Football season is finally upon us! As summer comes to a close and fall inches closer in Overland Park, many of us are ready to watch our favorite teams to get their season underway!
While plenty of us have spent the past few weeks reading about our favorite teams and watching preseason games, something that has been given little thought is the topic of sports injuries! Sure, some of us may keep an eye on the weekly injury reports and watch out for for the dreaded ‘questionable’ or ‘doubtful’ labels next to players on our fantasy teams, but are we really thinking about exactly how these players keep themselves healthy? Well, increasingly over the past few years the answer to this question has been chiropractic care. Since 2002, when a mere 33% of NFL teams reported having a team chiropractor, the prevalence of chiropractic care throughout the NFL has skyrocketed. Today, all 32 NFL teams have local chiropractors on-site to treat players actively recovering or as a preventative measure.
If the NFL feels so strongly about the benefits of chiropractic for its’ players, why shouldn’t you feel confident in how chiropractic adjustments can help your children? Whether it’s football, soccer, baseball, or softball, here are just a few of the ways chiropractic care can help to keep your kids on the field & prevent sports injuries throughout the season! Here are some of the ways that your local football team (and our hometown Kansas City Chiefs) are using chiropractic care!
General Maintenance
Naturally, being such a physically demanding sport, playing football can result in sports injuries. While the physicality can never be totally avoided, some things stiffness and soreness can be mitigated. Players frequently receive adjustments after a tough practice to combat general pain that may stem from a tough practice or general physical exertion. Although they aren’t necessarily injured, sometimes there is just normal pain that goes along with the life of being an athlete. Chiropractic care simply helps to keep their body functioning correctly day in & day out!
Injury Prevention
Across sports in general, there is a known direct correlation between regular chiropractic care and a decrease in sports injuries. Relating back to ‘General Maintentance’, individuals who are treated experience improved mobility; which is is also linked directly to injury prevention. In addition to increased mobility, getting adjusted can increase strength; another factor directly related to sports injury prevention.
Pain Relief
A contributing factor in this recent trend toward chiropractic care within NFL circles is the acceptance of its’ pain management qualities. Adjustments have been shown to relieve headaches, more specifically headaches which stem from neck pain or head injuries. It has also been used as a pain management tool when combating shoulder, ankle, or knee pain in instances of strains or sprains.
Increase Strength and Endurance
For athletes who are actively in training, chiropractic has also been linked to muscle strength. While many people associate chiropractic with pain management or pain relief, few are aware of its’ benefits as they pertain to promoting muscle growth. Increased strength, combined with increased mobility, is a winning combination when trying to avoid sports injury. On a related note adjustments have also shown to help in development of increased muscle endurance and stamina!
Sports Hernia Relief
Lastly, groin injuries are have proven to be commonplace within the world of sports. Also known as Athletic Pubaglia, a sports hernia is one of the more common sports injuries related to groin pain. With these types of injuries the pain can often be severe. Combined with rehabilitative exercises & physical therapy (often available at many chiropractic offices), chiropractic adjustments can alleviate discomfort within an eight-week period of regular treatment.
If your kids are playing football, soccer, baseball, softball, or any other sport, the best way to avoid sports injuries is chiropractic! At Fulk Chiropractic, our Olathe chiropractors work with each patient to design a comprehensive treatment plan based on the patients’ specific needs. All of our sports chiropractors are very experienced in treating young/adult athletes alike and they are here in Olathe to treat you 7 Days A Week! Between our comprehensive exams, on-site X-Rays, physical therapy options, and chiropractic adjustments, you won’t find another local chiropractor in the Kansas City area that offers the all-inclusive care you’ll receive at Fulk Chiropractic.
Contact our clinic at (913)-764-6237 or schedule your first appointment online today to find out if chiropractic care can help restore your health, improve your performance, and increase your competitive edge!