Lori West has been a chiropractic patient for 19 years, ever since she started playing on tour with the Ladies Professional Golf Association. The connection has proved fortuitous—today, at the age of 46, she can drive tee shots as straight as an arrow for over 225 yards.
But in the mid-1980s, she says, she was suffering from some of the classic pains associated with golf.
“I was having a little neck and shoulder numbness and my hand problem, and I sought out a chiropractor and it really changed my life. Chiropractic is the only reason I am still playing now. It keeps me going with no pain in my shoulder and neck.”
Currently living in Portland, Ore., West has moved frequently as a professional golfer, a sport that required her to sometimes play over 20 different events in a year’s time. Over the years, she’s adapted to different techniques and adjustment processes.
“The neat thing about chiropractors is that they are all sort of individuals in the way they use their techniques, so as I have moved around and my golf game changed, I also changed into different chiropractors,” explained West, who before becoming a professional golfer, was a competitive member of the U.S. Track and Field Team.
For West, the benefits of chiropractic care as a professional athlete are readily apparent.
“When I have subluxations, a lot of times I can’t bear weight on my hips. When I take the club back, I have to bear weight on my right hip, and as I go through I have to bear weight on my left hip. It is a transfer of weight and the more stable I am, then the better I can hit a shot,” said West. “In the last three or four years [chiropractic] has really turned my golf game around. I am hitting the ball further than ever before.”
“I did a survey of myself in tournaments I played in. Usually, whatever event that has a chiropractor, I play much better, I make much more money and I feel better,” West said.
A few years ago, West joined the Women’s Senior Golf Tour and she won her first tournament last June at the 2002 Hy-Vee Classic in Des Moines, Iowa. The performance benefits were evident. She claimed the winner’s trophy and the $75,000 prize package after tying coaching and chiropractic care into her tournament preparation.
When speaking about the win, West sums up her feelings on the value of a combined-care approach: “I don’t know if it was because of my coach or chiropractor, but I would hate to be without either of them.”
Provide your feedback on this article.