I recently read a very informative article by Claudia Arnig, D.C. called Sports-Related Injuries in Children: What Parents Need to Know. In this article Dr. Arnig gave some very interesting numbers that I believe all parents should know. It is estimated that 3.5 million children under the age of 14 receive some form of medical treatment for sports injuries each year. Also, the Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine estimates that each year close to 212 million school days are missed by students who have sustained a musculoskeletal injury vastly attributed to sports-related incidents.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 300, 000 children and adolescents suffer from sports-related concussions each year. Concussion symptoms range from memory loss, chronic headaches, difficulty with concentrations to depression. These symptoms can manifest for months, even years following a severe concussion. Some parents even reported abrupt personality changes following a serious sports-related head injury.

Repetitive stress injuries to children’s developing spine and extremities can also develop in children who play sports that require the child to move one arm or leg repetitively over long periods of time like baseball, golf, and tennis for example. If their sport leans toward asymmetrical movements, children should be taught how to properly warm up and cool down through symmetrical activities to balance the body and minimize repetitive strain injuries.

Childen should also be taught the concept of pain and its importance as a warning signal from the body that something is wrong and needs to be checked out. Taking pain medication or OTC pain relievers will simply mask the problem and act as a band aid instead of getting to the root cause of the problem.

Children benefit greatly from regular spinal and extremity check-ups with their chiropractor. Rather than waiting for an injury to occur, chiropractic care can help children practice practical prevention strategies and develop better overall stability.

ref: Dynamic Chiropractic, August 26, 2009

For example, aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular function.1, 2 As a result, during periods of rest the heart rate is slowed and the ability of the lungs to take in air (vital capacity) is increased. A slower heart rate means the heart is working more efficiently. Likewise, increased vital capacity means the lungs are working more efficiently. Fewer heart beats per minute and fewer breaths per minute result in reduced “wear and tear” on these critical systems. Aerobic exercise makes us healthier.

When we have stress, our muscles get tight. Sometimes this tightness is prolonged, and the normal mobility of our bones and joints is compromised. Reduced mobility of the spinal column creates a spiraling effect of tight muscles, tight ligaments, and further loss of mobility in the neck, middle back, and lower back. We experience pain in these areas as a result.3

These patterns may persist. We all know people who have frequent neck pain or lower back pain. These patterns of pain and limited mobility may result in changes to the normal curves of the spine. Normal curves may become flattened, and these changes result in further discomfort, muscular tension, and pain.

Importantly, loss of the normal spinal curvature in the neck and middle back may place additional stress on the heart and lungs. The actual, physical space in which these organs function may then become reduced. Maximum function may be compromised and efficiency is lost. Brisk walking used to be easy. Climbing stairs used to be no problem. Now these normal daily activities may leave you out-of-breath. You’re huffing-and-puffing and don’t know what’s happened.

You begin doing aerobic exercises to try to improve cardiovascular function. But the potential benefits are limited by these underlying muscle, ligament, and joint problems. You spend a lot of time exercising but don’t seem to be making any improvements.

Chiropractic health care may be able to restore more normal functioning. Chiropractic treatment restores mobility to spinal joints. The gentle treatment relieves stress on the spinal muscles and ligaments, which in turn improves spinal range of motion. Muscle tightness eases, pain and stiffness are reduced, and you become more flexible.

In addition, this improved flexibility allows your chest and rib cage to expand much more fully when you breathe. Your heart and lungs have more room to function, and you can now actually begin to receive the full benefits of your aerobic exercise. This in turn, leads to improved “Stroke Volume.”

Stroke volume is not about improving your golf scoreat least, not directly! Physiologically, stroke volume is the amount of blood your heart pumps every time it beats. The more blood pumped per heartbeat, the less times your heart has to contract to provide the needed amount of blood.

Our heart’s efficiency is directly related to stroke volume. Increased stroke volume means less work for the heart.

As you do more and better aerobic exercise, you are training your heart to be more efficient. Stroke volume increases over time as a result of this exercise, and you notice a number of things. First, it’s much easier to walk up hills and other inclines. Stair climbing requires no extra effort. If you’re a swimmer, you can go longer between breaths and you can stay underwater longer. If you play hockey,

And, you notice your heart rate goes down. A good resting pulse is 60 beats or less per minute. Most people who aren’t exercising have resting heart rates of 70 or greater, even 80 or greater. Less heartbeats per minute means less work for your heart.

Aerobic exercise, done correctly, makes a person much healthier overall, positively impacting many body systems. Chiropractic care helps you get fit and stay fit!

