What is a sports chiropractor? First and foremost it is someone who has done postgraduate training beyond standard chiropractic school. There are different ways to obtain training as a sports chiropractor, but the premiere way is through the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians. (ACBSP) There are two certifications obtainable through the ACBSP, a CCSP (Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician®) and a DACBSP (Diplomate American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians®)
What makes a sports chiropractor different from a general practice chiropractor? A sports chiropractor has a much broader diagnostic mind and a much different set of tools to use on patients. For example, if someone presents with low back pain to a general practice chiropractor, that chiropractor will most likely try and find where he or she can manipulate the patient's spine in a way to try and provide relief for the lower back pain. That seems logical on the surface; however, when you take a deeper dive into what is causing the lower back pain, like hip dysfunction, for example, the treatment may be completely different. A sports medicine chiropractor looks for what your body is not doing well or efficient rather than focusing on pain management. Often, the lower back is just compensating for what the hips don't do properly. A sports chiropractor is also skilled at accessing other parts of your body besides your spine, including hips, ankles, knees, shoulders, etc. The sports chiropractor is also very skilled at extremity adjusting, soft tissue work, concussion management among others. The sports chiropractor is also well connected with imaging centers, orthopedic and neurosurgeons in his community as he treats patients with a team approach. The DACBSP sports chiropractors are the ones that Team USA trusts to work with their athletes, they are the ones with all the four major sports organizations MLB, NBA NFL, and NHL.
South West Health is proud to have two resident DACBSP's one CCSP and in the fall of 2019, we will be adding another DACBSP. We are the only office in all of Southern California with this many qualified sports medicine chiropractors. If you have a sports injury or want to stay conditioned to avoid getting one, then South West Health Spine & Sport is the office for you.