Monmouth County Chiropractor in Shrewsbury
My Journey Into Chiropractic, Continued
For those of you that don’t know me, let me introduce myself . My name is Dr. Karyn Marshall. I have been a World Champion and World Record Holder in Women’s Olympic Weightlifting, Strongest Woman in the World, CrossFit Games Master’s Finalist, breast cancer survivor, Registered Nurse, graduate of Columbia University and a Doctor of Chiropractic.
It has been my experience as a Chiropractor for 21 years that most people seek out Chiropractic care for pain related injuries to the spine and other related joints of the body. For many conditions, it is an excellent first choice for spinal and extremity related conditions. A study found that patients whose primary care provider was a Chiropractor had less need for medicine. Studies have shown the effectiveness of Chiropractic care for low back and neck pain as well as extremity injuries.
However, there is more to Chiropractic care than pain. It is the secret weapon that has benefited me as well as numerous athletes including some very famous ones: Rich Froning tweeted a few days before the Games that he was going to his Chiropractor; CrossFit New England had their own Chiropractor at the CrossFit Games; Chiropractors are part of the Medical Team at the CrossFit Games, Olympic Games and Professional Sports Teams..
Chiropractic care is the ultimate mind-body treatment. That is the connection between the mind and the body. What that means is for anything to work in the body, the brain needs to be in 100% communication with all body parts. A standard question we ask patients is, “How often do you want your brain talking to your body?” The usual answer- after laughter and stutters is, “Obviously 100% of the time.” But for most people that is not the case. Because what we have found over the last 21 years of practice, is that after we evaluate the spine, we find subluxations- Spinal vertebrae out of alignment that interfere with this 100% connection. This means that most people are walking around without their brains talking 100% to their bodies. That is how Chiropractic care can further help an athlete even when they are not injured or in pain. Many athletes report this leads to better performance, better results and less injuries. There is even research to support these claims.
Chiropractic research also leads us to understand what Chiropractors and patients have been stating for over 100 years. That Chiropractic helps with conditions like high blood pressure, autism, seizures and epilepsy, ADHD, asthma, allergies, infantile colic, as well as pain related to cancer and pregnancy.
An Athlete and a Chiropractor
As a CrossFit athlete and a Chiropractor, I have experienced the effects of intense training. As my Soviet coach would say, ”You have to walk on the razor’s edge to be the best. It is a very thin line between training hard enough to make gains and too hard and being injured” “ It is all about recuperation.” What are you doing to recuperate? Chiropractic care is an excellent tool to enhance recuperation and recovery time.
Chiropractic care is an excellent tool in the rehabilitation of injuries to the spine and extremities…shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles. The most central aspect of Chiropractic care is the adjustment. In addition, hands on manual therapies are excellent tools as well to aid in rehabilitation and recovery. Deep tissue work, active release, facilitated stretching. However, most injuries are not “just” muscular. What Chiropractors do when they adjust is address the neuromusculoskelatal aspect of the injury. They keep the body in balance. The nerves, the muscles and the joints are all involved. Therefore it makes sense to address all three aspects of the injury. It is also important to analyze the postural and functional aspects of the injury. What caused the injury? Muscular imbalance? Postural imbalances? Technique breakdown? Overtraining? Complicating pre-existing conditions? Improper warmup? Improper nutrition? Spinal Alignment issues?
“While there are varying techniques utilized by Chiropractors,
I encourage every CrossFitter to find a Chiropractor who understands
athletes and the demands CrossFit puts on your body.”
While there are still many things athletes can do on their own to prevent and treat injuries…mobility work, stretching, good nutrition, icing, use proper technique, etc. None of it replaces the Chiropractic adjustment. There is a lot of proof both anecdotally and scientifically that athletes in general and CrossFit athletes more specifically can greatly benefit from Chiropractic care.
We encourage you to come in for a visit and find out first-hand how we can help you reach your fitness goals. We know your pain!
Karyn Marshall, DC, RN
Champion Health
Championchiro.com