Focus on football!

Former NFL great Jerry Rice credits chiropractic care with helping him bounce back from the many hits he took on the field: "Chiropractic care was key to keeping me in the game"

That’s right--summer may be winding down, the days becoming a bit shorter and the weather cooperating a little less than it used to, but one thing’s for sure: football season is right around the corner! With just a week to go until the NFL kicks off, why not take some time to learn about some common sports injuries and the ways to facilitate their healing and overall prevention?

Like many sports, football puts a great deal of exertion on the spine, especially for our most active athletes: between warm-ups, practices, conditioning exercises and games, the essential back muscles get quite a workout! In many cases this is a good thing; after all, building lower back muscle endurance now can help avoid injury later on. Sometimes, however, too much is simply too much, and this kind of stress can result in overuse injuries. These injuries often affect not just the lower back but the shoulders, elbows, and legs as well. Luckily, they can be treated and prevented with chiropractic care.

But overuse is not the only concern. Football, like all contact sports, carries the risk of traumatic injury resulting from hits, throws, and kicks that go awry. These injuries can affect the head and neck as well as the shoulders, elbows, and legs. If and when they occur, treatment will usually necessitate some time off as well as light rehabilitation exercises. Go about these exercises slowly, however, as the body needs time and recovers at its own pace! Regular chiropractic visits can help you determine how far along you are and what else needs to be done, and it has even been proven to speed up the recovery process!

Treatment and rehabilitation are essential tools for today’s athletes, but the best way to deal with injury is obviously to prevent it from happening in the first place. Observing proper safety guidelines and wearing the correct equipment is the most important way to ensure that this season will be injury-free. While heavy safety gear can sometimes seem like it increases muscle stress, it is absolutely essential to preventing the kinds of traumatic injury that can occur in football.

Beyond the basics, however, athletes need to remain tuned into their bodies and careful not to push themselves too far. For example: it’s still summer and the temperatures are high, so proper hydration is more important than ever. Keep an eye out for muscle cramping, as it may be a sign that the body is overheating. In addition to this, always be sure to keep up a good stretching routine! You can check out our post on stretching to get a good idea of places to start.

Though it can get rough out there, there is no reason that football season can’t be safe and fun, not to mention a great way to get some exercise. Athletes should be sure to observe safety guidelines, avoid overuse and muscle stress, and of course wear proper and well-fitting equipment. And above all, athletes should be aware that regular chiropractic care offers a major boost in preventing injury and facilitating rehabilitation—just ask Jerry Rice!

Focus on stretching!

Whether or not you may suffer from muscle or back pain, a healthy lifestyle is an important thing for all people to maintain. Physical activity is an essential part of that, of course, but let’s be honest: it can take its toll, too.

Whether you’re actively working out or just going about the rigors of day-to-day life, muscle aches, pains, and even injuries are things you might have to contend with from time to time. That’s why any good fitness regimen includes plenty of stretching.

While some stretches may seem tricky to learn or even more difficult to master, it’s important to remember that at its core, stretching is a totally natural activity that’s hard-wired into humans as well as plenty of other animals. It’s a total no-brainer; that’s why even dogs and cats do it! In its simplest form, stretching is simply an exercise that flexes and manipulates our muscles so that they can function at their highest levels. So you don’t have to be a frequent gym-goer or a star athlete to take advantage of the benefits of a good stretch!

And because chiropractic work often deals with back and leg pain, chiropractic patients are especially advised to maintain a healthy stretching practice--and thankfully there are plenty of great stretches to choose from!

Patients healthy enough for regular physical activity should take advantage of stretches like the “Piriformis” or “knee-to-chest” stretch: lie on your back, bring one leg over the other knee, and pull gently towards the shoulder. Switch legs and repeat three times, and you’re all set!

Hamstring stretches are also classic, easy-to-learn ways to keep loose and to avoid pain along the backs of the leg. Just lie on your back with your legs flat on the ground, and bring one leg at a time up to a 90-degree angle with the rest of your body. Hold the back of your knee for support, switch, and repeat. You’ll immediately feel the effects of such a simple activity; trust me, your body will thank you!

And that’s just the beginning. Stretches can be tailored to individual needs--for instance, elderly patients will benefit especially from stretches to prevent stoops or hunches in the posture, and children might benefit from traditional stretches performed under adult supervision. The important thing is that a good balance is maintained--between a healthy lifestyle, plenty of physical activity, and, of course, preventative measures to avoid muscle tightness, aches, and chronic pain. That means plenty of stretching!

Focus on children: Back to school and back pain

Yes, it’s that time of year already: summer is almost over and our children are headed back to school--and between the hectic early mornings, long days studying, homework and extracurricular activities, it’s only natural that some things might get lost in the shuffle. But if there’s one thing we have to make sure to keep in mind when it comes to our kids, it’s their health, and while any time of year can bring its own special physical challenges, back to school can also mean a return to aches, back pain, muscle strains and more. But it doesn’t need to be this way--here are some simple ways to keep an eye on our children’s health as they hit those books!

One important cause of back-to-school back pain is pretty obvious: a child’s backpack. Often these bags account for between 20 and 40 percent of a child’s bodyweight, and having that amount of weight strapped to their back all day can lead to serious overuse of back muscles! Keep an eye on these bags and make sure their weight doesn’t get out of control. Also be sure to avoid one-strap or uneven bags, as they can cause a lopsided strain on the child’s spine. Another important back pain factor is the time our kids will spend hunched over desks or in front of computer screens. Make sure the time they spend at the monitor isn’t excessive, and encourage them to take frequent breaks!

Nutrition is important year-round, but when our kids’ brains need to be performing at high levels, a proper diet is essential. Discourage high-fat foods and sugary sodas, and make sure your children aren’t skipping meals. The same goes for a good night’s sleep; class may start bright and early, but 8 hours a night is recommended for a growing body.

Lastly, the school year is also a time for sports and other extracurricular activities. Keep the focus on fun by following proper safety guidelines, and using the right equipment. Competition can be fierce among youth athletes, but ensuring that safe practices are followed now can help to avoid injury and lengthier recuperation times down the line.

All in all, there’s no doubt that back to school days can be a bit hectic, grueling, even a little stressful. But it’s also an exciting time full of activity and potential! Maintaining a focus on a few key areas of our children’s health can help keep the beginning of the new school year fun, painless and injury-free.