All athletes are vulnerable to overuse injuries, and young people are no exception. Being active is beneficial and gratifying, but with children starting sports at younger ages, medical experts indicate youth injuries continue to rise in the overall number of cases. As a chiropractor who specializes in sports injuries, specifically those involving soft tissue and bone, Dr. Jennifer Grozalis of Synergy Sports Rehabilitation and Chiropractic in Newtown, sees youth athletes from preteen age through young adulthood.
A recent addition to the Synergy practice, highly successful in treating young athletes, is a new shockwave therapy providing a nonsurgical solution to get youths back to their sports faster than traditional methods. Using acoustic shockwaves, the technique locates damaged tissue and remodels it at the cellular level, providing significant, fast-acting results, typically within a couple of weeks. Dr. Grozalis says conditions that can be addressed include scar tissue, calcification, tendinopathy, bursitis and capsulations.
“Often, when kids get sports injuries, they seek out a physical therapist to strengthen injured areas. But athletes don't get injured because they're weak; they get injured from overuse," says Dr. Grozalis.
"Overuse injuries are usually strain sprains and are basically micro tears that turn into scar tissue, which decreases range of motion and prevents athletes from performing. We specialize in this area, using shockwave to break up scar tissue and then restore the patient’s range of motion. Shockwave is unique, better and more effective."
Some examples of the sports injuries treated by Dr. Grozalis include knee, shoulder, lower back, elbow, ankle and foot for athletes ranging from baseball and football players to cheerleaders, swimmers and runners. "I've also treated young people with other overuse issues, such as a high school marching band drummer with lower back pain. Although this technique is new for physical therapy, Shockwave has actually been previously used in hospitals to break up kidney stones," she adds.
In addition to specializing in soft tissue-related physical challenges, other therapies that Dr. Grozalis incorporates into her practice include laser therapy, Active Release Techniques, Graston Technique, Triton DTS Decompression Therapy, Neuromuscular Re-education and Myofascial Release/Trigger Point. As she explains, because there are many tools to address physical issues, there’s "always a new technique to try if one in particular isn’t working." For example, she says laser therapy speeds up healing time, cutting it in half, and gets athletes back to participating more quickly.
She typically sees younger athletes throughout the season even after they're healed. “They get better outcomes if they maintain a normal range of motion, maintaining their peak level of fitness,” she says. “For example, pitchers will enhance their sports performance, getting to their optimal level.”
Before starting treatment, Dr. Grozalis personally meets with athletes or youths and their parent(s) to talk through therapy options, which she states are covered by most insurance plans. She says some patients want to try a specific technique, but she always makes sure to tailor therapy to each patient.
“When people see results and how effective it is, they see the benefits [of a specific therapy],” she explains. "Some of my patients are youth that I've seen since the time they were a tween, and now they are coming back to us during and after college."
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