children – Page 2

Kids and Weight Training: How Young is Too Young?

October 6, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Weight training has a number of benefits for adults, including increased bone density, muscle strength, and physical work capacity, but can it have the same benefits for kids? Most health and fitness experts say “Absolutely, yes!” However, there are a few important caveats. Strength training for kids can be very beneficial, but certain limitations should be kept in mind.

Weight Training vs. Power Lifting or Bodybuilding

Kids can increase their strength, stamina, coordination and overall health through supervised strength training. By “strength training”, we mean exercises that use controlled movements with proper technique and light resistance to build strength. This should not be confused with powerlifting or bodybuilding, which focus on lifting progressively heavier weights or using weights to “sculp” musculature. When kids lift heavy weights, it places too much strain on their still-developing muscles and joints, and puts them at high risk of injury. Children should stay away from heavy free weights until they hit puberty. Instead, they should focus on strength training with body weight exercises and resistance tubing.

How Young is Too Young for Weight Training?

There is no magical age at which a child is ready for weight training. Instead, it depends on each child’s ability to follow directions and practice enough to achieve proper form. This can happen as early as seven or eight in some kids, but not in all. If your child seems content just running and playing, games like tag and tug of war can be a fun way to build strength and endurance. However, if your child shows an interest in using strength training to grow stronger, and you believe they are mature enough to practice good technique, it can be safe and even beneficial to start an age-appropriate weight training program.

Safe Weight Training for Kids

If your child has a history of medical problems, it is wise to check in with their doctor before starting a program. When you get the okay, take some time to talk with a coach or personal trainer who has some experience in strength training for children to learn which techniques to use and which to avoid. When you and your child are ready to start training, start with body weight exercises and resistance bands. Focus on the importance of proper form rather than working with heavier weights. Be prepared to stick with your child throughout his or her training: supervision helps prevent injuries.

Strength training can help children become better at sports, maintain a healthy weight, and feel good about themselves. When done in the proper manner, it can be a safe and fun activity. If you and your child are interested in starting a weight training program, consider talking with a chiropractor beforehand. Your chiropractor can help you better understand how this sort of training will impact your child’s musculoskeletal growth and development, as well as advise you on the best ways to keep your child safe and injury-free while training. With the right perspective and support, weight training can be a beneficial and fun activity for just about any child!

Growth Plate Injuries: What Parents Should Know

October 4, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

For a child, falling down is almost inevitable and generally doesn’t result in a trip to the emergency room. However, even minor falls can sometimes cause serious injuries. If you hear a cracking sound or if your child has bruising, swelling, or a limb deformity, there’s a chance your child may have broken a bone and you should seek medical attention right away if you notice these symptoms. Most types of breaks are routine (for the medical staff if not for the parent), but those involving a growth plate can present complications and require extra attention.

There is a marked difference between the bones of an adult and those of a child. Children have what are called physes—that is, growth plates. These growth plates are located at the end of long bones in the arms and legs. The growth plates, made of soft, rubbery cartilage, cause the bone to grow in length. Growth plates are found near the shoulder joint, elbow joint, hip joint, knee joint, ankle joint and wrist joint. Of the six main locations the ankles and wrists are particularly vulnerable to harm.

Growth plate damage can lead to long term problems. When a growth plate is injured, the bone may stop or slow growing. This is why it is essential to seek qualified medical treatment immediately to avoid problems later in life. If injured, a child should under no circumstances “walk it off.”

It is imperative to get the child to a doctor as soon as possible if you suspect a growth plate break. Growth plates heal quite rapidly, which gives doctors only a very short window to do non- surgical manipulations in order to set broken bones correctly. If your child has a minor, non-displaced break, the doctor may treat it like a sprain and recommend a splint, cast, or walking boot to protect the area for four to six weeks. Usually, these types of fractures do not require long-term care. Preferably, a growth plate fracture should be set within a week of injury.

When a child’s bone has moved or been displaced, an orthopedist can set the bone back in place in the emergency room without the need to operate. The child will be anaesthetized in the emergency department, and the doctor will use X-rays to determine where to correctly move the bone. Once the bone has been set, the doctor will set a cast in order to keep the bone in place. Usually the child will be allowed to go home that night, but occasionally they will be admitted to ensure the swelling is not too severe. Proper care and follow up will likely involve physical therapy and doctor’s visits for the next half a year.

