Sports Chiropractic in Westminster
Athletes chase every edge they can get—better training, recovery, and nutrition—but the one piece most never think to check is the alignment of the top bone in their neck. When the atlas is out of place, it puts pressure on the brain stem, and that affects reaction time, healing, and how efficiently the whole body performs.
An Atlas Misalignment May Show Up in Other Areas
Most sports medicine approaches treat the injury site directly, but a misaligned atlas can throw off posture in ways that create problems nowhere near the neck itself. A high ear, high shoulder, or high hip pulls on the muscles around it, creating counter-tension that shows up as a stubborn hamstring, a shoulder that won’t calm down, or ankles that keep rolling. If there’s no direct hit to the joint that hurts, the atlas may be the missing piece.
The Injuries and Patterns We See Most
Serious athletes, from hockey players to trail runners or gym regulars, tend to show a similar pattern once their nervous system is under chronic stress:
- Recurring or chronic tight hamstrings and limited hip mobility
- Nagging shoulder, back, or joint pain with no clear injury
- Headaches, brain fog, and disrupted sleep
- Post-concussion symptoms like mood changes and fatigue
- Injuries that keep coming back despite months of physical therapy
What Our Assessment and Correction Involves
Our approach starts by looking at the nervous system first, not just the sore spot. Specific motion studies identify exactly how the atlas has shifted, and correction is aimed at removing the interference causing chronic compensation elsewhere in the body. If there’s a direct injury, like a hard hit to a knee or ankle, that gets addressed too, but for the recurring issues that don’t make sense on their own, restoring balance to the atlas is often what finally lets the muscles and joints settle.
What Changes When the Nervous System Is Regulated
Athletes under chronic compensation often don’t realize how much it’s costing them until the pressure comes off. As the nervous system stabilizes, patients typically notice faster recovery between training sessions, better sleep, and a return to performing the way they did at a younger age. Left uncorrected, that same compensation pattern is what eventually contributes to disc damage, joint degeneration, and injuries that show up in completely unrelated parts of the body.
Athlete Experience Behind the Care
Dr. RJ Gelinas played Super League rugby in Canada before becoming a Westminster chiropractor, and having his atlas corrected played a part in his recovery from serious illness. That combination of elite competition and lived experience as a patient shapes how he assesses sports injuries, with an understanding of what athletes are actually pushing through that goes beyond what shows up on an exam table.
Perform at the Level You’re Training For
If nagging injuries keep resurfacing no matter how much strength work or physical therapy you put in, the issue may not be where it hurts. I Get It Chiropractic can take a closer look at what’s really driving it. Call (303) 424-1207 to get started.
