Fall is here and with it, come the sports we all love over the season. In the conduct of fall sports, head and neck injuries are quite common. Weather conditions contribute to playing fields which are slick and sometimes unsafe. Even with cleats helping us stay upright, we can be flat on our faces out there before we even know what’s happening.
Of all the fall sports likely to render high levels of head and neck injuries, football leads the pack. Statistics for serious injuries and permanent disabilities caused by injuries while playing are much higher among high school players than those who play at the college level.
Perhaps that statistic is shocking, but it’s not surprising. Younger players are less body-aware than older players and high school teams are much less likely to support players with resources like physical therapy and chiropractic.
Disciplines like chiropractic aren’t just for the sake of treating injuries. They’re for the sake of teaching players how their bodies work and ensuring they understand how not to get injured while playing.
It’s clear that with fall sports, head and neck injuries are always going to be a problem, but injuries can be drastically reduced when teams at all levels have the right therapeutic supports in place.
Football, at all levels of play, accounted for 63% of head and neck injuries in the fall season.
Other risky pursuits.
Football isn’t alone in its ranking a major source of head and neck injuries in the world of fall sports. As snow begins to collect on mountains, snowboarding casualties are bound to follow. Snowboarding ranked in the top four for fall sports-related head and neck injuries, responsible for over 83,000 such incidents.
But skateboarding, aside from making city pedestrians hypervigilant, is responsible for a whopping 129,000 head and neck injuries per year, making it the leader.
Mitigation.
Using the right safety equipment, of a high quality, is your best defense against fall sports head and neck injuries. Helmet up, wear your padding and wear the right footwear. It’s important to note here that choosing footwear specially adapted to your chosen sport is an absolute must.
It’s also crucial that you keep the contact information of a reliable chiropractor with you, in the event of injury. A chiropractor can attend to treat the injury, on the spot.
Professional athletes don’t need to be told how important it is that access to chiropractic care be provided by the team. The timely intervention of a chiropractor can make the difference between a serious injury, prone to recurrence and a manageable issue.
If you’re a fan of fall sports, head and neck injuries are part of the territory. You can help make your body more resistant to injury and learn more about how your body works with the help of a chiropractor. Understanding your physical realities makes you more aware of placement and positioning when you’re out on the field.
Back & Body Medical is here for weekend warriors and professional athletes alike. Contact us.
