Why Student Athletes Get Adjusted

Article contributed by Dr. Eric Plasker, Marietta, GA

Playing sports can build character, muscle, and self-esteem in our kids, but these activities also lead to injuries that, if not treated properly, can last well into adult life.

While nothing can rival the pride we feel as parents when we watch our son or daughter score a winning goal or hit a home run, there is always an equal amount of anxiety we experience over our children’s safety when we watch them body slam another player, slide into home base or remain lying on the field for a few moments after a tough tackle.

With the proper kind of training and health maintenance program such as chiropractic, the minor injuries that young athletes sustain over time should stay just that way- minor. In fact, the only time that a sports injury is likely to move into the major leagues is when the injured player returns to the playing field prematurely or with a misdiagnosis.

While athletic trainers are excellent for practice and game preparation, they are not fully prepared to diagnose the long-term effects of physical injuries. In fact, a good athlet-ic trainer will recognize the limitations of his or her role and refer athletes to the appropriate chiropractic or other prac-titioner for a more thorough examination.

Many professional athletes and sports teams utilize chiro-practic care for both injury assessment and wellness ad-justments. Regular visits can insure optimum performance for athletes with high demand on their spine and nerve system. Teams like the gold-medal-winning U.S. women’s soccer team get regular chiropractic adjustments and su-per star athletes like Lance Armstrong recognize the inva-luable help they have received from their chiropractors who contributed to their tremendous success.

So what is an adjustment? An adjustment is a gentle, spe-cific procedure that corrects any spinal subluxation(s), the-reby removing any nerve interference in your body. If your nervous system is interfered with, your body's natural abili-ty to heal itself & function at its optimum potential be-comes impaired. A subluxation is a perfect example of how structure affects function.

Chiropractic care offers athletes the ability to acquire a more responsive body with quicker reflexes, more coordi-nation, better precision and accuracy as well as a more balanced flow of energy for overall increased performance. A well-adjusted student athlete also faces less future health issues with spine-related injuries. Maximize your athlete’s performance the healthy way. Talk to your chiro-practor today!