By Dr. Kelly Herta, DC

Today, there is a growing understanding of the importance of exercise in our daily lives. As a result more adults, children, and seniors are committing themselves to a life of fitness. They are choosing to use fitness to improve their health as well as prevent further deterioration of their well-being. But, the result has become an increase in sports related injuries. Although there are many causes of sports related injuries, with a little knowledge, many of these injuries are often preventable. Nevertheless, since many individuals do not even notify their health care professionals that they are beginning an exercise program, instead often waiting until they are in pain to notify them, they often have to suffer the consequences. This can be especially true in seniors who have for the first time in years began to exercise, for children who have not yet learned how to protect themselves, and for teens whose bodies are rapidly changing.

Chiropractic can be especially helpful in teaching a person how to prevent sports related injuries, as well as provide a conservative, non-invasive way to treat injuries that have already occurred. Chiropractic is ideally suited to helping athletes deal with the many pains and strains that can result from playing sports and pursuing various physical fitness goals.

A doctor of chiropractic can help you assess your athletic and fitness goals and analyze your motivation to prevent injuries caused by going beyond sensible activity limits given your age, health profile, preexisting conditions, and any other factors. Chiropractors have expertise in dealing with spine-nerve problems, with range-of-motion and biomechanical issues often central to what makes people prone to sports-related injuries.

Many professional and high-level amateur athletes depend on chiropractic to protect them from costly and career-threatening injuries. They want any injuries they sustain to be managed in the most conservative way to lessen their “down time.” Chiropractic focus is to do just this, by finding the most conservative and non-invasive methods to treat injuries to not only the spine but all joints and muscles in the body.

In order to prevent athletic injuries notify your chiropractor of your plans to begin playing a new sport or working towards a new fitness goal and ask to have a sports physical performed. Sports physicals can often times point out areas in ones body that may be prone to injury while participating in a fitness program. This information can then be used to design a program to help the patient prevent injuries from occurring.

For more information, Dr. Kelly Herta, DC at Aligned Health Chiropractic & Wellness Center. 27875 Smyth Dr. # 100, (661)295-5200.

Read more articles from Dr. Herta’s Body Wellness series by clicking here.