Chiropractic Care Has a History of Backing Up Olympic Athletes
ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Derek Parra, one of the United
States' best chances for a gold medal in speedskating at the 2002 Winter
Olympics, will be using a secret weapon -- chiropractic care -- to help
achieve his goal in Salt Lake City. Parra, the most dominant speedskater in
the United States, takes care of his body by receiving regular chiropractic
adjustments. In fact, he feels so strongly about chiropractic that he is
being sponsored by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).
"I've always believed in chiropractic care," says Parra. "I've used a lot
of other treatments for injuries and pain, but the problem doesn't get fixed
until I go to a doctor of chiropractic."
Parra, who competed for the 1998 U.S. Olympic Team, is a two-time U.S.
National All-Round Champion, a holder of two American records, and the
reigning North American Champion. In February 2001, he set a new American
record in the 1500 meters competition at the World Single Distance
Championships, and in late November he won a gold medal at the World Cup
competition in Den Hague, Netherlands.
"I've been dreaming about this for so many years," said Parra of competing
in the Olympics on American soil. "It will be so exciting this year to feel
the support from the American crowd, especially with the sense of patriotism
that has come about in this country."
Parra, along with the other world-class athletes who will represent the
U.S. in Salt Lake City, will have regular access to chiropractic care
throughout the duration of the Games, as ACA member Robin Hunter, DC, has been
selected to the 2002 U.S. Olympic medical staff.
"As an athlete, it's great to have chiropractic care available. There are
so many things we need to have done that traditional medicine just can't
help," said Parra, when asked about his feelings on having a doctor of
chiropractic on the Olympic staff.
Chiropractic care has a rich history of involvement with the U.S. Olympic
Team. Jan Corwin, DC, a past president of ACA's Council on Sports Injuries
and Physical Fitness, became the first doctor of chiropractic to travel
overseas with the U.S. Olympic Team in 1988, when he represented the
chiropractic profession in Seoul, South Korea. Dr. Corwin noted that the
athletes in Seoul were delighted with the chiropractic care they received.
"They were totally into it. I had so many patients while I was there, I
didn't even have time to eat. By the time I left Seoul I had lost 12 pounds."
The roster of Olympic athletes who have benefited from chiropractic care
is truly impressive. Star performers such as Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, Willi
Banks, Edwin Moses, and countless other greats from Olympics past have taken
advantage of chiropractic in order to get a leg up on their competition. In
fact, the U.S. Olympic medical staff has included at least one doctor of
chiropractic at each Olympics since Dr. Corwin's involvement in 1988.
To learn more about Derek Parra, visit http://www.qsports.net . He is
also featured on the Salt Lake 2002 Web site, the official Web site of the
2002 Winter Olympic Games, at
http://www.olympics.com/r/3/bio/SS_PARRA_Derek.htm . To find tips on a
variety of health-related topics, to learn about exercises to avoid spinal
problems and to read important studies about the effectiveness of chiropractic
care, visit the ACA's Web site at http://www.acatoday.com .
SOURCE American Chiropractic Association
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