The 2015 40th annual National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships were underway April 4th and 5th at the University of Delaware. The event serves as a qualifier for the national collegiate team, the same one that will represent our country at the World University Games this summer in Korea. The over 600 student athletes were cared for by a dozen chiropractors from the American Chiropractic Association Sports Council (ACASC).
The chiropractors chosen were from all over the United States, they have experience in sports medicine and have participated in other sporting events including the Olympics. The chiropractors oversaw the care of the athletes during competition as mat doctors where the risk of concussion, fracture, sprains, and strains is very high. The chiropractors are trained to diagnosis such injuries quickly and efficiently then give the appropriate diagnosis and care whether it’s chiropractic adjustments, stretching, soft tissue treatments, ice/heat modalities or first aid. The chiropractors were stationed as mat doctors and were required to evaluate, stabilize, and determine the ability of the athlete to continue competition after an injury has occurred. The position is extremely important because so much is at stake for these young athletes. The wrong call can cost them the competition through forfeit affecting their individual rankings. Even worse, the wrong call to continue competition can cost the young athlete their career.