Most growth plate fractures heal properly and do not result in any long-term issues. Once in a while, the bone stops growing and winds up shorter than the other appendage. For example, a fractured leg might become shorter than the opposite leg. Early detection that growth is unequal between the two limbs is essential. However, this is a true minority of cases and most children heal just fine.

Youth Sports: Are Single-Sport Child Athletes Really More Likely to Succeed Later?

August 25, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Especially if they’re athletes or sports fans themselves, it’s not unusual for mothers and fathers to have secret (or not-so-secret) hopes that their kids can become good enough in a sport to earn a college scholarship or go on to a professional career. Some parents believe that the best way to work toward this goal is to encourage their children—sometimes as young as 6 or 7 years old—to focus on a single sport as early as possible. The reasoning behind this early specialization is pretty simple: Kids who are not splitting their time among multiple sports will get better, faster (and be more competitive) than their “distracted” peers. In other words, the children who commit early get a developmental head start that will make them high-performers later.

While this idea may make intuitive sense, a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles (which has a reputation as a major power in collegiate athletics) suggests that the logic simply doesn’t hold true. In a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) in San Diego, Dr. John DiFiori, chief of sports medicine at UCLA’s School of Medicine, says that researchers can find no evidence that athletes who focused early on a single sport rose to elite levels in that sport.

To the contrary, most of the collegiate athletes surveyed were more like their peers, kids who enjoyed a wide range of recreational sports growing up, waiting until well into their teens before specializing on one sport. As DiFiori says, “Most successful athletes participate in a number of sports when they’re 6, 8 or 10 years old. That way, kids learn different skills and have the chance to discover which sport they truly enjoy.”

The study surveyed 296 male and female NCAA Division I athletes and found that 88% of them had participated in an average of two or three sports as children. In addition, 70% of them did not specialize in any one sport until after the age of 12. In a similar study on Olympic athletes, researchers found that most had participated in two or more sports before specializing.

While there are famous athletes like Tiger Woods or Andre Agassi who focused on one sport early in their lives, the research suggests that they are the exception and not the rule. The vast majority of successful collegiate or pro athletes dabbled in a number of other sports before settling on the one that brought them success. The data seems to indicate that early specialization may not help and may, in fact, be detrimental. Previous research has indicated, for example, that kids who train extensively in one sport are more prone to overuse injuries than kids who had more varied athletic experience, and played other sports as well. There’s also a greater risk of premature disengagement or “burn-out” that can come with focusing exclusively on one activity.

Based on this research, Dr. DiFiori feels that parents of kids who seem talented in one sport at an early age should allow and encourage them to play other sports. They may, after all, discover another sport that they enjoy more and are even better at. And—even if they do not—they will be exposed to sports that train them in a wider variety of motor skills. “Physical activity contributes to a happy and healthy childhood,” says Dr. DiFiori, “however, parents, coaches and children should monitor and measure their involvement level in a singular sport against the overall well-being and future success of the participant.”

Benefits of Copper

August 6, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Like some of the other essential dietary minerals, copper is needed only in trace amounts for your body to function properly. Nevertheless, copper is vital to many of the body’s functions, so it is important to ensure that you are not copper deficient (which is actually quite rare). Since the human body cannot synthesize copper on its own, it must be absorbed by the body from the food we eat.

Copper combines with protein to produce enzymes that spur a wide range of bodily functions. It plays a key role in energy production, supports the brain and central nervous system, and helps in the creation and metabolism of neurotransmitters. It also is important in the formation of connective tissue (including that of the heart and blood vessels) and plays a part in bone formation. It is necessary for proper iron metabolism and the healthy formation of red blood cells. It is also responsible for the production of melanin, the pigment that gives color to the skin, eyes and hair. Copper acts as an antioxidant and is important for a healthy immune system.

