I’m torn, how about you? Just yesterday I’m out back playing football with my boys and neighborhood kids and having a blast. Now today, I sit here watching football truly enjoying my time with them, rooting for scores for our team, and teaching them what it takes to be successful on such a high level. So as a Chiropractor and a Christian, someone who honors this temple that houses our spirit, I’m torn.

I love sports, but is there such thing as too much? I can watch a basketball game, soccer game, baseball game, etc. and see great people expanding their body, mind and spirit to perform on an extreme level. I can’t recall the last time I’ve watched this wonderful game of football and not seen a serious injury. It happens in every sport, but should it happen in every game? Torn ligaments, meniscus, achilles, shoulder injuries, all that take you out for the year, to rebuild and try to get back for the next season.

However, the injury that is really starting to get to me are the concussions. Many ask, is it that big of a deal? I was speaking to a hall of famer this past year who was sharing with me his experience of having a fellow athlete who was still young, yet he could tell his history of concussions had impacted his mental cognition and was convinced this was the primary factor in his change in personality and for him taking his own life.

These concussions occur very commonly in sports, auto accidents, and other similar types of trauma. The cause of injury is very similar to that of a whiplash, but the main difference is the concussion occurs once the acceleration and/or deceleration forces stress the brain and other neural components that cause an alteration of mental status, as opposed to a whiplash injury, which typically injures more of the neck region, but can still impact neural function.

I write this because I am a big proponent of the freedom of choice. Whether we are speaking of healthcare, vaccinations, or family choices of how we choose to live our life or guide our family, I believe the best thing anyone can do is be properly informed before making that choice so that we can live a life of blessings and abundance versus a life of consequences. Health is wealth, and does not come from luck, but from creating it day in and day out through the proper choices. My prayer is that by bringing light to some of these issues, it will open your desire to be well informed before making some of these life altering decisions.

If you or your family has a concern regarding an injury of this magnitude, our neural scan will be able to give us insight into your overall function of your nervous system and whether chiropractic or acupuncture may be a good choice to help restore your bodies overall health and performance. I wish you each a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with health, hope and abundance!

Dr. Dennis James

Keller Chiropractor