Sports & Chiropractic

 

Chiropractic care helps reduce damaged spines and other health issues in youth athletes. Since children and teens play ports more often and more competitively now than ever before, their chances of injury have risen as well. How does this happen to children so early in life? Think about how many times a day a child who is learning to walk falls down. Have you ever cringed watching your child get hit while playing a contact sport? How many of these physical traumas do you think your child experiences by the time he or she is 18 years old? For many parents, the occasions are too numerous to count.
 
In February 2008, The New York Times reported that the number of adolescent athletes experiencing ACL tears has increased with alarming speed. Orthopedists at leading medical centers estimate several thousand cases each year.  Although the centers previously only saw a few such cases a year, they are now seeing several each week. Surgery is the standard treatment for an ACL injury in adults, but such an operation is very risky for teens and children because they haven’t stopped growing and developing.
 
Researchers have also discovered new data through MRI technology that indicates nearly 10 percent of children show signs of disc degeneration before reaching puberty. Disc degeneration is a condition in which a damaged spinal disc wears down unevenly causing pressure on nerves. This pressure can limit activity levels and life expectancy as we age.
 
With the right support team in place, your children can participate in sports to their highest ability, without jeopardizing their future health. Schedule regular chiropractic adjustments for gentle and safe adjustments to make sure they are in the best spinal health condition possible. Chiropractic checkups ensure that their spine and structure are growing and developing in a healthy, balanced way without pressure on the nerves or spinal cord. Unbalanced spines lead to increased incidence of sports injury and disc degeneration. Having your child’s spine checked regularly improves children’s posture and reduces their need for surgical procedures.
 
Regular chiropractic care maximizes the body’s ability to heal itself and be healthy naturally, which results in less sick days from school and extracurricular activities. A study conducted by The New Zealand School of Chiropractic revealed that reaction time was improved with chiropractic adjustments. Results indicated remarkable improvement for the first group, which demonstrated a 14.8 percent quicker reaction time during testing. Many young athletes will gladly welcome a competitive edge with regular chiropractic adjustments.
 
As we age, we often begin to see the effects of poor health such as bent over spines and poor posture. For many, the causes of such discomfort often date back to our adolescence. The way we treat our bodies as young adults can have a lasting effect on our health. Practicing positive health habits during childhood and adolescence will ensure good health for a lifetime.

Dr. Will has been a Sterling chiropractor for 15 years.  He has helped adults and children recover from sports injuries as well as provide chiropractic care pre event to help prevent these injuries.  Call 703-406-0200 to find out more.