During the World Series of the Major Leagues this past October, we had a historic series to watch.  For the first time in any major league sport, in a playoff series, every road team won the game. The Washington Nationals also won 5 eliminating games in which they were railing the other team.  The Nationals truly had a history run in the MLB playoffs.  

     You may also recall that before game 5, the Nationals’ 3-time Cy Young winner ace pitcher, Max Scherzer, was scheduled to pitch that game but was unable to due to a severe upper back/neck spasm.  If you recall, he woke up that morning unable to move. He couldn’t turn his head, he couldn’t lift his arm and his wife had to help dress himself. Here is a video of his describing what happened.  

     This wasn’t something that just happened randomly.  It was an accumulation of things. He said it started a few days earlier, which was something he experienced throughout the season.  He would be able to handle it with treatment from the team Chiropractor and exercises. But has he said, this was a small thing, that turned into a big thing, that turned into a huge thing.  How many of you have experienced something like this? Patients come into our office because of something like this. “It started out small, I thought I would just wait it out and now look at me.”  

     For a professional baseball player who has access to unlimited treatment, this still happens to them. You are not alone.  

     The day of game 5 Max received a cortisone injection to relieve the pressure on the nerve and then he received some treatment from the team Chiropractor again leading up to, what would be, Game 7 where the Nationals would end up winning and go home as World Series Champions.  

In the bottom of the 5th inning Ken Rosenthal, an ESPN reporter, gave a statement on what got Max back to the mount.  He reported “It wasn’t just the cortisone shot that got him back on the mound”….Keith Pyne, a Chiropractor on the Nationals medical team did several treatments leading up to game 7, which consisted of “worked on soft tissue, core stabilization, strengthening the neck, opening the joints, freeing the muscles.  These sessions, which continued today, help Scherzer get to the point. It was a combination of the shot and the treat” that got him back to pitch in game 7.  You can watch that report HERE

Here is what Max’s Treatment consisted of: 

• Cortisone shot
• Opening of the joint (chiropractic adjustment)
• Soft tissue work (trigger point therapy)
• Neck Strengthening exercise (rehab)
• Core stability work (rehab)

In an interview Max stated “Our chiropractor, he does amazing work, he was able to go in there and make adjustments. We did two treatments of it and really freed up the neck, the C5-C6 area, along with the trap, spasm, really felt like it subsided. And even when I was warming up tonight I felt really good. I’m good to go.”

     This is what was needed to get Max from not able to move to pitching a fastball in the high 90’s mph in a matter of 3 days.  Again, as a professional baseball player they have unlimited access to medical treatment with their medical team. And by day 3 he felt good enough to pitch for game 7 and win.  Now for those of us who don’t have unlimited access to this treatment and not needed to do what he does in 3 days, it may take a bit longer to recover from this, but you can still receive the same treatment that the pros get.  

     At Align Rehab Center and Performance Sport & Spine, we offer the same conservative treatment that the Professional athletes receive, besides the cortisone shot.  The Cortisone shot is something that, when done properly, can have fast acting relief. But unless you are pressed is time and urgency like Max was this is not the first thing we should jump to.  I would go the more conservative approach to recover as Max was trying to do before it blow up to be a “big thing”.

     So take care of your body like the pros do.  Get properly evaluated and treated so that you can go out and perform to the best of your abilities and become your own champion.  Dr. Clifford and Dr. Wadsworth have the experience to treat the high elite athletes in the Utah Valley area. Working with local University and High School sports teams.  Come and get yourself ready so you can pitch in your World Series Game 7.

Did you know that ALL Professional MLB teams and NFL teams have a Chiropractor on their team medical staff?