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Playing it Safe in Youth Sports

By Suzy Frisch, MSP Magazine, 08/07/19, 1:45PM PDT

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Concussions are not the only concern for kids in contact sports. Keep your young athletes healthy and healed after injury with these tips.

A 13-year-old girl playing league soccer tried to head the ball and collided with another player. The opponent’s elbow struck her head, resulting in dizziness, headaches, and the inability to focus. It appeared that she had a concussion.

But the teen’s care team knew to look for additional injuries because people who suffer concussions often experience whiplash, too. That makes it vital to treat both areas to help athletes return to academics and action, says Dr. Jordan Knowlton-Key, a chiropractor and sports fellow at Northwestern Health Sciences University Human Performance Center.