Heat, acclimatization and hydration management, emergency medicine including airway management and CPR. Fracture management, bracing strapping taping and many others. Sports chiropractors are specialists within the field of chiropractic, much like an orthopedist is a specialist in the medial field.

There are two levels of sports medicine specialist in the field of sports chiropractic.

The first is a CCSP which stands for certified chiropractic sports physician and requires: Completion a minimum of 100 hours of postgraduate education in the Certified Chiropractic Sports Physicians® program from an accredited chiropractic college.

Possess a current Athletic Trainer (ATC) Certification

Completed a Masters of Science (MS) program in exercise and sport science or equivalent program from an accredited college

Completed the first year of a sports medicine residency program with an accredited college

All candidates must have completed a post-graduate level hands-on emergency procedures course and a healthcare-provider level CPR certification course with a hands-on component as part of their program or study or in addition to their program. 

The highest level of sports medicine specialty in the field of sports chiropractic is referred to a diplomate in sports medicine or a DACBSP. The requirements for this level are first completing the aforementioned CCSP® program and the following:

The CCSP certification is pre-requisite to earning the DACBSP® certification. Earning the DACBSP certification requires successful completion of a written exam, a six-station practical exam, a written project, and 100 hours of practical experience in the field.

Licensed doctors of chiropractic who satisfy one of the following, and are able to provide official documentation demonstrating such, are eligible to sit the DACBSP® examination:

Active Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician/Practitioner® (CCSP®) with completion of minimum of 200 hours postgraduate education in the DACBSP® Program, from an accredited chiropractic college

Active Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician/Practitioner® (CCSP®) with completion of a Masters of Science (MS) degree in an equivalent program in the domain of sports medicine.

Completion of a sports medicine residency program in its entirety.

DACBSP® candidates must maintain their CCSP® certification in a current and active status with the ACBSP.

 Injuries Treated

• ankle injuries e.g.. ankle sprains
• knee injuries e.g. infrapatellar tendonitis
• hip injuries e.g. hip impingement
• shoulder problems e.g. rotator cuff injuries
• elbow problems e.g. tennis or golfers elbow
• wrist injuries e.g. sprains, strains
• spine injuries e.g.disc bulges, herniations, facet injuries
• neck injuries e.g. torticollis, whiplash
• back injuries e.g. stress fractures, strains, sprains
• head injuries e.g. concussions, MTBI

How often do I need to come in?

At South West Health Spine & Sport, our sports medicine chiropractors determine the frequency of visits by the severity and nature of your condition. For example, if a patient presents with a sore shoulder, the type of injury to the shoulder will help determine how often that patient will need to be seen. If a patient comes to us with neck stiffness and soreness without referred pain down their arms, their treatment plan may call for treatment twice per week for 2-3 weeks. If a patient presents with lower back pain complicated by pain, numbness and tingling in their leg, the treatment may be 3 times per week for 6-8 weeks. No two patients respond the same, that is why we custom tailor our treatment to the individual. When you have recovered from the condition that brought you to our office, you are released from care for that condition. We find that this type of treatment empowers our patients to help themselves and provides a great education to the community of Costa Mesa. Too many chiropractic offices focus on keeping patients coming back week after week for the same treatments. At South West Health Spine & Sport, the treatment evolves as patients improve. As an example, a patient may present to our Costa Mesa facility complaining of knee pain and once that is resolved, we may start dealing with weight management which may evolve into sports performance.

Maintenance Care

Maintenance care is a misunderstood term in the chiropractic profession. At our Costa Mesa office, care is based on need. In other words, when is the body ready to be re-evaluated. The frequency of the care for our patients is based on several key criteria including but not limited to:

a) fitness level
b) age
c) diagnosis

This type of care is proactive as opposed to reactive and is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.(i.e. 8 hours of sleep per night, eating 4-6 small meals per day, exercising daily)

Each patients individual concerns are addressed initially to determine whether there are injuries to be addressed or simply a desire to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Treatments Used

We use a variety of methods in house to assess each patients current health and fitness levels, including:

• Functional movement evaluation
• Muscle Activation Techniques evaluation
• Orthopedic Testing
• Neurological Testing
• X-rays
• MRI review

Our treatments are vast an can include: spinal manipulation, extremity manipulation, M.A.T. (Muscle Activation Techniques), myofascial release techniques, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue work (IAST), Foundation Training, sports performance and many others.

In the event, that a patient needs care that can not be delivered here at our office, we work directly with a network of like minded orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and integrative medicine doctors to insure that your needs are met. We refer out for other diagnostic testing that is not available at our Costa Mesa facility such as MRI, CT scans etc.

Our philosophy is to custom tailor services because no two people have the same needs. Once we identify the root cause of the problem, we can deliver care in a more effective manner.