Children Athletes' Brain and Body Health: What You Need to Know as a Parent

As a parent of a young athlete, you want the best for your child. You cheer them on from the sidelines, celebrate their victories, and comfort them in defeat. Let's discuss how to keep your child at the top of their game.

This article will cover:

• How chiropractic helps young athletes

• Why chiropractic helps young athletes

• Common sports injuries

• Common biomechanic errors in children in various sports

• Why Warm-up's, Coolowns, and Recovery are important

• TBI: Traumatic Brain Injuries in Child Athletes.

The Power of Chiropractic Care

When most people think of chiropractic care, they imagine treatment for back pain or injuries. However, its true power lies in prevention. Regular chiropractic adjustments can help maintain proper joint function, which is crucial for young athletes whose bodies are still growing and developing.

 Getting chiropractic care for an athlete can lead to improvement in the following areas:

1. Flexibility and range of motion

2. Balance

3. Coordination and body awareness

4. Reaction speed

5. Reduce the risk of injuries

6. Ability to increase strength

7. Speed of recovery

How exactly does an adjustment affect athletic performance?

Chiropractic adjustments impact two main systems of the body: the musculoskeletal system, consisting of bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and joints, and the nervous system which includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.. Obviously the health of the musculoskeletal system is integral in the ability to excel in athletics. But what is the role of the nervous system?

Within every aspect of your musculoskeletal system runs a complex system of nerves that perform various functions including telling the muscles when to contract, how hard to contract, when to relax, and how to coordinate with other nearby muscles. Some nerves are located in the tendons and ligaments and can warn the brain when the body is at risk of injury. Some nerves are located in the joints and give the body feedback, called proprioception to help the body know where everything is at that moment. Without all these nerves it would be impossible to use your body at all, let alone participating in athletics.

The healthier these nerves are, the better they can do their job. Nerves need three things to be healthy: nutrients, oxygen and activation. The age-old adage of "use it or lose it" applies to nerves as well as muscles. The more you move your body the more you provide all three of these things to your joints and the nerves inside of them. That's why exercise is so good for your brain. But what happens if a muscle or joint gets stuck or too tight and the communication is sends starts becoming slower or less accurate? That's when athletic performance starts to decline, reaction times slow, and risk of injury increases. Chiropractic adjustments reset the joint and muscle tone and "wake up" those nerves again so they can do their job properly.

This may show up as feeling tight or sore, having decreased range of motion, imbalanced body mechanics, decreased strength or speed, or just feeling "off your game".

This is why maintenance care for young athletes is so important. It prevents injuries before they happen, and it improves overall performance. Think of chiropractic care as routine maintenance for your child's body, much like regular oil changes for a car. It keeps everything running smoothly and helps prevent breakdowns.

Did you know?? Almost every team in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL have a team chiropractor on their staff. Many olympic teams have them as well.

Common Sports Injuries in Kids and Teens

While we hope to prevent injuries, they can still occur. Some common sports injuries in young athletes that chiropractic care can help with include:

1. Sprains and strains

2. Tendinitis

3. Growing pains (often misdiagnosed as injuries)

4. Back pain

5. Shoulder impingement

6. Knee pain

7. Ankle injuries

Chiropractic care can aid in the recovery from these injuries by:

• Reducing inflammation

• Alleviating pain

• Improving joint mobility

• Enhancing tissue healing

• Addressing underlying biomechanical issues that may have contributed to the injury

The Importance of Proper Biomechanics

Speaking of biomechanics, this is an area where chiropractic care truly shines. Proper biomechanics are crucial for optimal performance and injury prevention. Unfortunately, many young athletes develop poor habits that can lead to inefficient movement patterns and increased injury risk.

Common biomechanical errors in various sports include:

Baseball/Softball:

• Using the shoulder instead of the core and legs to generate throwing power

• Improper hip rotation during batting

Soccer:

• Striking the ball with the toes instead of the instep

• Poor body positioning when heading the ball

Football:

• Improper tackling technique, leading with the head instead of the shoulder

• Overstriding when running, increasing stress on the knees

Track and Field:

• Heel striking when sprinting

• Poor arm movement in running events

A chiropractor can assess your child's movement patterns and identify any biomechanical issues. They can then provide adjustments and exercises to correct these problems, helping your child move more efficiently and safely.

The Warm-Up, Cool-Down, and Recovery Trifecta

While chiropractic care is invaluable, it's just one part of a comprehensive approach to your child's athletic health. Equally important are proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and adequate recovery time.

