Crested Butte: Sports Chiropractic vs. Traditional Chiropractic

A common question:

What is sports chiropractic and how does it differ from traditional chiropractic in Crested Butte?

Technically, sports chiropractic is a sub-specialty of chiropractic. All chiropractors are musculoskeletal specialists who have doctorates in Chiropractic and are trained for 4.5 years on average for their doctorate alone. A musculoskeletal specialist, a chiropractor has a doctorate and training that focuses on anything around and related to joints. Tendons, nerves, bones, ligaments, bursa, you name it. We are trained in taking and reading x-rays, MRIs, CT’s, reading blood panels, and in advanced diagnosis of many bodily injuries (the focus of sports medicine) because let’s face it the body is complicated. As many organ related aches and pains can refer to the spine or low back, it’s our job to do exams and to rule out any relationship there that might need to be sent out to the Crested Butte ER. This is why we have a doctorate or DC behind our names.

Know Before you Go.

The traditional chiropractor in Crested Butte, such as at Bliss Chiropractic, offers healthcare focused on diagnosing and treating neuromuscular disorders. The traditional chiropractor’s overall goal is to reduce pain and restore function to the nervous system by manually adjusting or manipulating the spine. This clinics are strictly joint and nerve focused.

Though this form of chiropractic offers numerous health benefits to patients, it is often not quite enough for those who participate in sports or regular to intense physical activity to keep injuries at bay. Often tendonitis, bursitis and other common injuries don't benefit as much as they do from our Sports Chiropractic here in Crested Butte.

A sports chiropractor specializes in treating injured athletes (and work week survivors) who want to improve performance or maximize longevity of sport or lifestyle. We are more likely to focus intensely on one region or fascial plane. An appointment to address sports related injuries or to improve athletic performance may involve several types of therapies including but not limited to, myofascial release (Also called active release technique), athletic taping or kinesiotaping, and stretching along with any spinal or extremity adjustments that all work to benefit the specific reason you chose your visit. These types of appointments traditional take between 30-45 minutes for a routine client versus a 5 minute adjustment from a traditional chiropractor. New patient visits can be upwards of an hour for challenging cases (Dr. Lisa's favorite!)

Sports Chiropractors Have Advanced Training.

A sports chiropractor ALSO passes the national physiotherapy board exams AND in the state of Colorado, we can also train for and take the acupuncture board exam so we can do triggerpoint acupuncture, dry needling and other advanced rehab here in Crested Butte. Dr Lisa has these add-ons as well as a background in Diagnostic Imaging of small joints, elbows and knees with an additional advanced diagnostic ultrasound education.

Dr Lisa has her CCAP, or Certified Chiropractic Acupuncturist Physician certification (even in the state of Colorado, chiropractors are not physicians in the traditional sense like an MD or DO). With this said, sports chiropractic includes all sorts of extras that basic chiropractic does not. More time in each visit, more cost per visit, better results over time.These are just a few benefits of choosing CB Sports Chiropractic over a CB physical therapist, massage therapist or traditional chiropractor.

Who Sees A Sports Chiropractor?

Hearing about an injury as a provider is vastly different from going through it yourself.

In her practice, as an avid athlete herself, Dr. Lisa has brought everything into the practice that she's needed as an athlete so that on your next spill off your bike on Doctors Park, or on Lupine Trail, you can reach out if your knee feels ‘off’ or if your hips feel ‘twisted’. She's ran her knees into nasty tendonitis cases running 100 milers, rehabbed through concussion after a ski accident, sustained fractures with a leg length inequality that went undiagnosed until after college, etc. etc. We believe that this gives CB Sports Chiropractic and Dr. Lisa more empathy than other clinics in Crested Butte and helps set up your proper treatment plan for success.

Those athletes who benefit from Sports Chiropractic in CB include:

-Skiers

-Runners

-Cyclists

-Hikers

-Tennis

-Hockey

-Softball

-Baseball

-Soccer

-Paddlers

-Climbers

(To name a few...)

The results last longer and work better. For this reason alone, Dr. Lisa has all 5-Star reviews and has worked with numerous professional athletes and Olympians.

Often injuries, if chronic, are tonal issues caused by nearby regions being slightly off in tone, length or strength. Strains, sprains, tissue tears, tendonitis and many issues that are not joint related are the chosen field for most sports chiropractors and you see us with many olympic teams. Dr Lisa used to travel with USAClimbing due to the usefulness of our field at evaluating a broad number of injuries and being able to treat and diagnose down to a tiny finger injury.

The final two differences between sports chiropractic and regular chiropractic (Bliss Chiropractic) is time and focus on soft tissues. Traditional chiropractic can be quick and visits can be only a few minutes long. At CB Sports Chiropractic, you are going to get a much longer visit. The average routine client visit is 30+ minutes which gives us time for focal muscle work around your injury, an examination every visit so we can understand why that knee pain or back pain is flaring up (such as tight hip flexors, a bike seat that is too far forward, etc etc) and you will go home with homework to untangle it and things to keep an eye on to help it to continue to heal.

Sports specific chiropractic is more like physical therapy (Think Go Orthopedics, CB Physiotherapy or Pinacle Orthopedics) however we also have advanced training to mobilize small joints in the hands and feet. There is muscle work involved, especially at CB Sports Chiropractic and this is similar to also seeing a deep tissue massage therapist in Crested Butte or a Rolfer. Instead, this is all applied in the same visit at our clinic instead of seeing numerous providers. If you CHOOSE to see numerous providers, that is great too. Taping may be applied. Braces may be used if your injuries are bad enough and you likely in that case will be referred out for advanced imaging such as an X-Ray. Finally, at CB Sports Chiropractic, a treatment plan most likely will be communicated and followed starting from Day 1. You will work with us until your knee, hip or shoulder is back to 100% for those Crested Butte Trails and once your are there, we will focus on prevention care (at home stretching, etc) to ensure you don’t lose all the progress you have made. Most injuries are preventable. Understanding your body's weaknesses and working on your posture and alignment keep most of them at bay.

Have more questions? Reach out! At our clinic, I don’t take x-rays unless medically necessary. If you want me to review old X-rays to rule out degeneration, chronic loading injuries, or if we need to take additional x-rays in Crested Butte or Gunnison, we’ll hit that hurdle when we get to it.

Contact Dr Lisa via phone or text at 970-452-1128 to book a visit or use our automated 24-hour booking service to get your next therapy session booked for CB, Mount CB or CB South. Did we mention she does house calls?!