As mentioned earlier, copper deficiency is relatively uncommon. However, some people are more prone to a deficiency than others. This includes those who have cystic fibrosis, severely restricted diets, or problems with absorption through the gut (such as individuals with celiac disease). Infants and the elderly are also more prone to copper deficiency. Infants may be more at risk they have been fed only cow’s milk formula (cow’s milk is very low in copper).

The recommended daily intake of copper is as follows:

Infants, birth to 6 months: 200 mcg/day

Infants, 7 – 12 months: 220 mcg/day

Children, 1 – 3 years: 340 mcg/day

Children, 4 – 8 years: 440 mcg/day

Children, 9 – 13 years: 700 mcg/day

Adolescents, 14 – 18 years: 890 mcg/day

Adults, 19 years and older: 900 mcg/day

Pregnant women: 1,000 mcg/day

Breastfeeding women: 1,300 mcg/day

Being deficient in copper can contribute to anemia and osteoporosis as well as a variety of other health problems. However, having too much copper in your system can actually be toxic. Signs of copper toxicity include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain that can eventually lead to kidney and liver failure, coma and death. Taking high amounts of zinc can lower copper levels that have become too high.

Children should get the copper they need from their diet rather than from supplements. Adults who are considering taking a copper supplement should consult with their doctor before doing so, since it is important not to get too much copper, and it must have a proper balance with zinc. Foods rich in copper include liver, nuts (particularly cashews, almonds and Brazil nuts), seeds, legumes, clams and oysters.

Trampoline Safety: What Parents Should Know

May 3, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

From a health and safety point of view, the best advice we could give parents who are considering letting their kids use trampolines at home is to don’t do it unless you are willing to supervise and attend your children while they play on a trampoline.

Since 1977, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has strongly recommended against the use of home trampolines by children. In 2009, the last year for which complete data is available, nearly 100,000 people suffered injuries from trampoline use that required a visit to the Emergency Room.

The most compelling reason for not allowing trampoline use in your home is the risk of permanent neurological damage. One study found that 1 out of every 200 trampoline mishaps resulted in this type of injury. While the overall odds of this happening are small, the effect on a child’s life is potentially devastating.

According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), 75% of all trampoline injuries occurred when there were two or more people on the trampoline at one time. NEISS data also show that 29% of trampoline injuries in kids 6–17 were dislocations or fractures. This percentage jumps to 48% in kids 5 and under. What this tells us is that the smaller kids are the most vulnerable.

If you do decide to allow your children to use a home trampoline, there are a few things you (and they) can do to help prevent some types of injuries.

Safety Net—Ensure that your trampoline includes a safety net. The AAP has stated that safety nets have not improved injury statistics, but this could be because such netting is rarely installed or used properly.
Ground Level—If at all possible, install your trampoline at ground level. This will require digging a hole in which to set up the trampoline. This way, if the safety netting slips or fails, the person using the trampoline won’t have as far to fall.
One at a Time—Never let more than one person on the trampoline at a time. Allowing multiple users only magnifies the risk and the energy with which users are catapulted upward.
Store—When the trampoline is not in use, disassemble it and place it in storage.
Repair—Never use a trampoline that is ripped or damaged.
Padding—Make sure the trampoline is properly padded, covering the springs and other hardware with a different color.
Center—Always jump in the center of the trampoline for greatest control.
Simple Jumps—Never attempt somersaults or other complex maneuvers. Such moves should only be attempted under the strict supervision of trained professionals and/or with special safety equipment to ensure maximum protection.
Supervision—Children should be actively supervised by an adult at all times. This means that the adult responsible should not be distracted or doing something else. The trampoline user should have their entire attention and the adult should be able to control the user. In other words, if the user does not obey the commands of the adult, the trampoline session should end immediately.

As healthcare professionals, our primary message here is a very simple one—and it bears repeating. When it comes to home trampoline use, the best thing you can do for your child’s safety is to wait until they are older before allowing it. The risks far outweigh the benefits.

Kids and Sports: The New Youth Athletics Landscape

March 30, 2015 oblanderchiropractic

Over the last twenty years, the landscape of youth sports has changed dramatically. It used to be that children would gather after school and choose (or invent) an activity or game to play until dinnertime. In this world of “free play,” the kids set the rules and managed themselves more or less independently. These days, though, it’s much more common for kids’ sports to be highly organized and stratified, with adults more heavily involved than they were even a generation ago.

