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
Strength training: The Centers for Disease Control have estimated that around 16% of six to nineteen-year-olds in the US are overweight or obese. This comes from inactivity, no movement, exercise, and poor diet. On the other end, young athletes search for ways to gain an edge, often falling victim to steroids and all of the negative effects they have.
This is where strength training comes in. This could be an answer to getting kids off the couch, moving, and offers a healthy alternative to the young athletes looking for that competitive edge. Fitness experts, doctors, health coaches, and parents say absolutely.
The focus for children in strength training is not to bulk up, as this is not weightlifting, powerlifting, or bodybuilding. Fitness experts agree that these types of training regimens are not healthy or safe for children. The goal is to:
Added benefits of strength training can help young athletes improve performance through increased endurance.
Training Guidelines
It is fundamental to find a program that is safe and successful for children. Parents want a program designed specifically for kidssupervised by a fitness professional with child experience, and most of all, it is fun. For strength training, there is not a minimum age; however, the kids should understand and follow directions.
Before starting a child on any new fitness program, check with their doctor or healthcare provider.
A training program should include:
A session should start with a 5-10 minute warm-up exercise/s like stretching and light aerobics.
Every session should end with a cool-down combined with stretching and relaxation.
Kids should not immediately be using weights until proper form and technique are learned.
Kids should start with their own body weight, bands, or a bar with no weight.
Using 6-8 different exercises that address all the muscle groups, begin with 8-15 repetitions.
Each exercise should be done with a complete follow-through of the full range of motion.
If the repetitions are too much with a specific weight, reduce the weight.
Repetitions and sets should gradually increase over time to maintain the intensity of the training.
Add more weight only when the child displays the proper form and can easily do at least 10 reps.
Workouts should be 20 to 30 minutes long, 2 to 3 times per week, to get the most benefit.
Make sure to rest a day between each workout day.
Safety
Strength training was not always considered an appropriate exercise for kids. Doctors and fitness professionals believed that it was unsafe for a child’s growing body because of the added pressure on growth plates or the cartilage that has not fully turned into solid bone. However, experts now know that kids can safely participate in a strength training program with proper technique and supervision.
As with any exercise/fitness regiment, safety measures need to be in place along with heightened supervision. Unfortunately, most injuries happen when kids are not supervised, not using proper techniques, or from trying to lift too much weight. Here are some safety precautions to remember:
Learning new exercises should be done under the supervision of a trainer/instructor, making sure proper technique and form are used.
Smooth, controlled motions should be the goal.
Controlled breathing and not holding their breath needs to be taught
Proper technique will help avoid injuries
The kids’ progress should be monitored
Have the children record the exercises they have done, how many reps, and the amount of weight/resistance.
If enrolled in a strength training class, a good ratio is one instructor per 10 students. With this ratio, the kids can receive proper instruction and supervision.
Kids should train in a hazard-free, well-lit, and properly ventilated facility.
Make sure the kids drink plenty of water during and after the workout
Fitness trainers/instructors will see to it that there are frequent rest and rehydration breaks
Keep in mind
In a strength training program for children, there should be no competitive drive. Instead, the focus should be on participation, learning the movements, and positive reinforcement. Set realistic goals and expectations for the child to understand that it will take time to learn these new skills.
Remember that kids do not increase muscle size until after puberty. Please make sure the kids enjoy the strength training sessions and that they are having fun. Keep in mind that kids can become easily bored. Therefore, use various exercises and routines, keeping them excited and wanting to learn and do more.
Healthy Habits
Getting kids interested in fitness early on can help establish a life-long habit of wanting to be and stay healthy. This includes a balanced diet, plenty of rest, and regular exercise. When done correctly, strength training can be a fun and highly beneficial activity.
Kids: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impulsivity and hyperactivity over a period of more than six months. Symptoms are usually noted and the condition can be diagnosed in children younger than 7 years of age.
It impacts kids socially and academically. According to the CDC, around 10 percent of children in the United States, age 5 to 17 years, has been diagnosed with ADHD. It is usually treated with medications that can have very serious, even frightening side effects. Chiropractic care has been proven to be an effective treatment for ADHD in children.
The Truth About ADHD Medication
The increasing prevalence of ADHD has led to the development of several drugs that are intended to treat the symptom�s conditions. Ritalin has long been the standard for treating ADHD. This drug is a schedule II controlled substance and its effects are frighteningly similar to cocaine and amphetamines.
What�s more, it has been linked to certain cardiac related conditions in young children. Adderall, another ADHD drug is very popular on the street and students in high school and college illegally sell it and use it. Emergency room visits due to Ritalin intoxication has been steadily increasing and is at the same level as ER visits that involve cocaine. Both Ritalin and Adderall, as well as many other ADHD drugs, are highly addictive and commonly abused.
Chiropractic For Kids Diagnosed With ADHD
Chiropractic care does not necessarily �treat� ADHD, but it does have very positive effects on children who have been diagnosed with the condition. There have been several studies that support how chiropractic helps ADHD. It is a safe, natural treatment for the condition and helps treating the symptoms. It goes far beyond treating back pain and neck problems. The adjustments can help a great deal.
The chiropractor will find subluxations in the spine and address them. Regular adjustments can help with more efficient and effective nerve flow. If the child has a spinal misalignment that could be the cause of the behavioral issues. Another popular theory is that an imbalance in the child�s muscle tone creates the brain activity to be out of balance. Adjusting the child�s spine restores balance to the brain and body.
Chiropractic also offers a whole body approach to wellness and that can help ADHD symptoms as well. The child may be exposed to a variety of sound and light frequencies as part of their therapy. The doctor may also recommend certain dietary changes and exercises. In many cases, eliminating certain foods from a child�s diet can cause many ADHD symptoms to subside or even disappear completely.
A chiropractor may have specific lifestyle changes:
Find out if the child as any allergies and address them
Eliminate additives, food dyes, preservatives, and sugar from the child�s diet
Avoid any stimulants like nicotine, alcohol, and certain medications while pregnant
Use unprocessed, natural foods and avoid all herbicides and pesticides
Avoid stress while pregnant; take time to relax
These changes can make a significant difference in the child�s behavior.
There is also an upper cervical technique that chiropractors use to realign the bones in the spine and skull. It is believed that when these bones are out of alignment it puts pressure on certain areas of the brain, resulting in the behavior issues. This treatment has a very good response rate in kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD.
Chiropractic care is a viable alternative to some of the more undesirable treatments for ADHD. It is easier on the child and healthier as well as safer. It will help them perform better in school and have better behavior at home. More parents are opting for chiropractic care instead of harmful drugs. It is a child�s best chance.
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