Whether your child plays on the soccer field, gridiron or baseball diamond, there’s a very good chance that he or she can suffer a sports injury.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children aged 5 to 14 had the highest sports-related injury rate of any age group (59.3 injuries per 1,000 people). To put this number into perspective, the average national sports injury rate is 25.9 injuries per 1,000 people. Despite these facts, participation in sports brings many benefits, including exercise, teamwork and camaraderie.
Common Injuries
According to Brian Shiple, D.O., division chief of Sports Medicine for Crozer-Keystone Health System, director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship program, and medical director of the Healthplex® Sports Club, the most common sports injuries in children depend on the athlete’s age and the sport they play. “Generally, sprains of ligaments, strains of muscles, and contusions are the most common injuries our children face in all organized sports,” Dr. Shiple says. “In running sports, ankle sprain is the most common problem followed by anterior knee pain and shin splints. In throwing sports, the shoulder is the most at-risk.”
“The most common, preventable injury that I see in my practice usually results from overuse,” adds Steven Collina, M.D., associate director of the Crozer-Keystone Sports Medicine Fellowship and assistant director of the Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine Residency. “Many kids today participate in multiple sports and/or multiple teams during the same season. It is important for kids and parents to realize that pain beyond one week should be taken seriously and usually needs a doctor’s evaluation. These injuries are much more treatable in the early phase with modified activity and/or correction of their sport-specific mechanics.”
Surgery Not Always Needed
Should your child get hurt on the field, know that surgery is normally not needed.
“Fortunately, the great majority of sports injuries that children and teens sustain do not require surgery; they usually respond to a good rehabilitation program,” says Nicholas DiNubile, M.D., chief of the Section of Orthopedic Surgery at Delaware County Memorial Hospital, orthopedic consultant for the Philadelphia 76ers, and a sports medicine physician for the Crozer-Keystone Human Motion Institute. “The need for surgery depends on the type and severity of the injury. For example, a minor knee strain or sprain responds to therapy, where a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or meniscus would require surgery. Children have tremendous recuperative and regenerative abilities, so with most injuries, even those that require surgery, we aim for a full recovery.”
Taking Precautions
There are certain precautions that children and parents should keep in mind to prevent injury.
“Children who want to participate in sporting activities should exercise daily, eat right, stay well-hydrated and get appropriate rest in-between games or practices,” says Robert Cabry, M.D., a sports medicine physician at Crozer-Chester Medical Center. “Children should not participate in more than one sport during a sports season.” Those who play more than one sport at one time have a higher risk of injury.
“Well-fitting equipment and proper footwear are also important,” advises Joseph Stellabotte, M.D, sports medicine physician at Taylor Hospital. “Certain shoes can be used for several sports; however, children who like to participate in track and running definitely need to be more aware of proper footwear that needs to be changed every 3 to 4 months or every 300 to 400 miles.”
Crozer-Keystone’s sports medicine physicians all advocate the RICE method to treating a sports injury: Rest the injured area; Ice it for the first two days of the injury; wrap, tape, brace or splint the injured area to Compress it; and Elevate the injured limb above the heart.
Finally, remember the importance of proper warm-up and cool-down exercises. Warm-up exercises, such as light jogging or stretching, help make the body’s tissues more flexible. Cool-down exercises, such as stretching or slow walking, help loosen muscles that may have tightened up during play.
For more information about sports medicine services offered through Crozer-Keystone’s Human Motion Institute, visit http://crozer.humanmotioninstitute.org. To find a sports medicine physician who’s right for you, call 1-800-CK-HEALTH (1-800-254-3258).