Local back pain specialist, Dr. Christopher Webb makes the journey to Kona, Hawaii to assist and treat athletes in the 2010 Ironman Championship

Each year many athletes compete in marathons throughout the world. Millions of spectators watch in awe and wonder how many hours of training that these athletes must have put in to run 26 miles non-stop. Now imagine what it would be like to run 26 miles following a 2.4 mile swim or following a 112 mile bike ride - How about after both? Does this sound intense? Remarkably, this is what takes place each Fall in Kona, Hawaii for the annual Ironman World Championship. The 2010 Ironman World Championship attracted athletes from all over the world to compete in the ultimate test in human endurance. With so many exceptional athletes coming to participate in this exhausting competition, there are bound to be injuries. The Ironman World Championship has over twenty certified medical professionals on hand to provide support to these athletes as they embark on one of the greatest challenges of their lives.

One of the Doctors who made the journey to Kona was Dr. Christopher Webb of Dr. Webb and Associates located in Washington, Pennsylvania. Dr Webb is one of the most respected Chiropractors in Pennsylvania. His practice has been providing back pain relief and chiropractic care since his grandfather opened the doors in 1933. In 2008, Dr. Webb completed his certification in Active Release Technique (ART), an essential skill needed to participate as one of the official providers of treatment for the 2010 Ironman World Championship. During the event, Dr.Webb would get started at 7:00AM each morning as he arrived at one of the service tents that were set up along set up along the course in an effort to provide the athletes with necessary treatment. One of the most challenging aspects of treating these patients compared to his normal routine back in the office is the time constraints that he was under to diagnose and treat the athlete and get him back to the course. "You have a very short amount of time to examine the injury, diagnose the problem, and provide relief before the athlete is back into the competition," said Dr. Webb.

This is where Dr. Webb's training in Active Release Technique (ART) plays a major role. Active Release Technique (ART) is a soft tissue system/movement-based massage technique developed and patented by P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP. It is used to treat problems with tendons, muscles, fascia, ligaments and nerves. Active Release Technique (ART) is most commonly used to treat adhesions in overworked muscles, which is prevalent in such a strenuous competition as Ironman. "When an athlete would come into the tent, we would have to break down the injury to the exact muscle that was causing the problem," said Dr. Webb. In the treatment, Dr Webb would use his hands to assess the mobility and the texture of the scar tissue. Dr. Webb would then work to remove or disperse the fibrous adhesions with stretching motions. Dr Webb's treatments using the Active Release Technique (ART) provided these athletes with the pain relief needed to get back into the competition quickly.

Dr. Webb plans to continue to participate in the Ironman competitions. The 2010 event was packed full of memorable moments including meeting the winner Chris McCormack, who captured his second Ironman championship. Chris completed the competition in 8 hours, 10 minutes, and 37 seconds. Dr. Webb continues to enjoy having the opportunity work with some of the greatest, most positive athletes in the world.