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Chiropractic sports medicine with Dr. Anthony Blisko

Fall School Sports Outlook

Students at schools all over the country are active in football, volleyball, cross-country running and soccer. School sports are an invaluable, healthy, fun activity for kids and with proper supervision and care, can set your child on the road to a happier, healthier and stronger life. Make sure your children take a full water bottle with them and stay hydrated. Kids are more prone than adults to repetitive stress injuries, like "little league shoulder," an overuse injury in pitchers. Because their bones are still growing, stress that would cause minimal injury in an adult can fracture the weaker growth plates at the ends of children's and adolescents' bones. Varying your child's activities, slowly increasing the challenge of training, limiting the amount of time competing and paying attention to pain when your child complains is very important. Many sports have guidelines for child safety and your coach or teacher should be aware of these. Increasing muscle strength also helps to prevent injuries. For example, strong thigh muscles keep knees in place, particularly important for soccer players, and any child will benefit from a regular exercise regimen that will increase their flexibility.

Fall Hiking Health

Hiking is a great way to exercise your legs and lung capacity while enjoying the beauties of fall. No matter where you're hiking, remember to take a full water bottle with you when you hike and a partner. Don't hike alone, unless you are an expert hiker, and don't depend on your cell phone to save you - you may find you don't have a signal when you really need it. If you'll be enjoying a wilderness hike in one of our great state parks, contact park staff or rangers for additional safety information. If you strain a muscle or experience any pain or difficulty following a hike - see me!

Whatever sport you or your child is involved in, remember the proper safety equipment, to warm up and stretch out before you start and to cool down properly when you're done.

Build muscle strength and flexibility to prevent injuries and protect your ligaments, tendons and muscles. Consider a yoga class and weight training to improve your overall performance and prepare you for fall and winter activities.

Free Weights for Children?

I see athletes of all ages in my practice and am often asked whether young children should lift weights. I always answer emphatically - yes! Parents, if your child is ready to play a contact sport, he/she is ready to lift weights to get strong and prevent injuries. According to a study done at the University of Massachusetts, children gain strength faster by lifiting moderate weights with many repetitions. This method is also safer. The study involved 43 children, ages 5 through 11, who trained twice a week for eight weeks.