Have you seen them yet?
School’s in session which means every afternoon the streets of Doylestown are filled with running packs of high school athletes.
They run to get in shape for their sports no matter the weather — even in the 90+ degree days we had recently.
But the biggest concern isn’t the heat in the waning days of summer but sports related injuries they’re likely to take on through the season.
Concussions are the most common injury. According to this report from the National Academies, High school players are almost twice as likely to suffer a brain injury while playing as a college player. The reasons are many and vary from lack of protection, various levels of physical maturity – this is a big one — to lack of knowledge among the coaches and parents.
Another common injury is to the spine. You know when a football player bends his head when tackling or blocking? This flexes the cervical spine and bypasses its shock absorbing capacities. The result is strain on the cervical spine and surrounding muscles.
Knee injuries and concussions are common in soccer. The uneven playing surface (and falling) may be to blame on the wear and tear on the knees. Obviously, the concussions can come from bouncing a soccer ball off one’s head.
How Do You Combat These Sports Related Injuries?
As with most things, education and good habits are a good place to start. It’s hard to believe in today’s hyper vigilant society but there was a time when football players didn’t wear helmets – oh right – they still don’t in rugby.
Obviously, making use of the protections available are good practices. So are mixing up the training styles so muscles don’t get over worked. However, the fact is, when you’re training 15+ hours a week, you’re putting a lot of pressure on your body.
Regular stretching will help prevent sports-related injuries as well as using good form. Both of these your student athletes should be getting at school.
However, chiropractic treatments can also keep your child in tip-top shape. The reason is because chiropractic care “puts back” what gets knocked out of alignment in sports practices and games. That relieves pain naturally because your bones and muscle tissue are where they need to be instead of one pushing up against the other.
Plus, keeping your body properly aligned can maximize your output because your immune system is boosted.
If your child is already suffering with a sports related injury, chiropractic care can help with immediate and long-term pain since it’s designed to focus on the spinal column which affects everything else in your body.
Dr. Jeff McQuaite is a Doylestown chiropractor conveniently located directly across from CB West. His warm and approachable style is sure to set your student athlete at ease. You can take advantage of his new patient special here.
