From Sinner to Paolini, the race of athletes (including Jacobs) towards chiropractic

Sports clubs are increasingly requesting chiropractors to join their coaching staffs. In part due to the success of Olympic athletes like Marcell Jacobs, whose medical team included chiropractor Renaud Dejean, the Italian Chiropractic Association (AIC) has noted a growing number of requests in recent years from sports clubs, both competitive and amateur, for information on licensed professionals in Italy. The common goal? To avoid injuries, prolong athletic careers, and, above all, improve their performance in environments where the athlete's weight is increasingly measured by the significant financial resources involved.

Last August, a delegation of Italian sports chiropractors participated in the World Games in Chengdu, China. Renita Rasmann, Fabrizio Marino, and Patrick Murugan represented the Italian profession in the international healthcare team, comprised of 50 colleagues from ten countries and supporting 4,500 athletes from 110 nations. Just a few days earlier, Italian chiropractors, along with Milanese chiropractor Luisanna Ciuti, had set a precedent at the 32nd International Isokinetic Congress held in Spain at the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. Over 2,500 professionals from 80 countries gathered to discuss key topics such as injury prevention, applied biomechanics, and the evolution of rehabilitation techniques.

"The connection between sport and chiropractic is profound," comments John Williams , president of the AIC. "It contributes to injury prevention, maintaining optimal health for athletes, and also to the treatment of dysfunctions that ensure a quicker recovery following injuries. Today, even in Italy, the major football teams in the national championship employ a chiropractor, as do the most important sports clubs in basketball, track and field, even rowing and alpine skiing."

And it is precisely those sports disciplines that require contact with non-biological equipment (rackets, skis, weights, etc.) that attract champions who seek to leverage a mix of the athlete's philosophical conception and physical performance measurements with cutting-edge equipment.

Athletes of the caliber of tennis players Jannik Sinner, Milos Raonic, and Jasmine Paolini, as well as Alpine skiing glories like Alberto Tomba, Deborah Compagnoni, and Federica Brignone, all benefit from the advice of Alfio Caronti , a chiropractor based in Como. With 40 years of experience and a background in journalism, he has successfully helped them overcome those “hidden obstacles” that can make all the difference. "Even small postural adjustments can transform entire athletic careers for the better. When an athlete finds their postural center, they improve their performance by changing the way they perceive the field, their opponent, and fatigue," explains Caronti. "The athlete's body is subjected to unparalleled stress, and in sports, any postural imbalance becomes immediately visible, easily resulting in a decline in performance, recurring injuries, or seemingly inexplicable limitations. Thus, the body speaks before the voice. Just observe how an athlete walks after a win or loss to understand how emotion and movement are intertwined."