Warm-ups prepare the body for activity by:

• Increasing blood flow to muscles

• Raising body temperature

• Improving flexibility

• Enhancing mental focus

Cool-downs help the body transition back to a resting state by:

• Gradually lowering heart rate and body temperature

• Preventing blood pooling in the extremities

• Reducing muscle soreness

Recovery time is crucial for:

• Muscle repair and growth

• Replenishing energy stores

• Mental reset

  
  

The Danger of Overdoing It

Please remember that in addition to normal recovery experienced by an adult athlete after a vigorous training or event, children are also having to use energy and resources in their bodies to grow. That's a lot of work on it's own! Adequate sleep, nutrition and rest days are crucial to allowing your child to perform at their best.

In today's competitive youth sports environment, there's often pressure to specialize early and train intensively. However, this approach can lead to burnout and overuse injuries. A chiropractor can help you and your child find the right balance between training and rest, ensuring long-term athletic development without compromising health.

Traumatic Brain Injury in Sports

The research on TBI in the last decade has come leaps and bounds from what it once was. Your child's sports team should be doing baseline concussion testing as part of it's concussion protocol. If they are not, please advocate for your child and their teammates to have this implemented at the start of each season, especially in contact sports.

As a parent, your role is crucial to be aware of the risks of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in sports, particularly concussions. You may be able to notice these changes more easily than a child will notice in him or herself. Concussions do not show up on imaging, the diagnosis of a TBI is heavily relient on recongizing the symptoms.

Signs and symptoms of a concussion to watch for include:

• Headache or pressure in the head

• Confusion or difficulty concentrating

• Dizziness or balance problems

• Nausea or vomiting

• Sensitivity to light or noise

• Feeling sluggish, hazy, or groggy

• Memory problems

• Irritability or emotional changes

• Sleep disturbances

If you suspect your child has suffered a concussion, it's crucial to remove them from play immediately and seek medical attention. Remember, when it comes to brain injuries, it's always better to err on the side of caution.

Did you know?? A person who has been concussed is more vulnerable to further brain injury if they are re-concussed within 2-3 months of the initial event. The subsequent head trauma can seem minor, but a previously concussed indidivual becomes higher risk because their brain tissue hasn't finished healing. Kind of like if you broke your arm and then went to play sports before it fully healed. What may be okay with a healthy brain would hurt someone with a concussion. This is why adhereing to concussion protocol and taking time off sports is necessary to protect your child's long-term brain health and safety.

Conclusion

Chiropractic care offers a proactive, holistic approach to your child's athletic health. By addressing biomechanical issues, preventing injuries, and optimizing performance, regular chiropractic maintenance can give your young athlete a significant edge.

However, it's important to remember that chiropractic care is just one piece of the puzzle. Proper nutrition, adequate sleep, appropriate training loads, and good coaching are all crucial factors in your child's athletic success and overall well-being.

By incorporating regular chiropractic care into your child's athletic routine, you're not just helping them perform better today – you're investing in their long-term health and athletic potential. So why not give your young star the chiropractic advantage? It could be the game-changer they need to reach new heights in their athletic journey.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Further Reading:

1. Chiropractic care and injury prevention:

Hoskins W, Pollard H. The effect of a sports chiropractic manual therapy intervention on the prevention of back pain, hamstring and lower limb injuries in semi-elite Australian Rules footballers: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2010;11:64.

PubMed PMID: 20374662

2. Chiropractic care and athletic performance:

Botelho MB, Andrade BB. Effect of cervical spine manipulative therapy on judo athletes' grip strength. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2012;35(1):38-44.

PubMed PMID: 22079053

3. Biomechanics and injury prevention in youth sports:

Leppänen M, Pasanen K, Kujala UM, Parkkari J. Overuse injuries in youth basketball and floorball. Open Access J Sports Med. 2015;6:173-179.

PubMed PMID: 26170718

4. Warm-ups and injury prevention:

Emery CA, Roy TO, Whittaker JL, Nettel-Aguirre A, van Mechelen W. Neuromuscular training injury prevention strategies in youth sport: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(13):865-870.

PubMed PMID: 26084526

5. Recovery and overtraining in young athletes:

Brenner JS. Overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout in child and adolescent athletes. Pediatrics. 2007;119(6):1242-1245.

PubMed PMID: 17545398

6. Regarding concussions in youth sports:

Halstead ME, Walter KD, Moffatt K; Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Sport-Related Concussion in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2018;142(6):e20183074.

PubMed PMID: 30420472