COLUMN BUSINESS TALK What athletes want – revisited I Information for aspiring sports chiropractors BY ANTHONY LOMBARDI n 2012, I penned “What Athletes Want,” for my column in Canadian Chiropractor. The piece was the first of its kind to feature high-performance professional athletes talking about what they looked for in a chiropractor. Seven years later we re-visit this topic to bring new perspectives to chiropractors looking to make treating professional athletes a revenue-generating stream in their practice. In the 2012 article, I interviewed players from eight different NFL teams and asked them what they looked for in a chiropractor. Their answers demonstrated that high-performance athletes are looking for more than just an adjustment – they are looking for care that maintains their performance. Amazingly, each of their answers had extremely similar undertones that clarified their needs. Here are some of their comments: “I choose my doctors based on reputation. If other respected athletes recommend them, and if they do acupuncture and muscle work, I am there. ” “The biggest thing I look for is someone who understands the kind of treatment I need. I prefer more muscle treatment. ” Additionally, an important question I asked the pro athletes was how they felt about chiropractors that provide treatment to them for free. The answers were shocking and demonstrated that professional athletes are willing to pay for practitioners who are able to provide for their needs: “I just wouldn’t expect a doctor who doesn’t charge for treatments to really be concerned about who he is treating. ” “I feel that when I’m paying for treatment I become more accountable for my health. ” “I don’t want anything for free. It makes me question the level of treatment I would get. ” These sentiments echo true in the NHL as well. Even McEneny of the Vancouver Canucks said: “Generally, my opinion is that if the treatment is free then the therapist won’t care as much and have any personal incentive to do the job the right way.” During the summer months I usually have the pleasure of treating some Olympians as well. Recently I interviewed Nick Poloniato, a pilot for the Canadian Olympic Bobsled Team. Nick finished 7th in the world (Two-Man Bobsled) ANTHONY LOMBARDI, DC, is a private consultant to athletes in the NFL, CFL and NHL, and founder of the Hamilton Back Clinic, a multidisciplinary clinic. He teaches his fundamental EXSTORE Assessment System and practice building workshops to various health professionals. For more information, visit exstore.ca. 14 Canadian Chiropractor April 2019 at the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea. I was extremely impressed with the quality of answers he gave me – which shows that athletes are becoming accountable and more involved in their care. “The types of treatments I prefer to receive from a chiropractor would be acupuncture (whether that be work with the pointer plus or electro stim and IMS) and if I need any soft tissue work or adjustments as well,” Poloniato says. “It’s important that a chiropractor has many different tools at their disposal. Performance care is mandatory when competing at the Olympic level in a sport where medals are lost by hundredths of a second. We are trying to squeeze every last bit out of our bodies.” Naturally, to best serve aspiring sports chiropractors, it would be prudent to speak to someone in our profession who is providing the services pro athletes want, while at the same time getting fairly compensated for it. IN THE FIELD Enter Dr. Vasko Grujovski (@v.g.chiropro). Dr. Grujovski is an Ajax-based chiropractor who travels across the country providing care to a variety of NFL, CFL, and NHL players during both the regular season and the off-season. He uses electro-acupuncture, myofascial release, and the Exstore System to assess musculoskeletal dysfunction. “Pro athletes are typically referred to me by other pro athletes or teammates in the off-season to help in the recovery of nagging injuries from the previous season,” Grujovski says. “Athletes typically present to my office with muscles that are inhibited, which leads to mechanical breakdown in the joints causing pain and weakness.” Dr. Grujovski has been fortunate to provide performance care to Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, and Grey Cup Champions (sometimes in the same season), while being paid well to do it. Some of Dr. Grujovski’s athletes were interviewed and shared what they look for in a chiropractor who provides performance-enhancing services: “Whether I’m lifting weights in the summer, or playing during the season, I always look to chiropractic care with acupuncture to help those aches and pains.”— Brandon Montour, Anaheim Ducks (NHL) “I’ve noticed that getting regular treatment of acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage helps me manage and prevent injuries, which can give me the opportunity to have a long hockey career”— Andy Andreoff, Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) www.canadianchiropractor.ca
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