Sports Chiropractic Care Benefits Developing Athletes

It’s no secret that professional athletes in all major sports routinely employ sports chiropractic care to optimize their performance, prevent and treat athletic injury, and recover faster from intense training and sports pain.

However many are unaware of the myriad of benefits sports chiropractic care can offer to younger athletes who are still growing and developing.

Younger athletes are often multi-sport players or involved in competitive club sports that keep them training intensely year-round. As a result, there has been a rise in overuse injuries in younger and younger players.

Athletes with growing bones and muscles are at greater risk for injury and have a higher chance of sustaining long-term damage, than many of their fully developed counterparts. The active growth plate at the end of young bones makes them particularly susceptible to repetitive stress injuries that can lead to uneven bone growth.

Developing muscles, tendons, and ligaments are more prone to stress and inflammation from excessive use. Frequent and intense training or sports injury early in an athlete’s “career” can dramatically impact not only their growth but their future athletic potential if not managed properly.

Sports chiropractic care can help reduce the risk of injuries in young athletes, as well as establish a stronger foundation for long-term health by promoting balanced movement patterns and addressing body alignment and muscle imbalances early on. Being proactive in this way can help support healthy growth and development and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal issues later in life.

Body Alignment

While spinal misalignment is often associated with older individuals, even newborns can benefit from gentle adjustments. Chiropractic care for young athletes is gently adapted and specifically tailored to developing bodies. With low-impact yet precise spinal adjustments, sports chiropractic care can help prevent undue stress on vulnerable growth plates, which can be highly sensitive to injury, while promoting healthy development.

Sports chiropractic modalities can help maintain optimal alignment, reducing the risk of injury to these vulnerable areas.

Posture

Athletes who engage in repetitive movements from an early age may develop postural issues that contribute to a host of issues as they grow, including back pain, interrupted sleep, or breathing inefficiencies that can affect more than just their athletic performance. Analyzing and correcting posture and gait issues are core tenets of sports chiropractic care.

Growing Pains

Developing bodies may experience discomfort, often referred to as “growing pains,” as their bodies go through periods of rapid growth. These aches and pains, which can be exacerbated by training and sports pain, can occur when lengthening muscles and tendons don’t keep pace with bone growth. Chiropractic care can help alleviate many of these symptoms by optimizing alignment, removing sports-related muscle tension and constrictions, and restoring balance in the musculoskeletal system.

Sports chiropractic care offers significant benefits to athletes of all ages, including those just starting their sports journey, supporting growth, development, and performance while preventing injuries.

Whether your young athlete is playing recreational sports or pursuing competitive athletics, DTX Sports Medicine can help support their growth and development, improve their skills, and allow them to participate in their sports safely.