Teen Athletes and Chiropractic Care
By: Dr. Stef Cruz
There’s a multitude of benefits to kids and teenagers being involved in sports. From maintaining a healthy lifestyle to learning about sportsmanship and teamwork. However, by being involved in sports - your athlete is going to be exposed to situations where the chances of being injured or hurt may be increased. Chiropractic care is a great, non-invasive way to promote healing and reduce injuries in everyone - especially growing athletes!
Fun fact: most professional sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL along with Olympic athletes have a chiropractor on staff performing regular adjustments and making sure that their athletes are at the top of their game!
Here are 5 benefits of chiropractic care for athletes, specifically kids and teens who are still growing into adulthood.
1. Improved Mobility, Balance, and Coordination
Chiropractors assess the joints of the body and make sure they are moving the way they’re intended to. If we notice that there are restrictions, we can provide a gentle & specific adjustment to the area to help regain motion - this allows for the joint to move more efficiently and for an overall increase in flexibility throughout the body.
Regular chiropractic adjustments help the nervous system work more efficiently. A properly balanced nervous system can lead to improvement in coordination and balance which will give your athlete a competitive advantage in their
2. Decreased Risk of injury
Proper range of motion and proper stretching will help with the prevention of injuries.
Many sports are unilateral and require performing the same movement over and over again (think being a pitcher in baseball or a quarterback in football), this can quickly lead to overuse injuries. Chiropractors are able to check and make sure that your athlete’s body is balanced equally and release the tension in joints and muscles that may be feeling the stress of repetitive movements.
3. Faster Recovery
A balanced nervous system ensures that your brain will be able to talk to your body better and be able to recover more quickly and efficiently from any soreness, injuries, or illnesses! Chiropractors assess the nervous system and help it find balance over the course of a care plan.
4. Drug-Free Pain Relief
Maintaining a healthy nervous system and getting adjusted regularly can help decrease pain symptoms without the use of over-the-counter or prescription medication.
As chiropractors, we also recommend at-home remedies and exercises that will help keep you out of pain in between adjustments!
5. Addressing Other Concerns Outside of Sports
Sports aren’t the only thing your young athlete is dealing with. Kids and teens are still growing and their nervous systems and bodies are continuing to develop every day - which can lead to needing a little bit extra support.
Some additional concerns regular chiropractic care can help with include
Anxiety - Preventing your teen from excelling in school and on the field.
Struggling to stay focused in school - Difficulty keeping up with work and grades can keep your student-athlete off the field.
Not being able to get restful sleep - Sleep is essential for recovery and staying sharp on the field.
Mood changes and emotional stress - Teens have so many stressors between peers, school work, and sports. Chiropractic can help your teen manage stress and mood by balancing the nervous system.
Reminder: Most NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and Olympic athletes are under regular chiropractic care so they can perform at their best, so your young athletes should be getting regularly adjusted too!
“Chiropractic just makes you feel so much better. When I walk out of the clinic, I feel like I’m about three inches taller and everything’s in place. As long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I’m one step ahead of the game.” -Tom Brady