BUILDING UP OR WEARING THE ATHLETE DOWN?

I do not know what made athletes of the past great compared to young athletes today.  I do not think athletes in the past had as many training opportunities and technologies compared to today, yet they still became great and set records that still stand the test of time.  I wonder if the way we are training and pushing our modern-day athletes is healthy for all of them.

Today, our kids have year-round sports; indoor/outdoor soccer, cheerleading and competitive cheerleading, indoor/outdoor batting and pitching, volleyball, baseball, basketball, football, soccer and tennis camps, regular sports leagues and travel leagues, etc.  Did the Babe, Ted Williams, Joe Namath, Pele, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have access to this intense training?  In one of my sports physician certification classes, it was mentioned that one of the things that made and kept great players like Barry Sanders and Michael Jordan playing for a long time was the lack of injuries.  Today, I see many young athletes not only injured but burned out by the time they reach high school!  I see ruined shoulders from year-round pitching, stress fractured backs in young women from year-round cheerleading, volleyball and dance, knee and hip injuries from year-round soccer, etc. 

I almost always see my student athlete patients for the first time in the season when they become injured.  There are no pre-season check-ins for check-ups or preventative care during the season.  They are sent out on the playing field to perform, and they are never checked for structural imbalances that set the stage for injuries and cause suboptimal performance.  Studies have shown that regular chiropractic care improves and maintains balance and mobility that prevents injury and improves performance.  Even golf swings have been improved to increase driving distances by over 10 yards.  That is the difference between landing on the green or not!  A colleague of mine who worked with the Detroit Vipers hockey team said they documented a decrease in injuries and improved performances when players were treated with chiropractic care throughout the season. 

The last thing I would like to mention is the problem of patients and coaches not allowing time for care, even when the athlete is injured.  Making all the practices or keeping the kid in the game is more important.  It is not!  How many of our young athletes are being “hamstrung” from becoming great college or professional athletes because a game or season is more important than a kid’s overall health or long-term benefit.  I see many older adults still suffering from chronic injuries sustained in high school athletics because they were not given the time to heal or treated properly at the time of injury!     

So, if your nephew, Bill, or niece, Becky, is bawling their eyes out from a sports injury, nudge your brother or sister to call a TIME OUT and call us at Heib Chiropractic Clinic, (269) 324-0100. We are located conveniently on West Centre Avenue in Portage, Michigan.  If your beloved athlete is wearing themselves down, we will build them up and do our best to keep them healthy and fit using our FEEL = FORM + FUNCTION Formula!