Younger Athletes Need Adjustments, Too!
By Dr Melanie Beingessner

Printed in the Western Amateur Sports Newspaper, December 1999.

Last month’s article discussed how chiropractic care can help premier athletes get an edge over their competition. However, it isn’t just professional athletes who benefit from chiropractic care; athletes of all ages gain an advantage from having an optimally functioning nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments enhance physical performance and return injured players back to the game as quickly as possible.

Increased activity is great for physical fitness, but if children fall and hurt themselves, the jolt of a sudden impact against a hard surface can cause areas in their spines to become subluxated. The term “subluxation” is a one that chiropractors use to describe vertebrae that are fixed and unable to move in a proper pattern of motion. Subluxations in the spine can put pressure on the nerves as they exit from the spine and decrease the nerves’ ability to transmit 100% output from the brain to the rest of the body.

The nervous system is comprised of the brain, the spinal cord and the nerves. The brain directs everything that happens in the body by sending impulses through the nerves to the rest of the body. The brain controls everything that your body can possibly do: it tells muscles to flex, lungs to breathe, the heart to pump, and so on. Chiropractic adjustments help the nervous system to function at its maximum potential, which translates in excellent health and optimal sports performance.

If your child does tell you that his or her neck or back hurt after a fall or a sports injury, make an appointment with your local chiropractor. We, as professionals, are able to treat painful neck or back injuries efficiently and effectively, and we find that children generally respond more quickly to treatment than adults do, they grow better, they live healthier, they play harder.

For the name and address of the chiropractor nearest to you, please consult your local Yellow Pages under “Chiropractor”, or visit the Canadian Chiropractic Association’s website at www.albertachiro.com and click on “Find a Chiropractor”.

Dr. Beingessner can be contacted at the Memorial Square Chiropractic Clinic at (403) 273-5653.