1Pivarnik JM, et al. Effects of maternal aerobic fitness on cardiovascular responses to exercise. Med Sci sports Exerc 25(9):993-998, 1993. 2Jackson EM, Dishman RK. Hemodynamic responses to stress among black women: fitness and parental hypertension. Med Sci Sports Exerc 34)7):1097-1104, 2002 3Petrella RJ, et al. Can primary care doctors prescribe exercise to improve fitness? Am J Prev Med 24(4):316-322, 2003

Peer Reviewed Journals:

The use and role of sport chiropractors in the national football league: a short report. Stump JL, Redwood D.   J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2002 (Mar-Apr); 25 (3): E2

• There is significant chiropractic participation in US professional football. Certified athletic trainers see a role for the sport chiropractor in the NFL, primarily as a spinal specialist treating low back and other musculoskeletal injuries. A substantial majority of NFL trainers have developed cooperative relationships with chiropractors, with 77% having referred a player to a chiropractor. Thirty-one percent of NFL teams have a chiropractor officially on staff, and an additional 12% of teams refer players to chiropractors but do not directly retain these chiropractors.

Chiropractic effects on athletic ability. Lauro A. Mouch B.   Chiropractic: The Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation. 1991; 6: 84-87

• Fifty athletes were tested. They were divided into two groups. One group received chiropractic adjustments, the other served as controls. Eleven tests were used to measure aspects of athletic ability including: agility, balance, kinesthetic perception, power, and reaction time. After 6 weeks, the control group exhibited minor improvement in eight of the 11 tests while the chiropractic group improved significantly in all 11 tests. In a hand reaction test measuring the speed of reaction with the hand in response to a visual stimulus, the control group exhibited less than a 1% response while the chiropractic group exhibited more than an 18% response after 6 weeks. After 12 weeks the chiropractic group exhibited more than 30% improvement.

Athletic performance and physiological measures in baseball players following upper cervical chiropractic care: a pilot study. Schwartzbauer J, Kolber J, Schwartzbauer, DC, Hart, JDC, Zhang J.   Paper Presented at the National Subluxation Conference, October 12-13, 1996 Phoenix, Arizona, Sponsored by Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic.   Published in the J of Vertebral Subluxation Research 1997; 1 (4): 7

• Abstract: The athletic performance of university baseball player was assessed before, during and after chiropractic care. Each athlete’s performance was evaluated by athletic abilities, such as the vertical jump, standing road jump. Linear space (specified), broad jump (specified), muscles strength; and physiological tests such as electrical cardiogram, blood pressure, pulse rate and treadmill stress testing. 28 players were recruited for the study. Twenty players completed the entire experiment with usable data. All players were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. Every player was required to complete three sessions of athletic ability and physiological tests. The first test was administered before any chiropractic care was given. The second test was given after six weeks of chiropractic care. The third test was given after fourteen weeks of chiropractic care. Only the subjects in the experimental group received chiropractic adjustments to remove/reduce vertebral subluxation. The results showed a positive correlation between chiropractic adjustments and athletic performance.

• Note: In addition to the above improvements, the chiropractic group showed significant improvement in capillary count at five and fourteen weeks of chiropractic care. Since healthy oxygenation of tissues is dependent up blood supply, this physiologic parameter may be the most important one of all.

Additional publications:

Jocks and Chiropractic Care From: The Latest Stuff from Gerry by Gerald Clum, DC President of Life Chiropractic College-West. November 1998 issue (on-line):

• There have been a number of recent high profile articles and references to world class athletes receiving chiropractic care.  On October 16, USA Today carried an extensive article about Emmitt Smith with the headline “Cowboys’ Smith still runs ahead of time” with a tag line “Body maintenance key to longevity for backfield star.” The article notes “Smith will head to his chiropractor.” Smith himself commented, “I started doing this on a regular basis about four or five years ago. I believe what I am doing is helping me go on. I think Warren Moon does the same thing. So I’ve become a big, big believer in servicing my body and making sure it is lined up properly and functioning the way it should be on Sundays.”

• The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article a few days later under the headline “Considering the Alternative,” which was a discussion of the use of alternative health care by professional athletes. “More and more professional athletes are embracing alternative health practices, forcing teams to acknowledge the effectiveness of everything from shark cartilage to chiropractic care.” “Though more teams are acknowledging the effectiveness of acupuncture and chiropractic care, even these practices are considered too unusual for by some teams. The Chicago Bulls, for example, do not have a chiropractor on staff, so Scottie Pippen has to hire one on his own. In the NBA finals in June, Pippen received chiropractic care at least once during a game-only because he brought the chiropractor to the game.” “Chiropractors are flown in at the player’s expense,” said Dr. Malcolm Conway, a chiropractor in Pennsylvania who works with wide receivers Rocket Ismail and Qadry Ismail and other professional athletes. “Athletes like Pippen are willing to pay for chiropractic care because they need to recover quickly from injuries and they believe chiropractic treatment has a good rate of success.” I agree!

