Teemu Poikela

Chiropractic care – the athlete's choice

I suffered from continuous sports injuries years ago, and I ended up trying chiropractic care as part of my rehabilitation. My posture improved, the number of my injuries decreased, and the difference in my leg length discrepancy disappeared as a result of regular treatment sessions. I have tried to visit a chiropractor regularly for chiropractic care ever since.

I compete in track and field in the 100m and 200m sprint, and I train alongside both work and study around 6-8 times a week. Adding a reasonable amount of training to an already busy life schedule is sometimes quite challenging, which means that the time spent during training sessions should be used as best as possible. That’s why I also try to take care of my muscles and rest to avoid various sports injuries.

Sedentary work is one of the leading causes of poor posture. Often, I find myself leaning towards the side where I have my mouse which usually makes my spine lock up. For me, poor posture eventually causes pain in my lower body, and have symptoms in places like my buttocks, thighs and Achilles tendon. This is no surprise, what can you expect when your body looks like the Tower of Pisa, and you start straining it in the gym and running track. The symptoms first appear, then the underlying cause becomes more evident during my training breaks.

Chiropractic care supports both my sports and health goals. It helps me stay healthy and avoid unnecessary injuries. In fact, chiropractic care even improves my physical performance; as the body can move with its full range of motion when the spine isn’t “locked up” as your nervous system and “power generation” improve. I have often performed my best when I’ve had chiropractic care right before the race. Chiropractic care has become an essential part of my well-being and will continue to play an important role in maintaining my body.