Back to School Checkups—Make Sure to See your Chiropractor

Although it feels like the middle of summer, the truth is fall is just around the corner, and it’s time to hit the back-to-school checklist. If you have student athletes, it might be time for a sports physical or a checkup. Here’s why you might want to consider taking your child to the chiropractor this fall.

Student athletes are often passionate and dedicated, and that can mean that they will push through pain or injury in order to compete. As a parent, it’s important to help your athlete perform at their best, and also to encourage them to consider their long-term health as well as their short-term competition goals. A chiropractor can be a vital partner in finding that balance. 

Here are six ways regular chiropractic care supports student athletes

1. Injury Prevention

While there is nothing you can do to prevent some injuries and accidents, it is also true that being in good physical condition can help prevent some injuries. This includes having a healthy and aligned spine. 

2. Increased range of motion

When your spine is in alignment, your range of motion will be at its peak. Subluxations can cause restrictions in movement, sometimes very obvious and sometimes very subtle. These restrictions can make an impact on performance. 

3. Discover the source and severity of injuries

A chiropractor can provide support and guidance if your athlete does experience an injury. Chiropractors focus on getting to the root cause of your injury, and can help you with a treatment plan that will get your athlete back to their favorite sport as quickly as possible. 

4. Provide pain relief

Chiropractic offices offer several different methods of non-invasive pain relief. From hands-on adjustment and massage therapy to the use of targeted acoustic waves, electrical simulation to muscles or nerves, or electromagnetic field therapy, chiropractors specialize in non-pharmaceutical and non-surgical pain relief. 

5. Shorten recovery time

Some of those same pain relief methods also offer increased stimulation to the body processes involved in healing. Proper spinal alignment can also support healing. 

6. Overall health support

Chiropractors focus on whole-body health for life. This means they can offer nutritional advice, advice on supporting the immune system, and emphasize the importance of sleep as well as nutrition and movement on your overall health. As teens begin to take on more and more of their own life decisions, solid health advice can be helpful. 

Do younger students benefit from chiropractic check-ups as well?

If you have younger children, you may also want to consider a visit to the chiropractor. Children are so deeply engaged in the processes of growing and learning that they may carry tension or discomfort and not even realize it. In addition to this, all of a child’s activity can lead to subluxations or neural impingement. Here are some ways regular chiropractic care for younger students offers health benefits.

1. Supports the immune system

Back to school can mean back to exposure to germs! A healthy immune system can help kids fight off infection and improve recovery time from illness. A healthy spine can improve immune function. 

2. Improves sleep

Sleep is vital for growth, healing, and definitely for learning. Proper spinal alignment supports good sleep. 

3. Releases tension which can improve mood and attitude

Children sometimes lack the skills to identify and articulate when something is wrong. Instead, they may show their feelings by being moody or cranky. If something is mis-aligned, it can create tension in the nervous system that manifests as moodiness or anxiety. Releasing that tension can help attitudes improve because there is no longer an unnamed source of discomfort. 

4. Supports overall development, including the respiratory system, digestive system, and immune system, in addition to the neural and musculoskeletal systems 

Proper spinal alignment allows growing bodies to develop as they should. While people often think of bones and joints as the primary sources of treatment, the health of every system in your body is connected to your spinal health. 

What about babies and toddlers? 

While big brothers and sisters are getting their checkups, it’s also important to schedule appointments for the little ones. Babies and toddlers benefit from gentle chiropractic care as well. Chiropractic care for babies can relieve colic and digestion issues. Toddlers are some of the busiest people on the planet, and while the rough-and-tumble stages of learning to crawl, walk, climb, and get into absolutely everything are exciting and fun, they can also lead to spinal misalignments and impingements. Since toddlers are growing and learning so fast, it’s important to correct these misalignments so that growth can continue unimpeded. 

To get this school year off to a great start, schedule your child’s chiropractic appointment today. At Natural State Health Center, our chiropractors are experienced in working with children and are excited to help them be at their best.