Back Pain in Teen Athletes

Although teenagers don’t suffer from back pain at as high a rate as adults, they’re not immune to it. There are several health conditions that could predispose a teenager to developing back problems, and the teenage years are when athletes usually begin to incur a risk of overuse injuries. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we’re happy to help teens learn about wellness and what they can do to exercise safely and recover effectively.

Usually, when teenagers suffer back pain due to overuse injuries, the damage is limited to their muscles. In such cases, they may want to apply ice for fifteen minute intervals immediately after the injury and gradually work their way back to normal activity. If pain is recurring, we can provide electric muscle stimulation and cold laser therapy. But without a professional diagnosis, it may be difficult to tell the difference between muscle sprain and a dislocation of the spinal column. These could include spondylolisthesis, in which one of the vertebrae slip forward past the others, a fracture in the facet joints, or, less common in adolescents, a herniated disc.

Chiropractic adjustments can be helpful while recovering from a spinal injury, but we also offer lifestyle counseling, including physical therapy and nutrition. Teenage girls, in particular, are vulnerable to osteoporosis, and need both regular calcium and strong core muscles to prevent back injuries. Scoliosis is also more common in girls, and teenagers need to be examined for it at regular appointments. They may be able to reduce its severity through physical therapy and bracing.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

Exercises for Healthy Hips

Keeping your muscles strong and flexible is essential for keeping your skeleton in alignment. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or just trying to stay healthy, it's a good idea to be stretching regularly. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we help patients to devise individualized therapeutic regimens that fit their needs and are safe for them. But there are a few strategies for maintaining strong hips that work for most people, so let’s explore the basics.

We need to be cautious about forms of exercise such as jumping that subject the joints to repeated impacts. While in recovery from an injury, it’s often better to start slowly with range-of-motion exercises, such as hip circles. This means standing on one leg and slowly rotating the other in the air. Another exercise is the knee-to-chest stretch, in which a person lies on their back with their legs straight, and lifts one knee toward their chest and holds it before switching to the other leg. Side leg raises, in which a person lies on their side and lifts their leg while keeping it extended, are also a good way of strengthening the glutes.

As a person recovers, they’ll be able to do more complicated stretches and higher-stress exercises, such as lunges. The keys to avoiding overuse injuries are to ramp up intensity slowly and to maintain a varied work-out routine. Strong core and hip muscles will allow runners and other athletes to better withstand the jostling their joints are subjected to when their feet strike the ground or they have to change direction suddenly. We can also help athletes to recover faster by providing electric muscle stimulation, which increases blood flow by contracting the muscles, and by adjusting dislocated joints that may be putting extra strain on the hip and lower back muscles.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.