Does Your Child Participate in Sports or Play? Help Avoid Pediatric Injuries with Physical Therapy!
As proud as you are of the courage of your child on the field or playground, part of you is also concerned about the possibility of injury. It’s normal to be worried about sprains, strains, car accidents, and overuse injuries in healthy children. You’re a parent! It’s natural.
Pediatric injuries typically fall into one of two categories: acute or overuse injuries. According to the National Library of Medicine,
“Acute injuries are usually physical or avulsion fractures relating to a single traumatic event. Overuse injuries are the result of repetitive stress and include the common traction apophysitis, osteochondritis dissecans, and stress fractures. Sports-related injuries most frequently involve the lower extremity with injury patterns and frequencies relative to the athlete’s age, size, and type of sport.”
The good news is that you and your child are not totally powerless to address this gigantic challenge. Consider these intelligent preventive measures to avoid play and sports damage and then get your support from our physical therapist.
Consider their diet and nutrition
Instead of highly processed junk and sour soda, young athletes have to consume a nutritious diet made up of organic, healthy ingredients.
Appropriate hydration, including water and electrolytes balance, is also important for sports. Valuable guidance on this can be given by our physical therapist.
Educating your child on common play and sport injuries
Children who make the decision to “play through the pain” or who refuse to acknowledge common injury signs place themselves at risk of more physical harm.
Your child needs to recognize a likely sprain, stress, fracture, or other condition in order to quickly avoid playing and get assistance.
Teach your child that remaining in the game will cause painful, serious, perhaps even lasting problems to be benched (literally or figuratively).
Show your child the proper warm-up and cool-down methods
Kids often tend to be in a rush to get into practices – and just as anxious to get out of them when they’re finished. However, as any physical trainer would warn you, participating in athletics without first warming up will lead to soft tissue injuries.
A little jogging or gentle stretching may be all that is needed to avoid these issues. However, it is equally necessary for your child to stretch after the exercise to help the tissues heal from their workout.
Encouraging safe play
Even the most physically fit children will get into trouble if they disregard safe play guidelines. If your child participates in a sport that necessitates the use of safety equipment, make sure it suits well and that your child understands how to wear it safely.
And relaxed playground time can be hazardous if your child is distracted by hanging shoelaces or other typical hazards. Educate your child on the importance of double-checking that information before playing.
Playing with the proper sports technique is another important consideration. For example, the wrong bat, racket, or golf club technique can quickly lead to shoulder strains, elbow tendonitis, back pain, and other problems that might send your child to a physical therapy clinic.
If your child needs more schooling than the school coach can offer, see about engaging a private coach to instill the proper technique.
Preparing your child with physical therapy sessions
A healthy and flexible body is important for avoiding sports or play accidents. If your child has a visible muscle disability or other functional impairment, physical training may assist with removing the impediment and improving athletic safety and efficiency.
Our physical therapists will assess your child’s balance, agility, gait, muscle power, and range of motion and see if there are any problems that need to be addressed. Specific physical therapy interventions should then be recommended to help your child resolve the problems before he or she leaves the field.
How can pediatric physical therapy help my child avoid injuries?
It’s only natural to be concerned about sprains, strains, accident injuries, and overuse injuries in active kids. The good news is that neither you nor your child is completely helpless against these lurking threats.
A strong, agile body is a must for preventing sports or play injuries. If your child has obvious muscle weakness or other functional limitations, physical therapy can help minimize that obstacle to improve athletic safety and performance.
Our pediatric physical therapists will assess your child’s balance, agility, posture, gait, muscle power, and range of motion and see if there are any problems that need to be addressed. Specific physical therapy activities should also be administered to address certain concerns before the child hits the field.
Our team can help make sure your child is safe while performing athletic activities by:
- Demonstrating how to play safely.
- Providing proper warm-up and cool-down techniques.
- Educating you and your child on common injuries for his or her sport.
- Expressing the importance of proper nutrition.
- Designing a treatment plan for injury prevention.
Looking for more information? Contact us!
If your child is ready for action, our physical therapy center is ready to help him stay safe and healthy.
Contact Libre Physical Therapy today!
Tags: health, health and wellness, natural pain relief, pediatric, physical health, physical therapy, wellness
