Your child just broke the news: they just made the team! Youth sports are an excellent way for kids to stay active and make friends. But at the back of every parent’s mind is the risk of an injury. While sports injuries in children can be scary, the Libre Physical Therapy team is here to put your worries at ease.
It’s true that young athletes are at a greater risk of suffering an injury than adults. Why? Because children are still growing. Their muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons aren’t yet in “final form,” making them more susceptible to injury. Furthermore, children develop at different rates, so two twelve-year-olds can vary dramatically in size and strength–which can become an issue in contact sports.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to prevent and address sports injuries in children. If you and your child’s coach take the right precautions, you minimize your child’s injury risk. And the Libre Physical Therapy team is here to help your child rehabilitate if they do suffer an injury–ensuring they can play ball once again.
If you’d like to know more about how we serve young athletes in the Homestead area, contact our clinic to speak to our friendly staff!
Understanding Sports Injuries in Children: Acute vs Overuse
There are two main ways children can suffer an injury while playing sports:
- Acute injuries occur due to sudden trauma, such as a fall or collision. This is what most people think of when they think about sports injuries. They can include…
- Fractures
- Ligament sprains
- Muscle or tendon strains
- Overuse injuries develop gradually due to microtraumas caused by repeated movements. These injuries can be tougher to spot. Your child will likely just experience mild pain during activity. It might be accompanied by swelling. However, if their symptoms persist, it’s important to seek care. Examples of overuse injuries include…
- Little Leaguer’s elbow
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Stress fractures
- Shin splints
How We Can Help Prevent Injuries
The good news is that there are steps you can take to prevent both types of sports injuries in children. Here are some of the Libre Physical Therapy team’s favorite tips:
- Bring your child in for a physical assessment. You likely had your child undergo a sports physical before they began the season. Our assessments are slightly different; they focus more on pinpointing muscular weaknesses or biomechanical issues that could lead to injury. We’ll also provide a customized program to help you correct these issues before they become a problem.
- Make proper use of equipment. We can help ensure your child’s equipment fits, and they’re using it correctly. Equipment like helmets, shin guards, or padding are used for a reason!
- Make sure your child always warms up and cools down. Warmups and cooldowns are almost certainly included during your child’s formal practices and before games, but make sure they keep up the habit when practicing on their own.
- Take breaks throughout the year. Playing the same sport year-round puts your child at a higher risk of developing an overuse injury, as does allowing them to play on multiple teams at once. We suggest young athletes take up different sports and cross-train throughout the year.
While prevention is always the goal, sometimes injuries happen. When they do, the pediatric physical therapists at Libre Physical Therapy are here to help your child fully rehabilitate. We’ll get your child back in the game in no time!
To get started with a personalized injury prevention program for your child, request an appointment with us today.
Tags: Exercises, healthy lifestyle, Libre PT, physical therapist, physical therapy, Sports Injuries
