Emmit Smith

Many players have been and are under chiropractic care on their own, but when one professional athlete of a certain stature claims that chiropractic has helped him to get where he is and keep him there, it is still news. Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys is one such athlete. On his way to the record books as the NFL's leading rusher, Smith credits his longevity in pro football not to his own ability but to his chiropractor, Dr. Rob Parker.

The New York Times, Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star- Telegram have all reported on Emmitt Smith's feelings about his chiropractor and what chiropractic does for him. The lead paragraph in the New York Times by Thomas George stated: "Two days before Emmitt Smith hoped to make his most memorable run, the one that would push him past Walter Peyton as the National Football League's career rushing leader, Smith lay flat on his back. It is a position Smith assumes on most Friday afternoons, with Dr. Rob Parker kneading the knots out of his body..."

Smith began to get weekly chiropractic care from Dr. Parker about seven years ago, after he was introduced to him by former Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnston. Now, he spends about two hours with Dr. Parker every Friday during the season and often gets adjustments two or three days a week.

An article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram explains it all started after the 1994 season when Smith endured a lot of hamstring problems and he began to ask himself some tough questions. "Do I need to get more rest? Do I need to eat better? Do I need a little more training? How can I take care of my body better? Do I need to find a chiropractor? It was time for me to invest in me," Smith said. "I found a specialist that's really good in balancing out my body to make sure my hips are rotated right, and my body is functioning properly. I remember somebody telling me that what I put myself in during the games is like having a car wreck every Sunday. It's against the norm. You can find yourself in awkward positions. That stuff takes its toll. But if you take advantage of the health care, balance your body back out, put it back where it's supposed to be, you function better, and you recover faster."