Back to school and all of the fall sports activities, always brings a rush of sprains/strains and injuries into the clinic. While fall sports such as football, cross country, soccer, and volleyball, involving male and female athletes both, are properly considered healthy physical activity, a risk of injury is always involved. The fact is that a large percentage of athletic casualties result in injury to the spine. Spinal subluxations that occur as a result of athletic activity, demand prompt chiropractic correction to minimize suffering,disability, and danger to future health. Athletes, particularly in junior high and high school, all too often neglect to have their injuries checked out by their chiropractor. Uncorrected spinal injuries at this stage of physical development can have serious effect on growth, nerve function, emotional and physical health.
Sports injuries nearly always jar or misalign the spinal column: a blow to the ribs, head, feet, legs, shoulder, or torso always radiates to the center of the body. That is why a chiropractic check up is needed when you are injured, regardless of the nature of the injury. Chiropractic is needed, in fact, even when medical procedures may also be necessary. Why? If an injury is serious enough to need medical care, the spine is almost always damaged to the greater or lesser degree. Medical doctors are simply not trained to locate and correct spinal subluxations – that is the job of the doctor of chiropractic. That is why you will find chiropractors as “team doctor” for professional sports teams, and many professional athletes will not enter into competition without first having a spinal check up and adjustment.
It is really special to work with these young athletes. From necks, shoulders, and knees of football players, to hips, legs, and feet of runners, to arms, wrists, and jammed fingers of volleyball players- helping them get stronger so they can achieve their athletic goals.
One of our clinic’s most gratifying testimonials comes from a young, female high school runner. She came to us with headaches, muscle knots in both shoulders, and low back pain which was constantly aggravated by her running. She as totally fatigued, and after having seen many doctors, “felt like it was hopeless”. Being a runner, these problems needed to be solved, because it was affecting her performance. She became a model patient, keeping all of her scheduled appointments and strictly following her doctor’s program. “I ended up qualifying for the state in two different events, and give my thanks to Dr. Daniel for helping me and making that possible”.
So whenever those unexpected injuries occur during this coming school year or during weekend activities, please contact our clinic as soon as possible and our doctors will be there to help. Making people well is our business – helping the body heal itself through natural, drug-free healthcare.
Healing Sports Injuries with Chiropractic Care
Healing Sports Injuries With Chiropractic Care Back to school season means many children and teens also will be returning to organized sports. Whether their activity is soccer, football, cross country, lacrosse, or cheerleading, the regular exercise and competition helps to build both mentally and physically strong youth. Active children are not invincible, though. In fact, Yale Medicine reports that more than 2.6 million children up to the age of 19 visit the emergency room each year with a sports- or recreation-related injury. Forty percent of all sports-related injuries happen to children between the ages of 5 and 14. A family chiropractor like Strelcheck Chiropractic Clinic is uniquely qualified to treat many sports injuries. Relying on a combination of education and spinal manipulation, chiropractors may help young athletes get back to running, kicking, diving, and jumping more quickly—and naturally—than traditional medicine. The art of chiropractic might even prevent injury altogether. Commons Sports Injuries Athletes work their bodies harder than the average person. Furthermore, children and teens who practice only one sport might work certain body parts harder than others, taxing those muscle groups. The following common injuries often are the result of this overexertion as well as collisions, falls, or other unexpected events: Sprains, often involving wrists and ankles Strains, often involving back or hamstring Fractures Knee injuries such as tendonitis or runner’s knee Achilles tendon damage Shin splints Dislocations Pinched nerves in neck or back Concussion Chiropractic medicine may lead to a quicker recovery from each of these injuries, with the exception of concussions. Although a chiropractor cannot repair a concussion, their care after a concussion may reduce headaches, neck pain, and other symptoms related to the injury. Chiropractic Methods For Treating Sports Injuries Athletes are tough. So tough, that many tend to ignore their injuries and battle through the pain. They do not want to let down their coaches, teammates, and parents, so they opt to compete. Unfortunately, pushing aside the injury might lead to more damage. That is why it is important to visit a medical professional, such as a chiropractor, sooner rather than later. Chiropractic medicine hones in on spinal health as the means for relieving symptoms and fully repairing damage throughout the body. As experts of the human musculoskeletal system, chiropractors have knowledge of the skeleton, muscles, nerves, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and joints—and how they all connect back to the spine. After determining a patient’s symptoms, such as pain, tingling, tension, or discomfort, a chiropractor performs spinal manipulative therapy to achieve the following results: Improved range of motion Improved flexibility Improved blood flow Reduced inflammation Release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain reliever Through chiropractic, an athlete’s body may be restored to full health. Additionally, the athlete may be protected from future injury. Spinal Health and Sports Injury Prevention Keeping the spine strong and aligned with regular visits to the chiropractor is one preventative measure athletes can take to avoid injury. A chiropractor’s office can help in other ways, too: Recommend strength exercises and stretches that target specific parts of the body Posture correction techniques Nutrition counseling, including vitamin recommendations Physical therapy Young athletes also should be sure to warm up their muscles before competition and practices. In fact, Yale Medicine states that 62 percent of organized sports-related injuries happen during practice, not during a game or competition. Chiropractors and other health professionals also might suggest that athletes practice more than a single sport throughout the year, so as not to experience overuse that leads to injury. Understand the rules of the sport. Wear proper gear. And finally, make every effort to drink plenty of water and get a full night’s sleep every day. Stay In Play. Avoid the Sideline. Of course, not all sports injuries are preventable. High-contact activities mean collisions and falls. Blows and twists. Dance, cheerleading, gymnastics, and other activities requiring repetitive motions also can be damaging over time. It’s all part of the experience. Before turning to surgery or prescription drugs to address a sports injury, please call Strelcheck Chiropractic Clinic at 815-459-3860. Discover what we can do, including physical therapy! Our goal is to help young athletes to recover quickly and avoid future injuries that might sideline them for days, weeks, or months at a time.
