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Staying Injury-Free During Fall Sports through Chiropractic Care

Despite the recent summer-like temperatures, the trees are changing color and fall sports are back in action. Whether your high schooler plays football, soccer, volleyball or lacrosse, staying injury-free all season long is vital for your athlete. According to the American Chiropractic Association, “While traditional medicine treats fractures, dislocations, lacerations and damaged tendons and ligaments, many athletes leave the hospital with as much spinal stress as they had prior to care.” That’s where chiropractic care comes in.

It’s not just game day that takes a toll on the body – it’s the intense practices, after-practice weight training and the games that can cause athletes to experience all kinds of chronic aches and pain. Left untreated, these aches and pains can develop into more serious injuries. Dr. Van Ness and Dr. Parkin have seen it happen again and again, and that’s one reason why Van Ness Chiropractic focuses so much on sports performance care. Injury prevention, injury recovery and performance care are all important aspects of an integrated approach to sports chiropractic care. Drs. Van Ness and Parkin can help maximize your athlete’s performance on the court and field through chiropractic care. Here’s how.

Staying Injury-Free During Fall Sports through Chiropractic Care

Aligns the Body

Many times, an athlete’s body becomes misaligned: one side of the body is different from the other. Usually, the difference is in strength. Picture the quarterback of the football team – his throwing arm and shoulder are likely much stronger than the arm and shoulder of the non-throwing arm. Or, picture the outside hitter for the volleyball team. Her left or right arm – whichever one she hits with – is stronger than the non-hitting arm. This strength happens gradually over time, but should be managed through spinal manipulation. When one side of the body is much stronger than the other, the stronger side tries to overcompensate, causing stress and eventual injury. Chiropractic adjustment properly aligns the body, thus reducing the risk for injury.

Increases Flexibility and Mobility

Sometimes the body becomes misaligned because of a lack of flexibility. For instance, when an athlete’s shoulders are too tight, overhead lifts become very difficult and are often performed incorrectly as the body tries to overcompensate. Once again, overcompensation by one part of the body can eventually lead to injuries related to overuse and stress. With regular chiropractic care, the body begins to move freely, without mobility issues. Chiropractic care also releases tension in the back and neck, thereby reducing pain and muscle cramping and leading to improved flexibility.

Speeds Recovery

For teenage athletes, their bodies are still growing and developing, leading to a greater susceptibility to injury. Injuries and accidents are bound to happen – an unfortunate inevitability. Chiropractic care, however, reduces the chance for injury and speeds up the recovery time when injuries do happen.

Healing time is slowed when the body has to deal with many issues, such as misalignment and lack of mobility. Conversely, a spine that is properly aligned promotes efficient function and energy use in the body. For example, in the case of an ankle injury, the athlete heals much faster when his or her spine is already aligned. The more efficient the athlete’s body is, the more quickly the body can heal and get the high schooler back to playing his or her chosen fall sport.

At Van Ness Chiropractic, we provide treatment for high school athletes in many sports, including football, cheerleading, cross country, lacrosse, gymnastics, soccer and volleyball. For more information on sports performance care at Van Ness Chiropractic, click here. Through regular chiropractic care, your high school athlete will be more likely to remain injury-free throughout the fall sports season. Call 847-842-8070 to schedule your high school athlete’s chiropractic evaluation today.