By Avery Fowler
Hello everyone! My name is Avery, and I am currently a third-year student at the University of Denver studying International Business and French. I recently joined the Washington Park Chiropractic team as Wellness Coordinator, and I couldn’t be more excited to be here!
Let me tell you a little about my journey as an athlete.
Ever since I was a little boy, I have participated in team sports. I joined my first organized soccer team when I was five years old and living in Belgium with my family. In Europe, soccer means everything, and there I developed a passion for the beautiful game. Whether at recess, practice, or weekend matches, there was nothing I loved more than playing soccer with my friends.
Fast forward to junior year of high school in winter 2020. Back in my home state of Minnesota, I was playing for a high-level competitive club soccer team: the Saint Paul Blackhawks. We trained nearly every weekday with matches on the weekends, and my physical activity level was very high. The problem was that I wasn’t maintaining my body off the field. I wasn’t stretching regularly, and I wasn’t strength training either. As I would soon find out, this was not a great combo.
One night, I started to feel some pain in my lower back. I tried resting for a few days before playing again, but the pain only increased. The ensuing MRI revealed the bad news – I had sustained a stress fracture in my L5 joint. Anyone who has ever experienced a serious back injury knows how limiting they can be. My season was over. For the first time in my life I was physically unable to play the sport that I loved so dearly, and I was devastated.
At some point during the seemingly eternal five-month recovery process, my mom suggested that I see a chiropractor. I had never been to one before, and I didn’t know what to expect. Why not give it a try? Mom brought me to see her friend, Dr. Emily, whom she had been visiting regularly for some time.
My first appointment was an overwhelmingly positive experience. I quickly integrated routine chiropractic care into my recovery and began to notice a significant difference. Even after the end of physical therapy, I continued with monthly adjustments through the summer and into my senior season in the fall. Never before had I felt so much stability while playing sports. Thanks to Dr. Emily, I was able to play every game that season, and my team enjoyed great success despite COVID limitations. In such a difficult time, discovering the power of chiropractic care was a silver lining.
Today, my athletic career looks a little different. Soccer is still my favorite sport, and I play on an intramural team. However, most of my competitive spirit is now dedicated to ultimate frisbee (not to be confused with frisbee golf). This year I am Vice-President of the DU Sourdough Ultimate Frisbee Club. We compete at the Division 1 level and travel all around the country for tournaments, and I have made some of my favorite college memories with the frisbee team. Besides regular lifting and stretching, I still get monthly chiropractic adjustments to keep my body in optimal shape, and I honestly don’t think I could ever go without it.
All in all, from my experience, regular chiropractic care is a must for competitive athletes. Even though I started getting adjusted due to a major injury, I still go when I am healthy because it keeps my body functioning at the highest possible level. I highly recommend that athletes get maintenance chiropractic care, and Washington Park Chiropractic is a great place to start :)
CO Conferences Tournament 2023