I will let you in on a little secret… I was not the best athlete growing up. I was awkward, klutzy, and had below average hand-eye coordination. When I ran, some kids wondered if I had a spinal condition because my hips and hamstring were so tight. Suffice to say, I was really awkward until I focused on my hip mobility in my late teens when I shifted from basketball to football and wrestling. And that’s when I started really needing help.
Participating in sports can provide numerous benefits for teenagers, including physical fitness, teamwork, and personal growth. I know sports helped me grow into the person I am today. However, intensive athletic activities can also put stress on their growing bodies, leading to various musculoskeletal issues not to mention all the stress it can cause both at home and at school. If only there was a place or service that can provide injury prevention or recovery by world class doctors who know what it takes to be an athlete at the highest levels. Enter Action Chiropractic and Sports Injury Center. Let’s explore the top five benefits Action Chiropractic can offer teenage athletes, highlighting how it can help enhance performance, prevent injuries, and promote overall well-being.
Improved Performance and Function:
I had a patient who played offensive line and was getting scouted. His trainer referred him to us and said that his hips were really tight when he squats, and that he is having a hard time getting off his blocks on his right side. He had never gotten adjusted and had a lot of scar tissue in the IT bands and glutes. His treatment was chiropractic adjustment and a lot of ART on his legs and back. After the first visit, he came back and told me that he was able to set a personal record on his squat the next day. He came back for treatment throughout the season and was able to continue to improve and add weight to his power lifts. He even added 7 feet to his hammer throw during track season, all because he could use his legs better. Before his spring break, he committed to play Offensive Tackle in the ACC.
Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to improve overall athletic performance in teenage athletes. Misalignments in the spine, or other joints like shoulders, knees, elbows and ankles, can disrupt the communication between the brain and body, leading to reduced coordination, flexibility, and strength. By restoring proper alignment, chiropractors help optimize nerve function, allowing the body to perform at its peak. Teenage athletes often experience improved range of motion, enhanced balance, and better reaction times after visiting Action Chiropractic, which can significantly elevate their performance levels. That combined with the soft tissue techniques unique to our practice like ART, IASTM, and dry needling, we can get all teens playing at there best.
Injury Prevention:
A couple of years ago, I had a teenage soccer player who had just completed the rehab from tearing her right anterior ACL. She said that she felt good, but her hips were tight and her back was stiff, and wanted to get evaluated before she returned to the pitch. She was a sophomore and was hoping to get moved up to varsity when she got her wind back. When I was doing my exam, I told her that her right leg was looking great! She had good balance, looked strong had really good range of motion, however; her left leg was a different story. Her hip range of motion was a lot tighter; she couldn’t balance on the left foot as well, her squat mechanics were bad and she spent so much time strengthening her right leg, that there was a visible difference in the muscle tone of her left quad. I advised her to work on that before she went back to playing or she will probably tear the left ACL.
Prevention is key when it comes to ensuring the long-term health and well-being of anyone, especially teen athletes. The doctors of Action Chiropractic are expertly trained to identify the imbalances in the musculoskeletal system that may increase the risk of injury. Regular chiropractic care can address these issues before they manifest as more serious problems. By aligning the spine and ensuring proper joint function, chiropractors help reduce the risk of strains, sprains, and overuse injuries that are common among young athletes. Keeping the muscles loose and strong is also really important in preventing strains and sprains, or even worse.
Faster Injury Recovery:
Despite the best preventive measures, injuries can still occur in all athletes, especially teens. That girl did tear her left ACL on her second practice and had to repeat the rehab process again. Thankfully, chiropractic care plays a vital role in accelerating the recovery process and we were able to get her back on the pitch for her senior season. We will do everything we can, including spinal adjustments, ART, IASTM, dry needling, cupping, and rehabilitative exercises, to promote healing, reduce inflammation, and restore mobility. We also partner with the local physical therapists to make sure that teen athletes are getting all the right care they need to play their best. By addressing the root cause of the injury and promoting natural healing, Action Chiropractic can help teenage athletes get back in the game faster and stronger.
Pain Management:
Sports-related injuries and intense training sessions can lead to acute or chronic pain in teenage athletes. Couple that with the change of mechanics due to growth spurts and newly found hormones- and things can get rough. Rather than relying solely on pain medications or invasive procedures, Action Chiropractic offers a drug-free and non-invasive alternative for pain management. The adjustments, spinal manipulations, and ART will alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and promote the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. By addressing the underlying issues causing the pain, chiropractic care provides long-lasting relief and helps athletes avoid dependency on medication.
Whole-body Wellness and Stress Reduction:
Action Chiropractic focuses on the body as a whole. In addition to addressing specific sports-related concerns, we also take into account the athlete's overall health and lifestyle. We do our best to make everybody feel relaxed and welcome, and we really like to talk sports with our athletes. We strive to provide a chill environment to take a load off our patients’ shoulders, and we hope that moment of self-help can assist with stress and sleep. We also provide guidance on nutrition and ergonomics to optimize the athlete's performance, recovery, and overall health both on the field and in front of the Chromebook.
We can offer a lot for teenage athletes, including enhanced performance, injury prevention, faster recovery, pain management, and overall wellness. By seeking regular chiropractic care, or adding us to your routine teenage athletes can not only improve their athletic abilities but also lay the foundation for a lifetime of optimal health and avoid long term injuries from sports in their 40’s. If you're a teenage athlete or a parent of one, we are here to help you reach the next level, book online here and let us show you that it feels good to get some Action.
-Jason Durnas DC, DACBSP
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