Does Your Sporting Child Need Chiropractic?
I have two amazing daughters, both very active. They love their dance, gymnastics and cheer. As a chiropractor I am extremely proud and occasionally some what nervous about the incredible and weird positions they contort their bodies and spine.
I check their spines at least once a fortnight and have done so since birth. It’s no surpise considering what they do with their sports, combined with school, backpacks and screen time that it’s rare I don’t find multiple areas to adjust each time I check them.
Chiropractic is for your spine like going to the dentist is for your teeth. Most people would be shocked to hear if someone had never taken their child to the dentist in their whole life, yet only about 10% of the population has their child’s spine checked regularly as they are growing. Unfortunately, our society is far more concerned with straight teeth than a straight back.
Particularly for the active child the purpose or chiropractic is to increase performance, prevent injury and monitor for any imbalances as they are growing and have those imbalances corrected there and then.
As children train more and more the spine has to resist the forces it’s under. Over time, if imbalances are left, the spine will fatigue and buckle under the continuing load from their sport.
For the science people don’t just take my word for it, check out some of these compelling studies from the scientific literature that supports the need for chiropractic in sporting children. 
CORE STRENGTH (2)
Almost all sports require a strong stable core to perform well. A ground breaking study showed that there is an immediate increase in core strength following a Chiropractic adjustment. The average increase was measured at 21%!!
AGILITY, BALANCE, POWER AND REACTION TIME (3)
100 university students were tested before and after a series of Chiropractic sessions and tested against a control group. After the course, the chiropractic group had a 16.7% improvement in Agility, balance and power and 18%improvement in reaction time. The control group showed just a 1% improvement.
PREVENTING INJURY DURING SEASON (4)
A study of semi-elite AFL players showed low back, hamstring and non-contact lower limb injuries occurred less when the team received Chiropractic care during the season.
These are just some of the reasons why consdering chiropractic care for you sporting child is a good choice. Please feel free to book your child in with myself for a checkup or find a local wellness chiropractor in your area.
Dr. T
1. Wantanabe, Kota MD, et.al, Physical Activities and Lifestyle Factors Related to Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery https://journals.lww.com/jbjsjournal/toc/2017/02150
2.Mechanical force spinal manipulation increases trunk muscle strength assessed by electromyography: A comparative clinical trial .Tony S. Keller, PhDa, Christopher J. Colloca, DCb
3. Lauro, A., B. Mouch. Chiropractic Effects on Athletic Ability. Chiropractic: The Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation, 1991; 6; 84-87
4. Hoskins W, Pollard HP. The effect of a sports chiropractic manual therapy intervention on the prevention of back pain, hamstring and lower limb injuries in semi-elite Australian Rules footballers: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2010;11(1):64