References from Koren Publications’ brochure: Sports and Chiropractic

• Green, J. Fort Lauderdale Sun-Tattler, July 7, 1988. Sec. D. P.1

• Athens, N. Chiropractic Achievers, Nov/Dec 1989, p.38.

• Haldeman, S. “Spinal Manipulative Therapy in Sports Medicine.” Clinics in Sports Medicine 5(1986): p. 277.

• U.S. News and World Report, 31 July, 1989, p.56.

Reprinted from http://www.icpa4kids.org/research/chiropractic/sports.htm

1. Stretch before and after you do any strengthening exercises. Here are some recommended stretches:

• Side bends work the muscles on the sides of your back and hips
• Hip rotations stretch several muscles in your hip, pelvis and thigh region
• The hamstring stretch works the large muscles at the back of your thighs
• Back extension helps the muscles that bend your spine backward, while back rotation stretches the muscles that rotate your spine and shoulder muscles
• The shoulder stretch works shoulders and upper arms

2. Muscle-strengthening exercises can make your body stronger and more flexible

• Wrist strength is very important during the impact phase of a golf game
• Strength in rotating the upper arms in either direction is important throughout the golf swing
• To improve form and strength in your golf swing, practice good posture by concentrating on using your abdominal and back muscles.
• Rowing strengthens the muscles of your upper back and shoulders.
• Pull-downs also work the shoulder and upper-back muscles.

3. When taking clubs out of your vehicle, bend your knees, slightly curve your spine, and gently lift the golf bag out of the vehicle.

4. ‘The clubs before the cart’ – Research shows that after one season of weekly golf games that involved walking the golf course, males over fifty significantly decreased their cholesterol count. [Source: October 1990 issue of The Physician and Sportsmedicine]

5. Warm up for your first swing. Make sure you stretch.

6. Bend your knees and use a golf club for support before stooping for the ball, or when preparing to tee off.

7. Ensure that you use correct posture and spinal angles when driving and putting.

8. Stretch to cool down after your game.

For more information, consult with your family chiropractor. www.bcchiro.com

An increasing number of Americans are seeking chiropractic care as an effective alternative to traditional prescription-based treatment. Developed in 1895, chiropractic’s goal is to enable the body to reach an optimum level of functioning, without the use of drugs or surgery.

First things first, what exactly do chiropractors do? Well, we analyze the structure of the body, looking for misaligned vertebrae in the spine. When a vertebra is misaligned it puts pressure on the nerves that exit the spine between each vertebrae. These nerves carry information from the brain to the entire body, including all the muscles, organs, tissues and cells. Without interference to this communication, the body is a self-healing structure that will remain healthy. However, stress placed on our bodies is the number one cause of misaligned vertebrae, and who of us is not under stress? Whether it is physical stress (exercise, accident/injury, posture), chemical stress (diet, environmental toxins) or emotional stress (bills, deadlines at work, spare time for training), any of which will cause a misaligned vertebra. This puts pressure on the nerves and interferes with the communication between the brain and the rest of the body. When this happens, the body is unable perform at its optimum level and is therefore more susceptible to illness and injury. Through chiropractic adjustments, the misaligned vertebrae are returned to their normal positioning and the pressure is removed from the nerves.

Like a high performance mountain bike, the human body must be balanced and in alignment to perform its best. A bike with loose shifter cables or warped rims will not only have its performance compromised but will also have dramatically increased potential for parts to wear out and break down. Your body, much more delicate and complicated than a bike is the same, if the framework, particularly the spine, isn’t properly aligned and balanced it won’t function at its full potential.

Chiropractic is the essential compliment to the athlete who is striving for optimum performance or even the couch potato who gets out on their bike only once a month. Clinical research findings show that athletes under chiropractic care have a 16.7% average increase in athletic ability over those that do not use chiropractic. A group of subjects were given chiropractic care for a twelve-week period while maintaining their normal workout schedule. The athletes were given eleven different tests, each designed to measure a specific aspect of athletic performance before, halfway and at the conclusion of the testing period. The findings revealed a significant increase in athletic ability of those subjects who received chiropractic care.

The bottom line here is that no matter what the age, sex or physical ability, everyone needs and can benefit from chiropractic care. By removing any interference to your nerves, your body will perform better, be healthier and have reduced risk of injury.

About the Author:
Dr. Iain Simpson graduated Magna Cum Laude from Palmer West College of Chiropractic. Upon graduation he practiced in San Jose, CA for two years, prior to moving to Scottsdale, AZ. In addition to being licensed to practice chiropractic in Canada, California and Arizona, Dr. Iain is a member of both the Pi Tau Delta International Chiropractic Honor Society and the Council on Sports Injuries and Physical Fitness. He is now practicing in Scottsdale, at Shea and 92nd St.
Dr. Iain Simpson
9301 E. Shea Blvd. Suite 127
Scottsdale, AZ
(480) 614-0052
doctorsimpson@earthlink.net