Chiropractors Named to U.S. Olympic Committee's Medical Staff

Dr. Ira Shapiro from Old Bridge, N.J., and Dr. Jeffrey Solomon from Miami, Fla., have been selected as the team chiropractors for the U.S. Olympic Team during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. The U.S. Olympic Committee medical staff consists of medical doctors, certified athletic trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors and pharmaceutical experts. As part of the selection process, applicants are assessed on their clinical expertise, in addition to their ability to work under pressure and effectively relate to and communicate with the athletes, coaches, administrators and other medical staff. "As our nation's Olympians strive for gold in Italy, many of them will rely on chiropractic care. Athletes believe in chiropractic not only for rehabilitation purposes and for treatment of overuse injuries, but also because they feel hands-on chiropractic care gives them a competitive edge," said ACA President Richard G. Brassard, DC. Athletes have long understood the value of chiropractic care as a means to maintain their health and improve their competitiveness. In the past, U.S. athletes sought out chiropractic care on the side because they strongly believed in its effectiveness to alleviate pain at the source and to condition their bodies for peak performance. Additionally, with increased scrutiny surrounding the use of performance-enhancing drugs, athletes are turning to safe, drug-free health care whenever possible. The roster of Olympic athletes who have benefited from chiropractic care is truly impressive. Star performers such as Derek Parra, Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, Willi Banks, Edwin Moses, and countless other greats from previous Olympics have taken advantage of chiropractic in order to get a leg up on their competition.