Almost 75% of families with children between the ages of 5 and 18 have at least one child who plays organized sports. Parents need to pay special attention to the potential injuries that can occur at any time and proactively involve their chiropractor as part of their child’s healthcare team. The chiropractor can teach preventive techniques to young athletes and incorporate extremity adjusting, stretching, rehab and nutrition to maximize their performance and recovery if an injury occurs.
Sports that require children to move one arm or leg repetitively over long period of time (baseball and tennis are good examples) can actually cause Repetitive Stress Syndrome (RSS) to their still-developing spine and extremities. Of adolescent injuries, 30% to 50% are due to RSS.
The body was designed to move symmetrically which develops muscle tone evenly and keeps the spine in proper alignment. Many sports require participants to use their dominant arm or leg repeatedly discouraging symmetry in their body movements.
It is important to have the spine and extremities of athletes checked for misalignments that could put greater stress on a joint, which may then lead to injury. With some of these injuries, there is potential for serious complications, such as limb-length inequality or deformity, especially with heavy weight training in adolescents.
During training, young athletes should not increase intensity, duration or frequency of activities faster than their bodies’ ability to adapt. A chiropractor is a good resource to make sure that your child’s sports season is injury-free.
