“Head and shoulders, knees, and toes…” This song comes to mind when I think of our kids and all their milestones. Bumps and bruises are a big deal. For instance, what to do with a swollen ankle? What to do when this ankle is attached to your daughter’s body, and she lives out of town? Of course, as the parent, you can give directions and encourage her to get it looked at. However, for some reason, the injury never seems to be as big of a deal to her as it is to you.
Turns out it was a sprained ankle. Our daughter played four college league and playoff soccer games on it. I don’t want to guess how many practices in between. The swelling was nasty and the pain was mild to moderate. When our daughter came home for a short 5-day break after the season ended, I said, “you need to get that ankle checked out.” She said, “it’s fine.” Two days before she was returning to college she said, “Mom, maybe I should get my ankle looked at.”
What is a mom to do? I asked the big question to the team at Lead Integrated Health Therapies. Within 10 minutes the plan was made. We were scheduled to see Dr. Alex MacKenzie for our daughter’s first chiropractic adjustment. The appointment went beyond our expectations. We had a super friendly encounter, a wonderful face to face talk with a former professional athlete, and a chance to watch our daughter take in information and get methodically aligned. It was amazing! We had a few giggles and we left feeling confident, assured, and informed. My main takeaway was what Dr. Alex said,
“don’t worry, most people think chiropractors work only with the spine.”
He was right. I really didn’t think about booking in to see a chiropractor until after Lead’s Manual Therapist suggested seeing either our medical doctor or a chiropractor. The truth is it takes more than just one type of therapy to optimize our performance.
Being open and aware, getting professional advice, and listening to our bodies (and our parents) is a great way to start. Dr. Alex ensured our daughter would see an immediate decrease in the swelling, and she did. With a smile, a few words of encouragement, and direction to continue receiving treatments in her college town, he sent her walking out feeling better. She looked forward to her check up with Dr. Alex the next time she came home.
Our feet need attention. They hold us up and keep us moving. With over 6000 nerves, 26 bones, and 30 joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments in each foot, there is plenty to attend to. As a parent, I like to ask people I trust for help and advice. I also like to pay attention to our amazing kids and encourage them to take action. Looking out for each other and sharing what we know is key to a healthy community.
Life is darned fine when things align!
– Deb