• Williams B
• Louis M
• Gyer G

• Athletes
• Open Access Document
• Resistance Training
• Sports Chiropractic

Objective: Spinal Manipulation has become increasingly popular as an intervention for athletes. Although progress is being made, little research or interest has looked at manipulation and its effect on strength athletes. Research shows correlations between it and positive outcomes regarding pain, range of motion (ROM), cortical drive/maximal voluntary contraction (strength), balance and proprioception (technique) and recovery. The main research question in this study was, “What is the perceived impact of SM on strength athletes?”

Methods: An international research survey was conducted for this purpose. Each of the 5 questions included in the survey was designed to measure the perceived effectiveness of SM on strength performance: recovery, technique, range of motion (ROM), pain, and strength. For each question, participants indicated their opinions about the effectiveness of SM by providing a score between 1-10. Each filled survey would be submitted out of 50, covering 5 questions, each worth 1/10.

Outcomes: All enrolled participants (n = 69; ±0.10) were 21–55; 81.2% were men, and 18.8% were women. Of the participants who responded, there was a perceived improvement in recovery (68%), lifting technique (60%), ROM (73%), and strength (59%), with an associated decrease in pain during training (78%). 95% of the sample population scored above the hypothetical mean value of 25, with 33.7 or 67.4% (95% CI: 31.2–36.3), meeting the critical value inclusion criteria of 5% (P = 0.05) with a 95% confidence interval, a margin of error of 2.6, and a standard deviation of 10.8.

Conclusion: The data indicates that there is a perceived benefit of SM on the overall performance of strength athletes based on improvements in pain modulation, ROM, technique, strength, and recovery. It’s essential to recognise the need for further research to transition from subjective perceptions to objective measurements. Rigorous investigations employing quantitative assessments before and after SM interventions are necessary to provide a deeper understanding of the precise effects. Our study serves as an illuminating stepping stone, underlining the potential role and current use of SM in enhancing the performance and well-being of strength athletes.

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