Game On: Chiropractic Care, Concussions, and Your Athlete

Hey, athlete parents! Has your child ever hit a bump on the field? Concussions are serious business, but don't worry, we've got their back – literally! Chiropractic care isn't just about winning games; it's about keeping your child safe and performing their best. By learning how to take care of their nervous system, they enhance their performance and equip themselves with the tools to recover from concussions more effectively. So, let's team up and ensure your child’s health is always in championship shape!

Concussion talk is everywhere in professional sports, but what about your young athlete? Around 3 million concussions happen each year! And half of those go unreported, leaving athletes injured and not performing their best. Let’s talk about some signs of concussion and how you can help your athlete get back to playing the sport they love! In football and basketball specifically, concussions can occur after taking charges, tackles, hard falls, or any whiplash injury. Any sport can cause them, however. I’m sure there have been a few after an overly spirited ping-pong match or two somewhere. When your child has a head injury, observe them for symptoms after. These can range from mild to severe, but typically symptoms include:

Headaches or neck pain

Blurry vision

Mental fogginess or memory loss

Dizziness

Nausea

Irritability/Mood swings

Lack of concentration

While some of these symptoms may appear right after the injury, sometimes they can be delayed for hours, days, or weeks. Rest, time, and patience are critical for the brain to heal and avoid re-injury. Chiropractic helps address your athlete's symptoms and promotes the body's natural healing ability!

Compare a concussion or sports injury to a giant storm that quickly circles through the brain. Heavy rain washes out the roads (the brain’s pathways), making them unusable. Without proper repair, those damaged roads remain dysfunctional. This is where chiropractic can help! By getting adjusted regularly, we can fully support the nervous system to help get signals back to the right places.

The nervous system is the master control of the body. Two essential parts of that system are the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) system and the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) system. Normally, those systems should be balanced nicely. This helps our brain remain cool and calm. During a concussion, your child’s body remains in “fight or flight” mode. This leads to their body feeling worn out, stressed, and tired—not a good place for a teen to be!

Most concussion symptoms can also be traced back to inflammation. Prolonged inflammation can lead to delayed recovery and healing. Reducing inflammation during the first couple of days post-injury is vital. Alongside chiropractic, nutritional supplementation can also be critical in helping the brain heal. Omega-3 fatty acids can be a great resource to help reduce inflammation in the body! These are found in fatty fish like salmon or tuna and other foods like beans, chia, and flax seeds.

So, what should you be prioritizing for your athlete who has a concussion?

Get them adjusted! This may help reduce symptoms, give them better sleep, reduce inflammation, and help regulate their nervous system to get them out of “fight or flight” mode.

Let them rest and slowly ease back into activity. Typically, the first 24-48 hours is the time to prioritize rest. They should slowly progress back into sports. Remind your athlete that the process can be slow. Rushing back into high-intensity exercise may cause more damage to an already susceptible athlete. This includes “brain rest”. Make sure they are not on their phones, watching TV, or doing anything that exerts too much mental energy. If they are getting headaches or other symptoms during any activity, that is a sign they should slow down.

Encourage a good diet! An injured brain requires more energy to heal. Feed them well and often, and don’t forget to add some omega-3s to help reduce inflammation.

None of the information here is meant to diagnose your child. Please reach out to us or a healthcare provider if you are concerned about your child. Make sure always to see a pediatric-trained chiropractor. Go to www.icpa4kids.org to find one close to you!