Chiropractic Care for High School Athletes

High School and sports go together. From soccer, to baseball to football, we’re pushing our student athletes to excel at earlier ages. With more access to sports, there are also increased risks of injury. Chiropractic care from early on can help reduce the possibility of injury, and help a high school athlete recover quicker when injury occurs.

High school athletes are increasingly turning to chiropractic care to help them relieve pain and stay fit. Many athletes seek chiropractic care on their own. However, there is a growing trend for schools and professional teams to either have a direct relationship with a chiropractor or have one on their medical staff.

Many athletes began looking into chiropractic care in the mid-eighties. Quarterback, Joe Montana, was treated on national TV by a chiropractor before the 1989 Super Bowl. Following their win in the Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers decided to have a chiropractic physician on staff permanently. Today, according to the NFL, all teams either have a chiropractor on staff, or have a chiropractor visit the team weekly.

No matter which sport high school athletes play, no matter how young or old, just about every athlete will experience some sort of sports injury at some time in his or her life. Sometimes the competitive drive can push athletes to reach beyond the maximum output of their bodies. Often this type of output leads to various types of sports injuries, such as pulled muscles, torn ligaments, or broken limbs.

Chiropractic Care Can Help...

Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and can provide advice on sports training, nutrition and injury prevention to young athletes. Chiropractic care can be very effective at treating a myriad of sports injuries. For many athletes, chiropractic offers a non-invasive, prescription-free path to restored physical ability.

Athletes, young and old, I encourage you to consider chiropractic for proper care to “stay in the game.”

September 2012 Massage Special

Click on coupon to enlarge and print

Read about why Brian regularly schedules massage:

"As a long time runner, 10 marathons including 3x Boston finisher and Ironman WI finisher, I’ve experienced my fair share of “runner’s injuries”. However, as I’ve moved up in age groups and am now considered a masters runner, I see fewer and fewer of my peers at the start line. Massage; I am confident in saying that without massage I would not be running marathons. In my mind, massage is equivalent to a regular oil change for a vehicle. Without regular oil changes the vehicle will run for a time but eventually lack of oil changes will catch up to a vehicle. As masters runners we can get by for some time without massage but long term, massage acts to prevent injuries extending our ability to run." ~Brian - Appleton, WI

Protein Drinks and the Teen Athlete

You don’t need to guzzle protein shakes or consume massive amounts of protein powder in order to gain muscle. The amount of protein the average American eats is sufficient for the body; the rest of the work in muscle building comes from strength training. A recommended guideline is about one to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram in body weight each day (a kilogram is equal to approximately 2.2 lbs).

One thing athletes do have to worry about more than anyone else is getting enough iron to prevent fatigue and enough calcium to maintain strong bones and muscles. The recommended daily amount of iron—which you can find in red meat, beans and leafy greens—is 15 milligrams per day for women and 10 for men. Young women need about 1,200 milligrams of calcium, which can be found in dairy, per day.

For workouts of one hour or less in duration, water is the best choice to drink to maintain your body’s fluid level. Sports drinks that replenish electrolytes are best left to workouts that last over an hour. Make sure to keep drinking fluids before, during and after the workout or event to stay hydrated.

Protein can help decrease muscle damage and soreness, but the best sources are probably already in your refrigerator.  Cottage cheese and chocolate milk are great ways to get protein in your diet, are inexpensive, and can be readily purchased at the grocery store.

Some cautions to note:

• Some protein drinks and shakes contain substances that may be considered illegal if you are a competitive athlete.  Check WIAA, NCAA or other guidelines. 
• Creatine is not recommended for athletes under the 18 years of age because of significant side effects that may include cramping and dehydration, nausea, diarrhea and kidney problems.

Please make sure to be aware of all side effects before taking this type of supplement.

Teens and Back or Neck Pain

What parents need to know, what to look for, and when to seek treatment 

As teens transition from an active summer to a school year of sitting, reading, video games, computers, and heavy back packs, they often suffer from back and neck pain, as well as headaches.

There can be several sources of neck and back pain.

• Poor posture such as rounded shoulders and forward head carriage
• Spinal misalignments that occur with contact sports, tubing, trampolines, stomach sleeping etc.
• Scoliosis which is a 10% curvature of the spine that usually develops between the ages of 10 and 15
• Meningitis – symptoms include pain and stiffness in the neck while touching the chin to the chest, fever, persistent headache,  and vomiting. SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR CHILD HAS MENINGITIS!

The doctors at Schubbe Resch Chiropractic and Physical Therapy Centers treat children and teens with neck and back pain on a daily basis. We are happy to discuss your concerns by phone if you would like to find out if chiropractic care may be helpful for your teen.

We will evaluate your child and determine the most effective treatment, whether it be chiropractic care, physical therapy, or referral to your medical provider.

Vitamins for Your Child

75% of children only get between 75-80% of the RDA for all vitamins and minerals. This means their daily diet is still inadequate. It is important to get as many vitamins and minerals in their diet by eating fruits and vegetables, but most children need some supplementation. For this reason, a quality daily multiple vitamin and mineral complex for children is an important base. A children’s formula without added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or other added fillers is important. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are also important for a child’s growth and development.  Fish oil contains two compounds called EPA and DHA.  DHA is an essential fatty acid needed for brain growth and development.  Think of DHA as brain food.  A quality supplement is a must; poor quality fish oil may contain unwanted contaminants.  EPA/DHA deficiency has been linked to numerous childhood problems, including ADHD and autism. The amount of fish oil taken per day depends on the supplement and the age of child, it should be labeled for children and should say on the label the amount to take based on age/weight of the child.

