Football season is here, and the sport demands healthy, strong bodies. It is explosive, with high-intensity plays lasting between 2-15 seconds. Strength and power are put out in a few moments then the player rests up and does it again. A football training chiropractor can take players to another level with therapeutic massage, body strengthening, and rehabilitation so that players can enjoy a healthy injury-free season.
Football Training
Stretching and Warm-Up
Stretching and a dynamic warm-up are essential to strengthening the body and preventing injury. Stretching is necessary to increase the range of motion in the muscles, especially when the body is in an awkward position; it can adapt. A dynamic warm-up increases the core temperature of the muscles and prepares the muscles, joints, and nervous system for the physical event. The critical muscles are the hip flexors, hamstrings, and calves. The warm-up consists of a series of progressive movement drills that include:
Proper stretching, followed by a dynamic warm-up, will maximize performance.
Cardio, Aerobic, and Anaerobic Fitness
Cardio training increases oxygen and blood circulation to play for a long time without getting tired.
Aerobic fitness increases oxygen and provides endurance to break through or enhance tackles, sustained effort, and strength.
Anaerobic fitness utilizes high-intensity exercises to challenge the body without using a lot of oxygen like cardio and aerobics do.
All are important, especially for players playing the whole or most of the game.
Core Strength
The core is where power and strength come from. It refers to the muscles around the trunk and pelvis, including the diaphragm, abdominal wall, low back, and hips. Reinforcing the core will enhance balance, stability, and efficiency and reduce the risk of injury. The core muscles under the washboard abs link upper-body power with lower-body torque. In-season strength training provides a progressive buildup to optimal fitness and performance. The focus is on the following:
Speed maintenance.
Aerobic and anaerobic fitness.
Strength and power.
Emphasis on injury prevention training stabilizer muscles for balance and agility.
It is recommended to allow at least two days between training sessions and games. Avoid strength training on the same day as working out on the field.
Rest entirely from strength training for one week in five.
Light workouts are fine.
Hydration
Football players have unique hydration needs due to the exposure to extreme heat or cold while wearing heavy equipment. Top-rated athletic trainers monitor weather conditions, length and time of day at practice and games, and the hydration levels of each player. Hydration recommendations include:
Hydrate before, during, and after practices and games.
Two to three hours before the game, drink 17 to 20 fluid ounces of water or a sports drink.
Ten to 20 minutes before the game, drink seven to 10 fluid ounces of water or a sports drink.
During practices, drink seven to 10 fluid ounces of water or sports drink every 10 to 20 minutes with the helmet off.
Post-practice/game, correct any fluid loss, ideally within two hours.
The hydration should contain water to restore hydration, carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, and electrolytes to speed the recovery process.
Football Training Chiropractic
Chiropractic care has become integral to NFL players’ health and training programs. All 32 teams have a chiropractor, and according to the Professional Football Chiropractic Society, the average NFL team chiropractor gives 30-50 treatments a week. Chiropractic treats conditions like neuromusculoskeletal strain injuries, neck pain, back pain, strains to the hamstring and quadriceps, and injuries caused by whiplash-like movements. Benefits include:
Iaia, F Marcello, et al. “High-intensity training in football.” International journal of sports physiology and performance vol. 4,3 (2009): 291-306. doi:10.1123/ijspp.4.3.291
Lorenz, Daniel, and Scot Morrison. “CURRENT CONCEPTS IN PERIODIZATION OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING FOR THE SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPIST.” International journal of sports physical therapy vol. 10,6 (2015): 734-47.
Robbins, Daniel W. The Normalization of Explosive Functional Movements in a Diverse Population of Elite American Football Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: April 2012 – Volume 26 – Issue 4 – p 995-1000
doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31822d53b7
Stump, John L, and Daniel Redwood. “The use and role of sports chiropractors in the national football league: a short report.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 25,3 (2002): E2. doi:10.1067/mmt.2002.122326
Zein MI, Saryono S, Laily I, Garcia-Jimenez JV. The effect of high-intensity circuit training-modified FIFA 11+ program on physical fitness among young football players. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2020;60:11-6. DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.19.09813-X
High school football takes a toll on the body. The sport can cause all kinds of injuries that can range from mild – severe. Areas that are commonly injured include:
Head
Neck
Shoulder
Arms
Hands
Spine
Legs
Knees
Ankles
Feet
Chiropractic has become a medically recommended form of treatment and rehabilitation for these injuries but also injury prevention. Today all NFL teams utilize a chiropractic team for players and staff. College teams are also discovering the benefits that chiropractic offers. There are significant benefits that high school football players can attain from chiropractic care.
Enhanced Mobility
A chiropractic adjustment, technically known as chiropractic manipulative treatment/CMT, is a primary therapy in sports medicine. It helps to increase flexibility and minimize or eliminate pain during motion/movement. Adjustments have been shown to improve athletic performance.
Injury Prevention
Athletes who regularly use chiropractic experience a decline in sports-related injuries.
Treatment increases flexibility and mobility, allowing for optimal agility that has been linked to preventing injuries. This is because the body is relaxed and stays loose, even when tackled, instead of tensing up, which is a major contributor to strains and injuries.
Enhanced Strength
Chiropractic adjustments also help increase muscular strength, making the body stronger, and more resistant to injury. It has been shown to promote strength in the muscles after a few sessions effectively. The strengthened muscles also help avoid injury by being able to withstand the hits and recover faster. The strengthened body also helps to increase endurance and stamina.
