The Role of Chiropractic Care on Athletic Performance and Recovery

Are you always injured? Or always in pain? If it’s keeping you from working out and leaving you stuck on the couch, you’re not alone.

Everyone, especially athletes, may face challenges when training. Injuries can often occur from explosive or repetitive movement, and recovery times may be prolonged due to improper rehabilitation. Today, chiropractic care is viewed as a premiere method of treatment not only for injuries, but also for injury prevention and pain relief. Even world renowned figures such as Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, and Madonna routinely utilize chiropractic treatments. 

How do injuries form?

Sports injuries are commonly caused by repetitive movements and stress. These types of injuries can gradually develop over time and worsen from overuse. They can also be caused by an event causing immediate injury to the site, such as trauma from high impact sports. Although the length of recovery can be influenced by factors such as age, body composition, lifestyle habits, and diet, research shows that chiropractic treatments can improve overall body function and movement. ⁽¹⁾

So how can Chiropractic care work for you?

You might think of a chiropractor as a “back cracker,” since spinal and neck manipulation are the most common treatments. This adjustment is done with a controlled yet high-velocity thrust to realign a joint or spinal segment ⁽²⁾. But did you know chiropractors also work on injuries causing pain to your shoulders, arms, legs, and even your feet? In fact, chiropractors also help those suffering from headaches ⁽³⁾.

With improved alignment, patients often experience less pain and muscle soreness, along with better mobility or flexibility. Chiropractic treatment also increases blood flow to the site of injury, thereby speeding up recovery times. Hands-on manipulation helps break up adhesions that restrict movement and irritate the affected nerves, muscles, tendons and surrounding tissues ⁽⁴⁾. This significantly reduces inflammation and musculoskeletal tension. The result? Faster recovery times to get you back in the gym and daily activities. 

Overall athletic performance

So how does chiropractic care specifically affect athletes? Here a several points that have been researched: 

• Increased Strength: Chiropractic treatment can noticeably help with athletic strength by optimizing muscle function and use of muscle fibers. Spinal adjustments have been shown to improve nerve communication between the brain and muscles, leading to better strength and muscle velocity ⁽⁵⁾. This means more power in your workouts. A clinical trial done on active-duty military personnel ages 18-40 with lower back pain found that treatment significantly improved pulling strength, trunk muscle endurance, and single-leg balance with eyes closed ⁽⁶⁾. Similarly, a study done on CrossFit® athletes also showed an increase of vertical jump acceleration, highlighting the potential impact on explosive power ⁽⁷⁾. 

• Motor response time: Studies have shown that chiropractic care may improve response times, which is highly valuable in both athletic sports and physically demanding activities. In one study done on 120 military special operation forces personnel, who must maintain high levels of physical activity, endurance and quick reactions in high-pressure situations, participants were found to have improved reaction times when completing a complex motor response test ⁽⁸⁾. This means faster movements and reflexes for both sports and military operations.

• Coordination: To help athletes enhance movement and coordination, chiropractors often target specific groups of muscles to improve agility and balance. Techniques such as Graston technique, active release and functional movement exercises may be used to decrease muscle and joint stiffness, pain and stimulate the muscles’ proprioceptive feedback– the body’s ability to sense position and movement ⁽⁹⁾. Athletes with better body awareness and coordination can perform with greater efficiency, accuracy and balance.

Is Chiropractic care a quick fix?

Not always, especially depending on the injury. Although many people feel immediate relief after an adjustment, some may feel sore for up to 24 hours. However, some injuries require at-home exercises, stretches, changes to postural ergonomics, and therapies such as using ice or heat.⁽³⁾ So instead of thinking of chiropractic care as just a quick fix, consider it a powerful tool for both recovery and injury prevention. 

The verdict:

With chiropractic treatment, athletes and non-athletes alike will not only find improvements to their muscles and joints, but also their body’s overall imbalances. Adjustments and corrective exercises not only promote joint mobility and flexibility– they can help decrease risk of injury and help athletes move to their maximum potential. So whether you’re gearing up for a game, recovering from an injury, or simply aiming to keep your body performing at its best, chiropractic care can benefit everyone.

Sandra Kung, BSN, RN, MICN

9/6/2025

References:

1. Yıldız, Abdurrahim. (2024). Methods Of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation in Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Integrative Approaches and Applications. 

2. Gevers-Montoro C, Provencher B, Descarreaux M, Ortega de Mues A and Piché M (2021) Clinical Effectiveness and Efficacy of Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for Spine Pain. Frontiers in Pain Research. 2:765921. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2021.765921.

3. “Chiropractic Adjustment Care, Treatment & Benefits.” Cleveland Clinic, 25 April 2022, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21033-chiropractic-adjustment. 

4. “Improve Your Recovery Time With Chiropractic Treatment.” Beech Grove Chiropractice, 2025, https://www.beechgrovechiro.com/articles/general/611273-improve-your-recovery-time-with-chiropractic-treatment. 

5. Niazi IK, Kamavuako EN, Holt K, Janjua TAM, Kumari N, Amjad I, Haavik H. The Effect of Spinal Manipulation on the Electrophysiological and Metabolic Properties of the Tibialis Anterior Muscle. Healthcare (Basel). 2020 Dec 10;8(4):548. doi: 10.3390/healthcare8040548. PMID: 33321904; PMCID: PMC7764559.

6. Vining R, Long CR, Minkalis A, Gudavalli MR, Xia T, Walter J, Coulter I, Goertz CM. Effects of Chiropractic Care on Strength, Balance, and Endurance in Active-Duty U.S. Military Personnel with Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2020 Jul;26(7):592-601. doi: 10.1089/acm.2020.0107. Epub 2020 Jun 12. PMID: 32543211.

7. Farmer, Kayla. (2023). How does chiropractic adjusting impact jump performance? Comparing performance markers in CrossFit® athletes before and after the delivery of a chiropractic adjustment: a non-randomized pilot trial. 10.13140/RG.2.2.29734.09282. 

8. DeVocht JW, Vining R, Smith DL, Long C, Jones T, Goertz C. Effect of chiropractic manipulative therapy on reaction time in special operations forces military personnel: a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2019 Jan 3;20(1):5. doi: 10.1186/s13063-018-3133-2. PMID: 30606225; PMCID: PMC6318970.

   
   

9. Tigard Chiropractic + Auto Injury. “Chiropractic Techniques to Boost Athletic Performance and Agility.” 16 October 2024, https://www.tigardchiropracticautoinjury.com/chiropractic-techniques-to-boost-athletic-performance-and-agility#:~:text=Optimal%20coordination%20is%20a%20keystone,translating%20into%20better%20performance%20outcomes. Accessed 6 September 2025.