Resent research has shown that when a vertebra is moving poorly it led to changes in the information the spine sends to the brain. So, the brain gets a less clear picture of the spine’s alignment.
What is interesting is that when spinal segments don’t move properly it also influences how the brain perceives and responds to other sensory information. Spinal function seems to be one important factor that the brain uses to create your inner virtual reality of what is going on in the body.
When poor spinal function results in poor body awareness it can lead to a breakdown in overall body movement control. This will not only influence sport performance, but this can also end up causing pain and other dysfunction. For example, this may mean you may not accurately know where your arms or legs are in space, which means you are more likely to be clumsy and accident prone.
Recent research has objectively demonstrated that chiropractic adjustments can improve body awareness, which means the brain will be better able to control limb function and movement more accurately.
To put it simply, chiropractic care improves the communication between the brain and body. This results in better control of the core muscles and less risk of injury. In fact research is showing that a single session of chiropractic care may improve core muscle activation and increase muscle contractions that are equivalent to those seen following 3 weeks of strength training.
This has got to be good news for chiropractic patients seeking to enhance their athletic performance and prevent injuries from occurring!