Vitamin D supplementation is also important in childhood, particularly for those of us who live in northern climates.  Our bodies can make vitamin D from sunlight, but the use of sunscreens and the limited amount of quality sunlight we get in northern climates can prohibit our bodies from making enough. Vitamin D deficiency in childhood has been linked to numerous autoimmune disorders, including type 1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease, certain cancers, as well as osteopenia/osteoporosis in children.  Recent studies also clearly show a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of pediatric viral respiratory infection. Infants need 400-1000 IU vitamin D per day, children over 2 years of age 1,000-2,000 IU/day.

Along with supplementation, a quality diet is a must for our growing children.  Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, and whole grains are fuel for your child’s growth and development. A simple way to get a child to eat more fruits and vegetables is more exposure to them; going to the farmer’s market, seeing mom and dad make healthy choices, and cultivating a garden in your own backyard are ways to start.  If fresh vegetables are in short supply, frozen fruits and vegetables are also a quality option. Avoid canned products when possible, metals from them can leach into the food, and many canned fruits/vegetables have a toxic chemical called BPA in the lining. Making healthy choices along with some supplementation can promote your child’s proper growth and development and help ward off other serious diseases.

Our offices carry a variety of high quality nutritional supplements for both you and your child.  Speak to your chiropractor about the best recommendations for you and your family.

Marathon Nutrition - Before, During and After the Race

Prior to race day, marathoners need 60-70% of their total calories from carbohydrate, the remaining calories from fat and protein. This carbohydrate loading allows for storage of carbohydrate as glycogen in both muscle tissue and the liver.  Muscle glycogen is the primary source of fuel used in the first 90 minutes of exercise.  After 90 minutes, muscle glycogen stores become depleted and glycogen is released from the liver.  If you do not have proper glycogen stores, you will exhaust yourself and “hit the wall”.  High quality carbohydrates in the form of whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables are best prior to race day.

A proper pre-exercise meal can improve performance and time to exhaustion, as well as enhance liver glycogen stores.  The pre-event meal should be high in carbohydrates, non-greasy, and easily digested. The amount depends on the time it is ingested prior to the event. Three to four hours before the race, roughly 700 kcal can be consumed safely.  Examples of a 700 kcal meal include scrambled egg whites with white toast, low sugar jam, and a banana.  Other examples include 2 cups plain pasta with a roll, or 1 can low fat sports shake with no more than 25 grams of protein, 1 sports bar, 1 banana, and water.  Two to three hours before the race, the kcal count drops to 300-400 kcal. Taking out the banana in previous examples drops the kcal to this amount, another example would be a smoothie with berries, banana, and 1 scoop soy or whey protein. One hour or less before the competition, only consume 100 kcal, as too much more will cause gastric upset with exercise. Fresh fruit, ½ bagel, or sports drinks are good examples.  White toast and regular pasta are recommended for a reason - having fiber before an event often causes stomach upset/cramping/diarrhea with the event. Endurance events also require carbohydrates with a higher glycemic index.    Whole grains are recommended in the days and weeks before the, but not the day of. 

Carbohydrate feeding during the event delays fatigue and ensures you will have the proper energy stores to finish the race. Carbohydrate feeding during an event also ensures you will maintain proper blood glucose and enhance performance.  From a physiological standpoint, the type of carbohydrate does not matter. Some athletes prefer a sports drink, while others prefer to eat a solid or gel and consume water. The rate of carbohydrate ingestion during an event should be approximately 26-30 g every 30 minutes, which is equivalent to 1 cup of a 6-8% carbohydrate solution taken every 15- 20 minutes. Less than 5% carbohydrate solution does not help performance, and over 10% can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and nausea.

After the race, at least 20 hours will be needed for complete restoration of glycogen stores.  It is best to start carbohydrate intake immediately after exercise and at 15-60 minute intervals afterward for up to five hours after exercise. At this time, carbohydrates that are higher on the glycemic index are best as they will replenish glycogen stores better post exercise than low glycemic index. Adding 5-9 grams of protein with every 100 g of carbohydrate eaten helps increase glycogen synthesis rate and helps with muscle repair.  Many athletes find it difficult to eat immediately post exercise, so you may want to drink your carbohydrates or consider foods such as fruit pops, bananas, oranges, melons, or apple slices, or a smoothie with whey protein. Make sure to experiment with this during training so that when it comes to race day, you have found the right combination of foods that work best for you to optimize your performance.

Free Injury Assessments for Fox Cities Marathon Participants

Are you training for the Fox Cities Marathon or Half Marathon on September 22nd?  If so, you need to know about our FREE injury assessments for runners from September 2nd through September 20th. You can have one of our chiropractors assess your running injury at no cost.  We'll let you know if your injury is something we can help you with.  If so, we'll get you scheduled for the proper appointments to get you back to your training program with as little down time as possible.

With our combination of Chiropractic, Graston Technique, Kinesio Taping, Active Release Technique, Physical Therapy and Wellness Programs, we're bound to find a way to help you out!

Appleton office - Time has been reserved from 1-2 daily with Dr. Nathan Zachor - please call 920-738-0200 to schedule your assessment.

Neenah office - You may call 920-720-0660 to schedule an injury assessment any time during our normal office hours.