Dr. Anthony De Luca, director of De Luca Family Chiropractic of Old Bridge, works with Cuba’s Dayron Robles, a 2008 gold medalist who won his second Pan American Games gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles in October. For 10 days, De Luca worked with athletes competing in soccer, track and field, archery, handball, swimming and cycling at the Pan Am Games. OLD BRIDGE— Two local chiropractors who are among the first-ever named to the international event’s medical staff recently returned from Guadalajara, Mexico, having attended to the medical needs of athletes at the 2011 Pan American Games.

Based on their successful history of treating elite athletes competing at numerous other international venues, Dr. IraA. Shapiro, director of the Plaza Chiropractic Center, and Dr. Anthony J. De Luca, director of De Luca Family Chiropractic, both of Old Bridge, were chosen from hundreds of applicants by the Federation Internationale de Chiropratique du Sport (FICS) to serve on the Pam Am Games medical staff. The staff was responsible for the care of nearly 6,000 competitors representing 42 separate countries during the October games.

During the 2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, Dr. Ira A. Shapiro, director of the Plaza chiropractic Center in Old Bridge, attended to the medical needs of hundreds of athletes competing in taekwondo, judo and wrestling. Shapiro administered chiropractic and medical sports care to participants engaged in approximately 50 daily matches of taekwondo, judo and wrestling. Throughout this time, these services entailed the treatment of all forms of sports-related traumas, ranging from abrasions, sprains and contusions to even the severe spinal injury suffered by one competitor.

“This was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had as a sports chiropractor,” Shapiro said. “We worked from morning till night, but the athletes, coaches, trainers and organizers could not have been more complimentary or appreciative of our services and contributions. As part of an international contingent of physicians, we were also provided with the rare opportunity to tour the nearby surroundings and meet the local citizenry with our Mexican colleagues acting as guides. I could not have been more impressed and moved by the warmth and admiration expressed by everyone throughout this entire event.”

DeLuca tended to the medical needs of numerous athletes competing in the soccer, track and field, archery, handball, swimming and cycling competitions.

“Being named to the medical staff of these games was an extreme honor,” DeLuca said. “Furthermore, it offered an excellent opportunity to share my knowledge with colleagues, while also learning from them in spontaneous, on-field environments. Each of us took great pride in helping these world-class, international performers prepare for events, sometimes only moments before competitions. Their total trust, reliance and appreciation were certainly high points of this very rewarding experience, which I hope to repeat in upcoming years.”