Opiates, the kind of prescription medications that are often prescribed to relieve the painful symptoms of sports injuries, are cited as a leading drug abuse risk among teens. As many as one in 11 teens has reported using the prescription painkiller Vicodin in a non-medicinal capacity and 15 percent of high-school seniors say they have taken the powerful opiate oxycontin recreationally.

In many cases, the introduction and availability of these drugs stems from the treatment of a sports injury, but even the medical community is beginning to concede that doctors sometimes over-prescribe such pills in the case of athletic trauma.

Chiropractic treatment of teens with athletic injuries, and chiropractic techniques that reduce the chances of injury during play, seek to heal and improve a teenager’s athletic condition and keep him or her healthy without the use of potentially addictive prescription drugs.

Apart from the dangers of recreational prescription abuse, the use of painkillers, even under the direction of a medical professional, carries the risk of addiction. Many young adults who suffer from opiate addiction report that they first took painkillers as a teen in response to an athletic injury. Professional athletes with prescription drug addictions have reported turning to harder illegal drugs like heroin when they could no longer acquire prescription pills.

Even in the best case scenario, the use of prescription opiates can affect the academic performance of student athletes, leaving them distracted or drowsy. And painkillers mask the true cause of an injury, making it possible to cause further hidden damage.

Chiropractic care seeks to treat beyond the symptoms and doesn’t require the use of painkillers that alter teen’s physical and psychological states. Instead, it seeks to balance the spine and fine tune the nervous system, allowing the body to effectively react to trauma from sports injuries. Chiropractic treatment is a recognized therapy option for athletic programs throughout high school, college and professional sports, and offers a natural and addiction-free option for parents and teen athletes who want to stay at the top of their athletic and academic game.

Additional Resources:
Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise Among Teens
What Are Painkillers?
Dangers of Pain Medication Use in Teens

Chiropractic care can address the kinds of pressures sports have on the body, opening up a future of athletic activity with less deterioration of bones and joints as well as other issues that reduce athleticism and flexibility as teens grow older.

A balanced spine leads to improved recovery time, better reflexes and stronger balance, all of which help extend a teen athlete’s sporting career. Chiropractic care makes sure that a teen’s spine is developing normally. It also improves posture, further reducing the potential for problems in the future, and addresses the degenerative effects that lead to arthritic limitations later in life

Sports injuries take a toll on the body, but even regular play can wear down joints, muscles and ligaments. Medical studies have indicated that spinal disk degeneration can begin before the onset of puberty, even though the effects may not be felt until adulthood. Disc degeneration leads to uneven  wear on the spine and puts pressure on the nervous system, slowing reflexes and reducing balance. Likewise, arthritis that limits play in adults actually begins in the teen years. Pain stemming from arthritic problems is a leading reason why adults find it harder to continue to play their favorite sports.

Direct and indirect stresses of sports activity can be exacerbated if left untreated, yet teens are especially vulnerable to the side effects of some traditional treatments. Surgery, such as ACL repair, is risky for young athletes whose bodies are still developing. And medication often only treats pain and other symptoms, masking the underlying problem. If left unaddressed, such problems could develop into prohibitive conditions that limit athletic ability.

The impacts of physical activity on the teenage body can be effectively addressed with chiropractic care, allowing for a balanced system that can disperse both the direct and indirect stresses inherent in teen sports. By focussing on those stresses at a young age, chiropractic treatment allows young athletes to grow into their sport and continue to pursue athletic activity into young adulthood and beyond.

Additional Resources:
Sports Injuries
Benefits of Regular Chiropractic Care for Teen Athletes
The Well Adjusted Spine
Why Chiropractic is Critical to Athletic Success

Avoiding injury in sports and performing at the top of your game relies on reflexes, balance and endurance. An athlete playing at the top of his or her game, whether pro or high school player, has less of a chance of experiencing an injury. The fundamentals of chiropractic care address core performance issues that can give a teen athlete the edge not only to perform better but also to sustain fewer injuries.

Asheville and the surrounding area are blessed with a variety of great athletic opportunities for teens. While athletic participation is part of leading a healthy and fit life, there are physical concerns that are specific to teens who participate in sports. In adolescents and teens, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments are still developing, leaving them more vulnerable to strain and injury. It is important that teens athletes use the right safety equipment, play smart, stay fit and train and stretch properly.

Even with those fundamentals in place, athletic activity puts pressure on the spine, whether it is a high-impact sport like football or low-impact sport like golf. The pressure of sports on a misaligned spine can cause bones to wear unevenly over the course of a teen’s athletic career and disrupt pathways in the nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments correct spinal misalignment, the most obvious benefit of which is postural improvement.

But the benefits of chiropractic care go even deeper for adolescent and teen athletes. The body’s ability to perform at a high physical level relies on the proper alignment of the spine and the balance of the body. This is called homeostasis. Everything from balance to reflexes to strength is affected by this principle. Studies in athletes world wide have displayed that the problems that most frequently cause athletic injury, from fatigue to slowed reaction time, are addressed with proper chiropractic care.

Teen athletes can benefit from the same regular care championed by professional, college and Olympic athletic programs who have found that chiropractic adjustments make them less prone to injury and help give them an edge against the competition.

Resources:
American Chiropractic Association
Precise Moves Chiropractic
Dr. Julia Lewis & Wellness Solutions

Pretty spiffy huh?

Stayed tuned for some great content.