Pain Relief
Many high school players use chiropractic to ease the general pain that comes from general practice and games. Adjustments and massage are highly effective for pain management and alleviate headaches, especially those that come from constant impact to the head and neck. It helps to alleviate soreness, stiffness, and pain from the entire body.
Sports Hernia
Athletes often experience athletic pubalgia. This is one of the most common causes of injury-related groin pain. Chiropractic can relieve the discomfort within 8 weeks in combination with rehabilitative stretches and exercises. Chiropractic plays a critical role in whole-body care, pain relief and keeps the body operating and performing at the highest level.
Body Composition
Water Intoxication
When an individual overwhelms their body’s ability to excrete water and waste products consumed, water intoxication can develop. Water intoxication causes disturbances in the body’s electrolyte balance. This can cause a life-threatening condition known as hyponatremia. With a rapid decrease in the sodium levels in the blood, relative to the amount of water, symptoms can develop rapidly:
If left untreated, later symptoms can develop into:
Seizures
Coma
Death
References
Hession, E F, and G D Donald. “Treatment of multiple lumbar disk herniations in an adolescent athlete utilizing flexion distraction and rotational manipulation.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 16,3 (1993): 185-92.
Pritchett, J W. “A statistical study of physician care patterns in high school football injuries.” The American journal of sports medicine vol. 10,2 (1982): 96-9. doi:10.1177/036354658201000206
Shane, Eric R et al. “Sports chiropractic management of concussions using the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 2 symptom scoring, serial examinations, and graded return to play protocol: a retrospective case series.” Journal of chiropractic medicine vol. 12,4 (2013): 252-9. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2013.08.001
There is no doubt that football is a rough sport. At times it can be downright brutal, especially on the body. The sport sees a myriad of injuries, some serious, including head and neck, ankle, knee, and spinal. Chiropractic care is quickly becoming a popular, viable method of not only treating injuries, but also for managing injury related pain and even injury prevention. There are several significant benefits that football players can glean from chiropractic care.
A survey exploring the prevalence of chiropractic care in the National Football League (NFL) showed that of the team trainers surveyed, 77 percent responded that they have referred players to a chiropractor for treat or evaluation. At that time, in 2002, 31 percent of the NFL teams have a team chiropractor on staff. Now all 32 of the NFL teams utilize chiropractic care for their players and staff.
College teams are also finding that chiropractic care can help their players. Virginia Tech has a chiropractor who routinely treats the players, helping them with injury recovery and physical health. The doctor has an office in the sports complex and the trainers are able to schedule appointments for the athletes.
The Benefits Of Chiropractic Treatment For Football Players
Improved Mobility
Chiropractic manipulative treatment (CMT), aka the chiropractic adjustment, is one of the primary chiropractic therapies in sports medicine. It helps to increase flexibility and minimize or eliminate pain in movement. CMT is often used by football players as an injury prevention measure. It has also been shown to improve athletic performance.
Solid Body Maintenance
The brutality of football leads to frequent injuries. However, soreness and stiffness are even more commonplace. Many players use chiropractic care to ease the general pain that comes from overexertion and rough play. They may not be injured, per se, but are experiencing the normal pain that comes with the territory when one is an athlete. Chiropractic care keeps the body working as it should at optimal athletic performance.
Pain Relief
Chiropractic care has long been recognized as an effective pain management tool and now athletes are discovering the benefits of chiropractic therapy as well. It has been shown to relieve headaches, particularly those stemming from head and neck injuries. It also relieves shoulder pain and pain from ankle and knee injuries such as sprains.
Injury Prevention
There is a direct correlation between athletes who regularly use chiropractic care and a decline in sports injuries. Those who use the treatment experience better flexibility and mobility which has been linked to injury prevention. Additionally, chiropractic care helps to increase strength and by making the body stronger it is more resistant to injury.
Increase Strength & Endurance
Chiropractic care has been linked with increased muscular strength. While it is often thought of as a way to relieve pain, it has been shown to effectively promote strength in the muscles after only a few sessions. This can help players avoid injury by combining the increase in strength with increased mobility. This also works to promote endurance and stamina.
Sports Hernia Relief
A significant amount of athletes experience groin pain due to injury. Athletic pubalgia is one of the most common causes of injury related groin pain. Also known as sports hernia, athletic pubalgia can cause significant pain. Chiropractic care has been shown to relieve the discomfort within 8 weeks when combined with rehabilitative exercises.
Chiropractic care plays a very important role in injury prevention, whole body care, and pain relief for athletes in one of the roughest sports in the world. These benefits can also be translated to other sports where injury is a frequent occurrence.
Team SISD and Canutillo ISD leaders, board members, and employees will face off for a friendly flag football match as part of the Socorro Independent School District’s annual Warm the Soul collection drive to benefit students.
SISD’s Warm the Soul event serves to collect shoes for underprivileged children. This year, the district also is collecting blankets, scarves, socks, mittens and beanies.
All participants in the game are donating new shoes, blankets and winter accessories to benefit SISD children. The public is invited to cheer on the teams during the flag football game, and admission is free with a donation of shoes, or three winter accessories.
The Warm the Soul project has collected more than 150 pairs of shoes in past years.
What: Warm the Soul shoe drive and charity football game
Who: SISD and Canutillo ISD leaders, SISD students
Where: SISD Student Activities Complex | 1300 Joe Battle Blvd.
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