Today, more and more athletes are starting to specialize in sports at an earlier age. As early as middle school but most prevalent in high school, the incentives of scholarships, awards and peer pressure are all factors in young athletes forgoing the usual sport medley and focusing hours of time practicing on perfecting just one sport. Not a bad thing right?

According to Boston Children's Hospital, the number of kids showing up in the doctor's office with overuse injuries, such as tendonitis, is climbing dramatically. Surgeries for young athletes are also on the rise. This should not be something commonplace!

Surgery is a major issue, no matter how advanced our techniques or rapid the recovery. Even if a physical scar is minimal or nonexistent, the ramifications of surgeries are long-lasting. On any athlete, but most notably in the younger demographic, proper cross-training is important as well as conducting proper biomechanical evaluations - checking for pronation, problems with knees and hips, core muscle weakness and balance issues. Joint tightness, inflexibility and muscle imbalances also increase the risk of avulsion fractures.

Young athletes are more susceptible to sustaining musculoskeletal injuries because their skeletons are still growing and expanding and those open growth plates are more prone to stress during this period. To avoid such problems, it is extremely important to make sure that your child's musculoskeletal system is healthy and balanced! A chiropractic checkup is the first step in this process, as the spine is the foundation of the entire body.

Children and young teens who are active athletes benefit greatly from regular spinal and extremity check-ups with their chiropractor. Rather than waiting for an injury to occur, correct training coupled with chiropractic care can help children practice practical prevention strategies and develop better overall stability so they can continue being fit and active. If we demand more of our bodies, it makes sense that our level of care must also increase; particularly if we want to stay healthy into our later years and join our own children in play without pain or discomfort.

Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and are an excellent source of advice on sports training, nutrition and injury prevention to athletes, young and old.

Give us a call (208) 667-7434, visit our website at www.cdahealth.com or visit us at our office at 370 E Kathleen Ave., Suite 600, Coeur d'Alene.