It is said that around 3.5 Million out of 30 Million teens and children get injured when they engage in organized sports. Strains and sprains are among the most common types of injuries for children and teenagers who play sports and overuse a specific body part.
Keeping kids active and allowing them to participate in any sport is an excellent way to keep them healthy and grow nicely, but you must also be aware that it should have some limits.
Children and teenagers who play sports will most likely experience a particular type of injury, most especially if their training is repetitive and constant. Still, there are ways to try to avoid this kind of incident.
By being aware of the types of injuries that kids and teens can suffer from playing sports, you can then find ways to prevent them. It will not be perfect as you cannot avoid it, but at least you can try to make it less severe.
Consulting a professional with expertise in chiropractic pediatrics like Dr. Zachary Langgle will be a great advantage.
Those who are 14 years old and below are said to experience an injury due to sports every year. The injury varies from sprains, strains, misuse of a body part or overuse of it, the trauma of playing in contact with others, or head injuries. Other causes could be due to a fall, overexertion, getting struck by an object, collision, etc. Though uncommon, brain injury is certainly something to be careful of as there is always that tiny percentage of experiencing it, resulting in death.
Injuries among children are typically either cycling or other sports-related and usually happens in the playground as well. Severe injuries mainly occur during recreational and individual sports, while injuries from organized sports usually happen while at practice.
Perhaps when playing sports, you cannot prevent an injury from happening 100%, but knowing the proper rules and not overdoing it may help you dodge an injury. Some sports where you could encounter an injury include softball, basketball, baseball, football, bicycling, roller skating, in-line skating, ice hockey, soccer, snow skiing, tobogganing or sledding, skateboarding, and even trampolines!
Other sports where you need to be extra careful are volleyball, gymnastics, tennis, track, swimming, cheerleading, wrestling, lacrosse, cross country, and more. While it is true that sports are something that teens and kids need to engage in, it is also essential to take note that anything too much is also not good.
When the kids’ training or practices become too excessive or intense, an injury or tissue breakdown may happen. They may experience injuries resulting from overuse, including bursitis, stress fractures, osteochondral, tendinitis, and apophysitis.
As soon as you identify an injury in your children, treating it is highly necessary, especially when you notice other signs or symptoms such as loss of normal function, swelling, or any deformity.
Getting any injury treated the soonest time possible is very important because those that persist and are not treated right away may become a chronic issue.
Making your child participate in sports also knows some essential treatments you can do when an injury happens. The first thing to do is to let them rest the affected area and not let them use the injured part as much as possible and not until it has been evaluated by either a chiropractor or a healthcare provider.
If there is swelling or pain, apply ice for about 15 to 20 minutes. Using cubed or crushed ice is recommended over a chemical cold pack. Ice the injured part within 48 to 72 hours following the injury, and do not ever leave the ice on the affected area while you sleep.
Doing compression may also help subside the swelling. Wrap starting from below the injured part, going upwards, and keeping the fingers or toes exposed. Again, do not leave the wrap on an injured part when you sleep. You may need to loosen the wrap if any of these is experienced—discoloration, change in temperature, or numbness.
You may also use elevation to control the swelling by propping the injured part much higher than the heart.
Those who are committed to one type of sport are likely to experience an injury involving overuse of a body part as the training and practices require repetitive movements.
Perhaps it is also best to prepare your child before a practice or before participating in a sport to avoid an injury. You can make them do some warm-up exercises, basic stretching, jogging, and make them eat a well-balanced diet that includes veggies, dairy, meats, grains, fruits, and beans.
It is also essential to always keep them hydrated. Though water is the best drink, a sports drink may also work. And always make sure that they are well-rested. Letting them get familiar with the required sports equipment and allowing them to have the necessary safety gear such as helmets, mouth guards, pads, etc., may also help prevent an injury.
Getting your kids and teens active and participating in sports is a good idea, but overworking them and their bodies is not. Sustaining injuries while playing a sport is something that you cannot avoid, but knowing how to deal with one or try to prevent it from happening is something you can do.
No matter the type of sport your child is engaged in, know that an injury may always be possible. But try your best to guide them in avoiding one.
In the end, the most important thing is to ensure that your children are enjoying their sports and that they are having fun!
