Sports

Sports

Playing sports can cause all kinds of injuries for children as well as adults. Chiropractic care is critical to keep you on top of your game and performing at your best.

Several international stories have reported about a top Tour de France cyclist from Australia, Bradley McGee, and how chiropractic care kept him from dropping out of the Tour de France. One story appears on the International Fox sport network on July 6, 2004, and another on the Geo network on July 8, 2004.

The Fox story starts off by stating, "Australia's Bradley McGee has survived to fight another day at the Tour de France." The Geo story started by reporting, "McGee survived to fight another day at the Tour de France on Monday, after the work of a chiropractor reduced the pain in his hip which almost forced him out of the race."

McGee himself noted, "Thanks to the work of the chiropractor I was a lot straighter on the bike, that's the important thing but unfortunately I still haven't got a lot of power and so I couldn't help Baden Cooke in the sprint and I was just another number in the main field." After seeing his chiropractor, McGee felt more optimistic about his chances of being able to make it through the rest of the three-week race. He stated, "I'm a lot happier now and should be okay to carry on."

A story in the July 2004 issue of Chiropractic Economics magazine reported on a July 6, 2004 press release from the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). The USOC press release stated, "A 47-person medical staff has been announced by the U.S. Olympic Committee to provide health care for more than 540 American athletes in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The USA Medical staff consists of medical doctors, certified athletic trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors and pharmaceutical experts."

Notable is the fact that two chiropractors were included in this list. Dr. Ira A. Shapiro of Old Bridge, N.J., and Dr. Marc P. Jaffe of Summit, N.J., are the chiropractors who were selected to join the other health professionals who will care for more than 540 American athletes in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Aug. 13 through Aug. 29, 2004.

The Chiropractic Economics article notes that these Doctors of Chiropractic are only the eighth and ninth chiropractors ever selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee to represent the United States at any Olympic event in an official capacity.

In order to be selected, Drs. Shapiro and Jaffe had to pass an initial assessment process. They were then allowed to adjust athletes at several events prior to the Olympics. Dr. Shapiro worked with nearly 200 American athletes at the 2003 Titan Games in San Jose, Calif., while Dr. Jaffe worked with more than 150 American athletes at the 2003 Summer World University Games in Daegu, South Korea.

Chiropractic has been used by athletes for some time to not only help them when they may be injured, but more importantly to help maximize their performance abilities.

Jim Scherr, the USOC's chief executive and chief of sports performance, speaking in generic terms about all the care the athletes will receive stated, "We feel that our athletes get the best medical care in the world.  We go to every length to care for these athletes who have accomplished their goals to get here. We want to make sure they take that next step with the best medical care available."

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