Keeping Young Athletes Healthy and Strong

In today’s age of health and fitness, more and more

kids are involved in sporting activities. Although being

part of a football, soccer or Little League team is an

important rite of passage for many children, parents

and their children could be overlooking the importance

of proper nutrition and body-conditioning needed for

preventing injuries on and off the playing field.

“The majority, if not all, sports are good, provided that

the child prepares appropriately,” says Dr. Timothy

Ray, a member of the American Chiropractic

Association’s Council on Sports Injuries and Physical

Fitness. “Without proper preparation, playing any sport

can turn into a bad experience. There are structural

and physical developmental issues that need to be

taken into consideration before children undertake certain

sports.”

Highly competitive sports such as football, gymnastics

and wrestling follow rigorous training schedules that

can be potentially dangerous to an adolescent or

teenager. The best advice for parents who have young

athletes in the family is to help them prepare their bodies

and to learn to protect themselves from sports

related injuries before they happen.

“Proper warm up, stretching and weight-lifting exercies

are essential for kids involved in sports, but many kids

learn improper stretching or weight-lifting techniques,

making them more susceptible to injury,” says Dr.

Steve Horwitz, an ACA member from Silver Spring,

Maryland, and former member of the U.S. Summer

Olympic medical team. “Parents need to work with

their kids and make sure they receive the proper sports

training.”

“Young athletes should begin with a slow jog as a general

warm-up, followed by a sport-specific warm-up.

“They should then stretch all the major muscle

groups,” says Dr. Horwitz. “Kids need to be instructed

in appropriate exercises for each sport to prevent

injuries.”

Proper nutrition and hydration are also extremely vital.

“While an ordinary person may need to drink eight to

10 8-ounce glasses of water each day, athletes need

to drink even more than that for proper absorption.

Breakfast should be the most important meal of the

day. Also, eating a healthy meal two to four hours

before a practice or a game and another within one to

two hours after a game or practice allows for proper

replenishment and refuels the body,” adds Dr. Horwitz.

 

Chiropractic Care Can Help!!

Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to

treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and can

provide advice on sports training, nutrition and injury

prevention to young athletes

Getting Healthy and Pain Free with Chiropractic Care!!!

Get Healthy and Pain Free with Chiropractic

Adjustment (or manipulation) of a joint may result in the release of a

gas bubble between the joints, which makes a popping sound. The same

thing occurs when you “crack” your knuckles. The noise is caused by the

change of pressure within the joint, which results in gas bubbles being

released. There is usually minimal, if any, discomfort involved.

Why is there a

popping sound when
a joint is adjusted?

Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal

system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Doctors

of chiropractic—often referred to as DCs, chiropractors or chiropractic physicians—practice

a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis

and treatment. In addition to their expertise in spinal manipulation/adjustment, doctors of

chiropractic have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and

rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.

What conditions do

chiropractors treat?

Doctors of chiropractic care for patients

of all ages, with a variety of health

conditions. DCs are especially well

known for their expertise in caring

for patients with back pain, neck

pain and headaches with their highly

skilled manipulations, or chiropractic

adjustments. They also care for patients

with a wide range of

injuries and disorders of the

musculoskeletal system,

involving the muscles,

ligaments and joints.

These painful conditions

often involve or impact

the nervous system, which

can cause referred pain

and dysfunction distant to the region

of injury. The benefits of chiropractic

care extend to general health issues, as

well, since our body structure affects

our overall function. DCs also counsel

patients on diet, nutrition,

exercise, healthy habits, and

occupational and lifestyle

modification.
 

How is a chiropractic

adjustment performed?

Chiropractic adjustment

or manipulation is a manual procedure

that utilizes the highly refined skills

developed during the

doctor of chiropractic’s

intensive years of

chiropractic education.

The chiropractic physician

typically uses his or her

hands—or an instrument—

to manipulate the joints

of the body, particularly

the spine, in order to restore or enhance

joint function. This often helps resolve

joint inflammation and reduces the

patient’s pain. Chiropractic manipulation

is a highly controlled procedure that

rarely causes discomfort.

The chiropractor adapts

the procedure to meet

the specific needs of each

patient. Patients often note

positive changes in their

symptoms immediately

following treatment.

 

Are the services provided by

doctors of chiropractic safe?

Chiropractic is widely

recognized as one of

the safest drug-free,

non-invasive therapies

available for the treatment

of neuromusculoskeletal

complaints. Although

chiropractic has an excellent

safety record, no health

treatment is completely free of potential

adverse effects. The risks associated with

chiropractic, however, are very small.

Many patients feel immediate relief

following chiropractic treatment, but

some may experience mild soreness or

aching.

 

 

  

Pain: Chiropractic Can Help