10 years ago I had the opportunity to study with David Leaf DC, Chiropractor for the New England Patriots.  He taught me importance of gait analysis, i.e. watching how a person walks or runs. Watching a person's gait gives visual clues into how well the body is functioning against gravity, how symmetrical the body is, and how well the body moves in 3 dimensional planes. In that seminar we analyzed each participant for dysfunctional gait patterns to determine related subluxations and muscular dysfunctions.  He presented the idea of challenging athletes with a treadmill test to find structural imbalances as they manifest under stress, and treat accordingly. "Find it and Fix it" is his motto. I took his treadmill idea, moving it outdoors to the track.

In 2002, I was working with a new marathoner in training for the SJ marathon. On a Saturday morning we met at the Los Gatos High Track. I had him bring his heart rate monitor and pedometer. I then had him run a ¼ mile lap at his usual running pace, which was a ten minute mile. He did not look so good, compared to the other runners on the track it was a sad sight.  I had him come in and I then examined him for the first time.

I found the usual suspects, short leg from a twisted pelvis deactivating his gluts, lumbar subluxations inhibiting his quads and gluts etc. I gave him a lumbar and thoracic adjustment, stretched the psoas hip flexor muscle, quads and loosened the hamstrings, gave him an ankle adjustment and a knee distraction, a basic review of running techniques he needed and sent him back out on the track. This time he looked better, and when he came in he had a BIG SMILE. "That was the first 9 minute mile I have ever run and my heart rate was the same!"  "Nice, ok get on the table and let's see what else we can find". This time I did a recheck on everything from the previous treatment and adjusted his neck including his atlas and occiput, and watched his eyes opened wide. I did and thoracic anterior adjustment and heard him take a huge breath and watch his body relax afterward. Some more adjustments on his feet, knees, a last minute reminder on some basic running principles that I had learned from coach Gerald Peralberg and BAM, back out on the track he goes.

As I'm watching him run this time I broke into a BIG SMILE, he now looks like the most efficient runner on the track! He comes in and we are both astonished, he just ran his first 8 minute mile and with with no change in heart rate from his 10 min pace. He was running 20% faster and more efficiently, all from chiropractic, soft tissue release and running tips. That's what I call performance. Chiropractic sports performance. Call Dr Craig Eymann to book you're your track or sports evaluation and treatment, in Santa Cruz 831-425-1288