According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the CAM market in the U.S. was estimated to be worth $17 billion, with 158 million adult users in the year 2000, and is expected to increase over the coming years

Going forward, the focus will be on the area of CAM that is most commonly used such as manipulative and body-based practices, which chiropractic and massage therapies fall into. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, body movement therapies like chiropractic and massage, are based on the idea that other body parts can be affected when you have an injury. These areas can be restored to optimal health through manual manipulation of the body.   

According to a study conducted by the Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the University of Hawaii, 309 college student-athletes were asked if they had participated in CAM within the last 12 months; 56% of the subjects reported they did; with massage and chiropractic services being the most common.

Manipulative and Body-Based Practices of CAM

Body Therapy 1 for College Student-Athletes:  Chiropractic therapy

Chiropractic therapy focuses on the body's structure, bones, and joints while addressing any underlying spinal dysfunction, called Vertebral Subluxations. This is when small bones on the spine get disrupted, putting pressure on the nerves. The ultimate goal is to bring the patient to optimal health using a whole-body approach.  Chiropractors can determine the root cause of your pain and the best adjustment technique.  Once any spinal misalignment is corrected, pressure on muscles can be relaxed; this is how chiropractors can help college student-athletes with musculoskeletal injuries.

In an interview with Dr. Andrew Czarniewski, owner of The Chiropractic Place in Naperville, we discussed the importance of chiropractic adjustments for musculoskeletal injuries and athletic performance. Dr. Czarniewski said, “Chiropractic optimizes body functions to add valuable seconds that improve performance time and will make the difference between coming in first or second place.”  CSAs strive to gain a competitive edge in sports by training harder, but it could be as simple as getting routine spinal adjustments with a chiropractor. When the spine is in alignment, the nervous system can function at its best, allowing the CSA to see improved coordination, balance, and posture, leading to better performance in competition.      

Chiropractic services can also help CSAs who suffer from concussions, which are very common among contact sports players. When a chiropractic adjustment is performed, it removes pressure from the nerves to allow more blood flow to the brain to promote healing. Adjustments improve blood flow to the entire body, increasing the body's ability to perform at its best.   

To find a registered chiropractor near you, click here.

Body Therapy 2 for College Student-Athletes:  Massage Therapy

Therapeutic massage (sports massage therapy) aims to rehabilitate and restore musculoskeletal dysfunctions through soft tissue work by reducing pain, discomfort, and stiffness and increasing range of motion.

Massage therapy goes back thousands of years and was practiced by the Chinese and Egyptians. Kung Fu practitioners and Greek Olympians first used therapeutic sports massage.  It was used for many conditions, including musculoskeletal injuries (soft-tissue injuries that affect the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, and cartilage), cancer, stress, relaxation, and pregnancy.

When working with a CSA, massage helps the athlete recover after exercise or muscle fatigue. Massages are ideal for treating musculoskeletal injuries (fractures, dislocations, sprains, strains, tendinitis, and bursitis), where soft tissue work can relieve overstressed muscles, tendons, and ligaments.  For a list of common dysfunctions treated with therapeutic massage, click here.

Flexibility and strength are beneficial for preventing injury and improving overall performance in collegiate sports. Therefore, massage therapy is something an athlete can do proactively to prevent injury and increase performance. The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has reported that many studies have shown positive results when hamstring flexibility was tested after athletes received a massage.  Another study by Brooks et al. showed improved postexercise grip performance on athletes with therapeutic massage. 

In an interview with Mary Renouf, owner of CareQuest Massage in Naperville, a board-certified massage therapist specializing in medical and therapeutic massage.  We talked about how massage therapy can benefit college student-athletes with musculoskeletal injuries.  Her massages focus on the health and wellness of the athlete than simply relaxation and stress relief.  She said, "Medical and Therapeutic Massage is no longer a luxury but a beneficial necessity!”  This quote expresses how strongly Mary feels about taking a complete and integrative approach to massage therapy.  If only more people would regularly incorporate massage therapy into their lives and not just do it on special occasions or as a treat, they would see their overall health improve.

The highest level of massage therapy is board-certified, where massage therapists are certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) and have passed extensive testing and background checks. 

Click here to find a list of board-certified massage therapists in your area

Here are some real-life scenarios to help explain why college student-athletes (CSAs) should go to chiropractors and massage therapists for many of the conditions they can experience when playing collegiate sports:  Assume one CSA breaks his leg during a college football game and goes to the Urgent Care for treatment and leaves with a cast.  He will be sent to rehab for many weeks after his break is healed and the cast is removed.  When he finally returns to playing football, his leg is not the same, and he is experiencing residual pain in the same leg that was injured.  In this situation, he could benefit from going to a certified massage therapist who can massage the tight muscles that could be causing his pain. 

Another example could be a college student-athlete on the women’s volleyball team who had a bad fall and is now experiencing low back pain.  She could benefit from going to a chiropractor to check for bones out of alignment and massage therapy to loosen tight muscles.  Massage therapy can also help speed recovery and soothe the sore back muscles until they fully heal.