and extremely knowledgeable provider of chiropractic medicine that has advanced expertise in both the prevention and rehabilitation of sports related injuries. They have advanced training in the use of musculoskeletal imaging studies, in addition to expert level knowledge in sport-specific strength and conditioning techniques and optimal biomechanics. To be officially certified as a sports chiropractor, you must meet the extensive requirements of the governing board - the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (ACBSP).
Education Requirements:
A sports chiropractor is first licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), which means that they have completed a four-year, doctoral graduate school program at a nationally accredited institution. This training includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of curriculum that consists of classroom, laboratory and clinical internship time.
Following chiropractic school, a Certified Sports Chiropractor must seek additional training to earn the distinction.
CCSP® stands for Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician and is a certification that requires additional training and testing beyond the doctoral (DC) degree.
A licensed chiropractor is eligible to sit for the CCSP exam after one of the following educational requirements is met:
Completion of a minimum of 100 hours of postgraduate education in a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physicians program taken at an accredited college.
Completion of a Masters of Science (MS) program in exercise or sports science or equivalent program from an accredited college.
Completion of the first year of a sports medicine residency program at an accredited college.
Completion and presentation of a research paper authored by the applicant in the field of sports medicine.
The CCSP® certification exam is a five hour exam that consists of 250 multiple- choice questions. It must be taken within three years of completion of the post-graduate education listed above to obtain CCSP® certification.
To maintain the certification, each Certified Sports Chiropractor must complete 15 hours of continuing education credits in the field of sports medicine each year. They must submit proof of these hours to the certifying board yearly.
The sub-specialty of sports chiropractic was brought to the forefront of professional sports in 1976, when Olympic athletes started working with chiropractors specializing in sports medicine care. Shortly after in 1980, the first official appointment of a sports chiropractor to the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Division of Sports Medicine was made.
Since then, sports chiropractors have been a staple of the training regimens of Olympic athletes. They have also become part of the training programs for many other professional athletes. The medical director for the USOC for the past 10 years has been a sports chiropractor and the main olympic training centers (Colorado Springs, Lake Placid, and Chula Vista) have a full time sports chiropractor for all athletes to utilize. All NFL teams and many MLB, NHL, and NBA teams have a sports chiropractor on staff.
What’s the difference between a sports chiropractor and a regular chiropractor?
As you can see above, a certified sports chiropractor is going to have extensive training and expert level knowledge and understanding of your sports injuries far above what a traditional chiropractor will have. Using the latest evidence to guide your diagnosis and treatment, we will provide a service second to none.
The treatment is also quite different. A traditional chiropractor is focused on adjusting the spine for reduction of the “subluxation”. A typical treatment from a traditional chiropractor is just a few minutes and involves minimal time with the doctor. A visit with a certified sports chiropractor involves more in depth treatment to address more than simply the adjustment.
A sports chiropractor, like the experts at Boulder Sports Chiropractic spend one hour with you on your initial examination to fully diagnose your injuries. At each visit, we use multiple tools or techniques to address muscles, use chiropractic adjusting to address the joints, and then prescribe appropriate a home exercise plan to fully correct the underlying issues.
At Boulder Sports Chiropractic, the examination involves orthopedic tests, functional biomechanical analysis of specific joints using the SFMA (selective functional movement assessment), a palpatory examination to identify muscular and joint restrictions, as well as strength testing. A typical return visit is 20 minutes and involves muscle work using tools like: active release technique (ART), Graston technique, and Dry Needling. Using chiropractic adjusting we can correct any joint issues. We then follow each visit with at home exercises to reinforce our treatment.
Sports chiropractors treat high-level, elite athletes, but they also use the tools of sports medicine to help every and all patients get back to 100% ASAP.
No matter what level you're at, a sports chiropractor can take care of everything from rehabilitation of an injury to helping you achieve a PR.
Many sports chiropractors treat common, overuse injuries. Some examples Include, but are not limited to runners who suffer with hip, knee or foot injuries or pain, or overhead athletes like volleyball, baseball, and tennis players who have shoulder or upper extremity injuries or pain. Traumatic injuries like concussions and fractures can be diagnosed and co-managed by sports chiropractors as well. They can evaluate, diagnose and treat just about any sports related injury or performance issue.
Sports chiropractors are trained to use multiple imaging modalities such as x-ray, CT, MRI and musculoskeletal ultrasound to evaluate for injury and track the progress of rehabilitation.
At Boulder Sports Chiropractic, Dr. Alyx Brown and Dr. Steve Brown, are chiropractors who are certified chiropractic sports physician (CCSP) providers. Dr. Steve and Alyx completed their master’s degrees in Exercise and Sports Science in addition to their traditional doctor of chiropractic program. They have spent over 200 hours working the sidelines of high school, collegiate, and professional sporting events to provide emergency on field care and treatment. Dr. Alyx and Steve have been CCSP providers for 8 years and have accumulated a wealth of training and experience in helping thousands of athletes like you recover from their injuries and achieve their next PR.
If you’re an active person and in need of chiropractic care, don’t settle for just any chiropractor. Get treatment from the experts at Boulder Sports Chiropractic.
Feel better, play stronger, and move smarter with our services offered at Boulder Sports Chiropractic.
Why Choose Boulder Sports Chiropractor?
We believe in treating beyond just the physical aspect of chiropractic care by incorporating the bigger picture of our patients lives during their time in our office. If you are looking for a sports chiropractor near you, look no further than Dr. Alyx & Dr. Steve Brown. They are trusted and reliable chiropractors in Boulder, CO who are excited to help you get your life back! Book your appointment today!