Chiropractors and the London Olympics

by: DrTirpak posted: August 13, 2012

The summer Olympics have drawn to a end with much visibility and support for chiropractors in an athletic setting. The 2012 London Olympics marked the first inclusion of chiropractic into the official polyclinic in the summer games. The Vancouver Winter Olympics was the initial introduction of chiropractors into the multidisciplinary medical services team provided by the Olympic Organizing Committee. 28 official chiropractor worked along side physical therapists, dentists, medical doctors, osteopaths, and even an eye clinic at the 23 million dollars facility in the heart of the Olympic village in London.

The first Olympic Chiropractic credit goes to Dr. Leroy Perry. In 1976 at the Montreal Canada Summer Olympic games the island nation of Antigua chose Dr. Leroy Perry as their team doctor. During subsequent years of Olympic games Dr. Parry had treated athletes from over 40 counties.

Many chiropractors personally accompanied Olympic teams from the United States, Canada, Jamaica and many places around the world. Numerous pictures have surfaced on the web of Dr. Michael Douglas, the official Chiropractor of the Jamaican Olympic Team since 1996, adjusting Olympic gold medal sprinter in the mens 100m and 200m Usain Bolt. Indian Wells California chiropractor Corina Morrison treated 12 swimmers this year in London, her fourth Olympics. Notably Dr. Morrison worked with US bronze medalist Natalie Coughlin (her 12th Olympic medal) and Serbian Milorad Cavic.

Chiropractor Dr. Curt Draeger not only brought his skills as a chiropractor to the Olympics, but also his cold laser. London Gold and silver medal U.S. decathletes Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee were among the Olympians that Dr. Draeger treated. This was his third Olympics treating members of the US track and field team, working with them since 2003.

The next generation of Olympic Chiropractors are already hard at work. Four Life University chiropractic sport science master students accompanied by Sport Health Science associate professor Dr. Keith Rau treated athletes at the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials for track and field. U.S. water polo team goalie Merrill Moses he will be staring soon at Palmer West, the alma mater of his team coach and former Olympian Dr Terry Schroeder. After sprinting for Germany in London Sven Knipphals will complete his third year at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (AECC).

The Anglo-European College of Chiropractic hosted the Icelandic Olympic team, at the suggestion of AECC Chiropractic graduate and 2000 Sydney Olympic Icelandic decathlete Jon Arnar Magnusson. The AECC hosted and supported the athletes at their state-of-the-art clinic and facilities in Bournemouth, a hundred miles outside of London.

Chiropractor Dr. Tom Greenway of the European Chiropractors’ Union said, “At the Olympics in 2012 we will be able to show them exactly what we can do, how well we can do it and how effectively that can dovetail with physiotherapy, osteopathy and massage…. We will have 74 days to show the world of sport how great and how effective a chiropractic approach is in the medical team.” Dr. Greenway held the main responsible for arranging chiropractic care at the summer London Olympics.

Chiropractors that have served in an official capacity at an Olympic Games can apply to the International Academy of Olympic Chiropractic Officers. The IAOCO merged last year into the International Federation of Sports Chiropractic as the FICS' Olympic Chiropractor's Commission.

Other Olympic Articles on CE Cruncher:

Chiropractors, Kinesiology Tape and the Olympics - A Colorful Combination

CHIROPRACTORS ON THE ROAD TO THE LONDON OLYMPICS

 

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