The downsides of adult-led, year-round structure

Kids can sometimes be rough-and-tumble, and they can also be cruel. This means that free play can have its share of problems when seen through the eyes of adults who are most concerned about limiting safety and social risks. From their point of view, there are clear advantages to having a neutral adult coach providing instruction and “managing” play. Parents who view free play as an unstructured waste of time may also be drawn to what they see as the more targeted developmental benefits of organized sports, though for slightly different reasons.

It’s important to understand that this shift has come with a cost. Many child development experts now believe that adult-led, year-round structure has deprived children of important opportunities to practice innovation, independence and self-management—including social skills like cooperation and dispute resolution. They also believe it has deprived them of opportunities to learn where the boundary is between good-natured (even competitive) physical play and play that is rough enough to cause real harm. Learning where this boundary is requires live experimentation that entails some risk. This is how children learn how to read and respond to others and to different kinds of situations appropriately.

The up-or-out world of youth athletics

The shift to adult-led, year-round structure has also changed the nature of youth athletics, creating a two-tier system of “recreational” and “competitive” sports where recreation often gets short shrift. This can produce a high-pressure environment for many children, who automatically begin associating athletics with expectations of performance. This sort of environment has the potential to change the relationship between kids and sports in a few different ways. In some cases, it may encourage youngsters of 8 or 9 years (or their parents) to choose a single sport early in their “careers” and to commit to it for the entire year. Children who do not make this early all-or-nothing commitment (even very athletic ones) may find that their playing opportunities dwindle and that they’re stuck in the middle—somewhere between a competitive tier that may demand too much and a recreational one that may offer too little. In other cases, it may discourage children with less obvious talent or less drive to abandon sports altogether.

The impact on health and wellness

This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about long-term musculoskeletal health and fitness. For earlier generations, sports were more seasonal and it was common for kids to play several different sports throughout the year. Since they didn’t specialize until later (if at all), they tended to become more well-rounded athletes and their physical development tended to be more balanced. And to the extent that different sports require different types of movement and emphasize different muscle groups, it was less likely for a young athlete to suffer overuse injuries. Today, physicians say they are seeing more juvenile athletes come in with repetitive stress injuries. For example, a recent study from the journal Radiology revealed that young baseball pitchers are at risk of an overuse injury of the shoulder known as acromial apophysiolysis, which can lead to long-term and even irreversible consequences as kids grow.

And what about children who opt-out of sports early because of performance pressure or burnout, or because they can’t “keep up” with peers who are developing before them? It may take these children years to rediscover sports. And they may miss out on exactly the types of physical activity that keep them fit and healthy unless they find some other alternatives.

A healthier, more balanced approach to athletics

Most medical doctors and chiropractic physicians would probably agree about the importance of variety when it comes to children’s musculoskeletal health and development. Even more broadly, variety is the key to achieving balanced physical, social and psychological growth. Plus, varying your activities is a great way to prevent boredom and increase enjoyment. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with competition or with working hard to excel at something, especially when it comes to sports and if it’s done for the love of the game. However, we adults should remember to let kids be kids, which means trying out different athletic activities, succeeding at some and failing at others, and learning to enjoy the process every step of the way.

How to Get Your Kids Up and Moving

January 19, 2015 oblanderchiropractic

About one third of children in the United States are overweight. This is a worrying statistic, but not necessarily a surprising one. Busy school and family schedules leave kids little time for physical activity, while computers and television are often a much more appealing way to spend time than running around outside.

However, if you watch kids on a playground, you’ll notice something interesting: when it comes to running, jumping, and playing, kids are a natural. Most kids want to get moving: all they need is the right environment and a little encouragement. Here’s how you can help.

Encouraging Kids to Be More Active

Kids need at least an hour of physical activity every day to stay healthy. You can help them achieve this amount of activity by providing opportunities to play and monitoring the amount of time they spend on sedentary activities. Use your knowledge of your child’s likes and dislikes to choose activities to direct them towards. Some kids will thrive on a soccer team or in a martial arts class, while others are miserable in these more structured environments. Never force a child to participate in a physical activity he or she don’t enjoy. Instead, work with them to find appealing ways to play.

