Congratulations Penny Oleksiak for winning Canada’s first Gold! And congratulations Dr. Ken Mikkelsen, for being honoured by Swimming Canada for working with Canada’s national swimming team since 1987 and providing chiropractic care for 7 Olympic games!
It hasn’t always been easy to get chiropractic care for athletes at the Olympics. Until 2010, at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, athletes from every country had to “sneak” their doctors of chiropractic into the athlete only areas because they were not officially included. It was only because athletes demanded their care that the hands of the IOC Medical Services succumbed to the overwhelming majority of Olympic competitors that wanted their adjustments.
It is the stories of gold won that have changed everything. Donovan Bailey credits his chiropractor (who I went to school with) for his gold medal performance. Athletes know that they will perform at their highest level and heal injuries in the most efficient manner with regular chiropractic care. Dan O’Brien, three time Olympic decathlon gold medalist is arguably one the greatest athletes in the world. He said, “ If it were not for chiropractic, I would not have won the Gold Medal”.
Usain Bolt uses chiropractic care as an essential part of his overall strategy for remaining healthy and competing successfully.
Why does chiropractic care for athletes work?
The same reason it works for all of us! Chiropractic adjustments remove interference from the nervous system. This allows your brain to control and co-ordinate every function in your body better. I am proud of my brother, Dr. Dean Smith, who has done research to show that movement time is improved with chiropractic adjustments. The US military was so interested in this peak performance research that Dr. Dean is now part of an $11 million study to test the health effects of chiropractic on the troops. Other studies show agility, balance, power and reaction time were improved. Increased muscle strength and decreased fatigue have been shown by other studies. Not surprisingly, blood supply and oxygen levels improved.
It is widely known in the sporting circles that chiropractic is a must for peak performance. The majority of professional and top amateur athletes receive regular care. This was made publicly famous by baseball legend Babe Ruth and NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback, Joe Namath. And in Canada, Gary Roberts, retired NHL great, extended his career with chiropractic. I personally provided chiropractic care for the PGA golf tour at Glen Abbey in 1995 and 1996. The majority of the professional golfers were checked daily. Greg Norman brought his own chiropractor with him to all his events!
In a world where doping and harmful substances are being used to gain advantages, it is refreshing to know that a healthy option is available.
That is why we say: “Welcome to Wellness is here to add life to your years, and years to your life!”
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