As summer fades, thoughts shift to fall: cooler temperatures, sweater weather, and the return of everyone's favorite fall sport, football.
NFL teams are already in training camp with their sights set on the Lombardi Trophy. College programs are convinced this could be their championship year. And high school coaches are reminding their players, game after game, to take it "one game at a time."
But all that optimism can be derailed by a single bad break, namely, an injury. Football demands that linemen block, skill players execute, and defenders tackle; an injury at any position can shift a team's fortunes. Every player matters, including the backups who push the starters to improve in practice.
Injuries hurt team performance across the board, which is why every team's training and medical staff works to treat and prevent them. A chiropractor is often a key part of that staff.
Back to School, Back to Sports
Late summer also means the start of a new school year. Students return to classes, homework, and exams. For student athletes, it also means a return to practice and the start of local rivalries.
High schoolers compete in everything from wrestling to soccer to swimming, but in most towns, football reigns supreme.
Communities rally around their local football teams. Friday nights and Saturday afternoons draw students, faculty, parents, and even fans without kids in school, all filling the stands to cheer on their team.
While prep athletes don't play at a professional level, they compete just as hard. Winning matters, and for some, a strong season can mean a college scholarship and a brighter future. But with that competition comes risk. Prep athletes get injured, as do the even younger players in Pop Warner and other youth leagues. These young athletes need the same access to treatment and injury prevention as their professional counterparts.
What Injuries Are Football Players Prone To?
Football is a game of speed, quick direction changes, jumping, throwing, kicking, catching, and of course, contact. Linemen collide on nearly every play, so it's no surprise injuries are so common.
These risks aren't limited to the pros. Amateur, semi-pro, and even recreational touch football players get hurt too. Very young athletes tend to see fewer injuries, but by high school, players are big and strong enough to do real damage to themselves and each other.
The most common high school football injuries involve the musculoskeletal system, particularly the lower body. Calf, ankle, and foot injuries top the list, along with ligament sprains, which are often manageable with ice, compression, elevation, and rest.
Younger athletes face a particular risk of fractures, since their bones (and growth plates) haven't fully matured. Knee ligament tears, common among NFL players, also occur in younger athletes.
The most serious risk is head injury. Players are coached to avoid leading with their heads, but in the intensity of a game, it still happens. A head-to-head collision can cause severe neck and head trauma for both players involved. Concussions rank among the most dangerous injuries an athlete can suffer, with effects that can be immediate and long-lasting, including links to depression and cognitive decline. That's exactly why proper prevention and treatment matter so much, and why the NFL instituted its concussion protocols.
How Can Chiropractic Help With Concussion Symptoms?
A concussion typically results from a blow that violently shakes the brain. Though classified as a "mild" brain injury, the consequences can be serious, especially without proper treatment. Every injured player should be examined by a doctor, even if symptoms aren't immediately obvious.
Alongside care from a medical doctor, chiropractic treatment may support concussion symptom management and recovery. Healing requires strong blood flow to injured tissue, including the bruised areas of the brain affected by a concussion. By aligning the spine, chiropractors may help improve nerve communication, restore joint movement, and support better posture, all of which can contribute to a shorter recovery. And because chiropractic care is drug-free, it works with the body's natural healing process, without the side effects or addiction risks that can come with medication.
Can High School Athletes Benefit From Chiropractic Care?
Concussions are far from the only issue chiropractic care can address. These benefits extend to athletes of every age and every sport.
**Injury Prevention**
One of the biggest advantages for young athletes is injury prevention. Adjustments improve joint mobility and range of motion, lowering the odds of a ligament tear or pull. Full range of motion also helps athletes perform at their best, whether that's a spin move to shake a tackler or a full extension to make a catch or a shoestring tackle. Regular care can also sharpen coordination: a properly aligned spine and joints move more freely, which supports faster response to signals from the brain. Since many injuries stem from poor technique, better coordination means fewer of them.
**Pain Relief**
Even with the right precautions, injuries happen in competitive sports, and pain relief is a critical part of recovery. Medication can help but often comes with side effects and addiction risk. Chiropractic care may ease pain naturally by helping the body's systems work together the way they're meant to. **Faster Recovery** Injured athletes want back on the field as soon as possible, and high schoolers especially tend to be impatient. But returning before fully healed invites further injury. By boosting blood flow and relieving pressure on spinal nerves, chiropractic treatment may speed healing and get young athletes back with their teammates safely.
**Better Performance**
Chiropractors identify and adjust spinal subluxations to support nervous system response and reflexes, while restoring full joint range of motion, both of which can meaningfully boost performance. Tom Brady and Joe Montana, two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, have both credited chiropractic care as part of their success. Tips to Help Keep Athletes Healthy A sports medicine-trained athletic trainer is a valuable resource for any team, able to build a treatment plan and coordinate with medical professionals when injuries occur. But the best approach is always prevention.
**Warm Up**
Before any practice, scrimmage, or game, high school players need a proper warm-up: full-body stretching plus light calisthenics or jogging to loosen muscles and joints and get the blood flowing. Cold, tight muscles are far more prone to pulls and tears, so warming up properly cuts that risk significantly.
**Stay Hydrated**
Physical exertion means sweat, so hydration is essential before, during, and after activity. Dehydration raises the risk of both injury and illness. Water is the best choice, though sports drinks can help with electrolytes; just watch the labels, since many are loaded with sugar.
**Eat Well**
An athlete's body needs proper fuel. Lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and plenty of fruits and vegetables provide the nutrients needed to perform and stay healthy, while fats, sugars, and processed foods are best kept to a minimum.
**Get Good Sleep**
A hard practice or game takes a toll, and quality sleep is how the body repairs and restores itself, including muscle tissue. Young athletes need 8-9 hours of solid sleep each night; it's one of the biggest contributors to peak performance.
High school sports are a fun, valuable part of a young person's education, and like any physical activity, they carry a risk of injury. Taking the right steps to prevent injury, and to support performance and recovery, makes all the difference. Call us at 512 556-8223 to schedule or with questions on how we would treat your athlete.
Dr. Craig Benton
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