Similarly, encouraging kids to stay active is much more effective when things are kept simple. If your kids are not naturally drawn to competition, keep the focus off winning and instead encourage them to just have a good time. Try to focus on age-appropriate activities and stifle the urge to push your kids towards better performance. Running, playing, and having a great time is enough.

Your children look to you to learn what kinds of habits constitute a healthy lifestyle. If you tend towards more sedentary pursuits yourself, your kids will likely mimic you. The opposite is also true: if you show them that you find physical activities fun, they’ll want to give them a try too. Make exercise a family activity. Go on walks or bike rides together, spend an afternoon hiking on some easy mountain trails, or take a trip to a skating rink. Engaging in physical activity together will help bring you closer and start building habits that your child can come back to throughout their lifetime.

Finally, do your best to limit the amount of screen time your children indulge in. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the leading causes of obesity, so monitor and control how much time kids spend on the couch. An hour a day is a good rule of thumb, but again, use your knowledge of your child to determine which amount of time is most appropriate.

Encouraging kids to be more active is an important part of keeping them healthy. For more guidance on how to maintain your children’s health, consider consulting with a chiropractor. Chiropractic care focuses on the whole body, making your chiropractor a great resource for more information on keeping your kids (and yourself) active.

With some time and a little encouragement, even the most TV-loving kids can learn how to get up and have a great time. Get out there with them and get in on the active fun.

For High School Athletes, Sports-Related Back Pain Starts Early

August 12, 2014 oblanderchiropractic

People often assume that lower back pain (LBP) is just a problem just for the elderly, or for middle-aged adults who have a history of physical wear and tear. But this is simply untrue. The fact is that over 31 million Americans live with lower back pain on a regular basis, and a great number of them are adolescents.

Recent studies have indicated that many high school students who participate in sports programs are at high risk for developing lower back pain—and worse, few of them seek or receive proper chiropractic treatment. This is increasingly recognized as a legitimate public health concern: A 25-year-long study of adolescent risk factors for LBP, published in 2000, revealed that students who had lower back pain at age 14 were likelier to have back pain 25 years later than students who didn’t have LBP when they were teenagers. This study suggested that prevention of back pain in youth may contribute to the absence of back pain in adulthood.

14 years later, not much has changed. A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined Finnish teenage athletes participating in a variety of sports. Researchers looked at the experience of 464 male and female athletes representing 22 basketball, floorball (a type of floor hockey popular in Nordic countries), ice hockey, and volleyball teams. They found that 255 athletes (55%) had experienced lower back pain in the past year. 51 players (11%) had suffered for longer than four weeks, and 80 (17.2%) had pain so severe that they had to miss training. However, only about 73 of them (29% of those with back pain) had received any medical attention for LBP.

Another study of 12,306 adolescent soccer players found that a significant percentage of them were likely to suffer injuries that cause lower back pain, resulting in the loss of 10,265 training days and—more importantly—putting them at higher risk for LBP as they age. The study also concluded that the likelihood of injury resulting in LBP increased dramatically if a young athlete received no medical attention, then returned to play before the injury had healed.

Parents of teenage athletes should weigh all of this information carefully if their son or daughter begins to complain of lower back pain. Don’t let them ignore it and go back to playing without having the condition treated. Remember—“walking it off” today could have longer-term health consequences that go beyond the discomfort or pain they’re feeling in the moment. Parents should also know that other studies have found chiropractic care to be the safest, most effective form of LBP treatment. Your chiropractor can help relieve your child’s pain today and help prevent a lifetime of lower back pain in the future, without drugs and without surgery. Call or visit our office today to learn more.

Young Children Pay a High Price for Screen Time

July 17, 2014 oblanderchiropractic

Many parents are occasionally thankful for the television—after all, it can serve as a low-cost, short-term babysitter while they cook or do housework. At the same time, however, many parents are concerned about the amount of television that their children watch—and for good reason. Statistics tell us that in America, children under six watch an average of two hours of TV a day, and children eight to 18 spend an average of four hours in front of a TV and often an additional two hours a day on computers or playing video games.

