Chiropractic profession supports youth sports safety

January 6, 2011 — The American Chiropractic Association Sports Council (ACASC) was represented, along with over 40 healthcare and educational organizations, at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s (NATA) Youth Sports Safety Alliance (YSSA) Summit titled, “One Year Later: A Report Card on Youth Sports Safety.”

This Interdisciplinary Alliance, through education, awareness and legislative efforts, is dedicated to improving the safety of youth athletics. The Summit was held at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C.

“ACASC is proud to join the YSSA in its mission to encourage legislation and action regarding health care, equipment safety and increased research into sports safety regulations,” said Guillermo Bermudez, DC, CCSP, president of ACASC. “It is an excellent opportunity to participate on a national level, promoting a better understanding of the critical need for athletic evaluation, training, treatment and injury prevention.

“This opportunity also allows the chiropractic profession to bring to the attention of other health care providers and policy makers the unique and powerful contribution the chiropractic profession can make toward these goals.”

In addition to prevention, management, and awareness education, the focus of the event was to evaluate the success of the YSSA in its mission to ensure that young athletes have access to qualified health care professionals. During the Summit, several keynote speakers addressed recent studies related to sports health issues; ranging from heat stroke and cardiac death to traumatic brain injury and concussions.

“Doctors of Chiropractic are an essential part of the care continuum for today’s athletes, from the elite athlete to the youth athlete,” commented Ted Forcum, DC, DACBSP, FICC, CSCS, and the Official US Olympic Team Chiropractor in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “Chiropractic’s participation in the Youth Sports Safety Alliance Summit is an integral part of improving education and awareness, as well as care and safety for our country’s young athletes. Doctors of Chiropractic continue to help lead the way in performance enhancement and injury prevention for the patients we serve,” concluded Forcum.

Source: Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, www.f4cp.org