Five Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC)'s Martial Arts Club members were among 4300 competitors at the 29th Annual Ed Parker International Karate Championships in Long Beach on August 14-16. They were: Tom Sneed, Bruce Richardson, Hubert Hanlon, Shawn Phelan, and Kathy Thorn, D.C.
LACC also provided primary injury assessment and on-site health care for all competitors at the event. Interns Joe Verna and Shawn Phelan, club president and vice president, respectively, recruited a sports medicine team led by LACC faculty member John Scaringe, D.C., CCSP and radiology resident Dr. Kathy Thorn. Other interns on the sports medicine team were Bart Green, Wolfgang Shane, Rick Tweedt, Ann Parsons and Rabbonni Taculsalme.
The LACC health care team treated over 200 athletes from many countries including Spain, France, Germany, China, and Canada, as well as the United States. The range of injuries included sprains, strains, contusions, lacerations, dislocations, concussions, and fractures.
Four of the five LACC interns who served on this sports medicine team competed: Tom Sneed, Bruce Richardson, Hubert Hanlon, and Shawn Phelan all participated, as did Dr. Thorn. Tom Sneed and Bruce Richardson faced competitors in the black belt kata division; Hubert Hanlon competed in the brown belt kumite free-style fighting division; and Shawn Phelan contended in the green belt kumite and Dr. Thorn in the white belt kumite. Mr. Hanlon finished second in the brown belt light heavy-weight division.
According to the sports medicine team, many athletes, coaches, parents, and tournament organizers stopped by the treatment area to express their appreciation and report that their "minds had been changed about chiropractic."
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