So what does all of this screen time mean for America’s children? Recent research published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that it is results in poorer well-being and sleep and that it contributes to childhood obesity.

In the first study, part of a larger research project called IDEFICS (Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-Induced Health Effects in Children and Infants), researchers examined 3,604 children aged two to six to determine if there was a relationship between their electronic media use and their sense of well-being. They assessed the children based on six standardized indicators of well-being (including emotional problems, peer problems, self-esteem, family functioning, and social interactions) and compared the results to the number of hours they spent in front of a TV, computer, or video game screen. They found that increased media use predicted much poorer senses of well-being. TV was found to be more harmful than computer use, but overall they found that there was a 1.2- to 2.0-fold increase in emotional problems and poorer family functioning for each additional hour of media use.

A second JAMA Pediatrics study involving 1,713 Spanish children found that children who watched more than 1.5 hours of television per day had shorter sleep duration and began to suffer from sleep deprivation. Their sleep duration shortened with every extra hour of television watched over the 1.5-hour baseline. And in a third study, researchers found that increased media exposure resulted in sharply increasing BMI (Body Mass Index) scores, and thus a tendency toward childhood obesity.

So how much TV is too much? Every day more research comes out indicating that exposure to electronic media can have adverse effects on children—effects that can persist into adulthood.

As a result, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of two not watch any TV, as the first two years of life are a critical time for brain development. Television and other electronic media can prevent exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, all of which are critical for social development. In addition, the AAP suggests that children older than two watch no more than one to two hours of electronic media per day.

Children and Caffeine: What Parents Should Know

May 29, 2014 oblanderchiropractic

The next time you pass a Starbucks, pause for a moment and imagine that the customers inside drinking their lattes and Grande Espressos are your children. Then imagine them ingesting a drug (caffeine) that is known as a powerful stimulant with a proven history of producing nervousness, restlessness, irritability, high blood pressure, insomnia, headaches and heart palpitations. Finally, consider that this exercise in imagination may not be all that far off the mark.

That is the key finding of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a 2014 study published in the journal Pediatrics. The researchers found that nearly three out of four children and young adults in America (73%) consume some caffeine a day, mostly from soda, tea, and coffee, but also from an alarming number of “energy drinks.”

This study comes as part of an investigation undertaken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into the safety of foods and drinks that contain caffeine—especially their effects on children and teens. In response to numerous reports of hospitalizations and even deaths after the consumption of highly caffeinated drinks or “energy shots,” the investigators analyzed health surveys containing data on over 22,000 subjects aged 2 to 22.

Many foods contain caffeine (including chocolate, candy bars, some jelly beans, and marshmallows), but most of the caffeine ingested by small children comes in the form of soda. The rise in the use of energy drinks—although they account for only 6% to 10% of children’s daily caffeine intake—is seen as particularly alarming, because many of these drinks contain even higher amounts of caffeine than soda.

The FDA study found that the average caffeine intake among participants was about 60-70 milligrams—roughly the same amount of caffeine present in a six-ounce cup of coffee or two sodas. However, this finding does not necessarily mean that this level of caffeine consumption is safe for children. In fact, while the FDA has classified caffeine as GRAS (generally recognized as safe), that classification is based solely on its use by adults. There is actually no current body of research analyzing its possible detrimental effects on children. Nakia V. Williams, M.D., a pediatrician at the Henry Ford Health System, says, “There haven’t been a lot of studies of caffeine in young children, but we do know that children suffer from similar side effects as adults, and that on average these side effects can occur at lower doses given the smaller body sizes.” The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends against caffeine consumption for children and teens because of possible harmful stimulant effects as well as the possibility of it worsening anxiety in children already suffering from anxiety disorders. The AAP holds the clear position that “stimulant-containing energy drinks have no place in the diets of children and adolescents.”

So if you have kids, think twice before allowing them to consume soda and other drinks that contain caffeine. Pediatricians are unanimous in suggesting that they would be better off drinking water, reasonable amounts of fruit juices, milk, and other non-caffeinated beverages.

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