Healthy Kids Archives:

Keeping Healthy Kids Injury Free 

By Beth Cline 

It’s the call all parents of young athletes both dread and expect- their child has been injured playing a sport. While occasional bumps and bruises are a natural part of an active lifestyle, parents can do many things to protect their child from unnecessary injuries. 

Some may ask, why put a child at risk for injury by allowing him to play a physically risky team sport? The answer being, the benefits of athletics outweigh the risks.  Besides the physical advantages of greatly reducing a child’s risk of obesity, diabetes and heart conditions, team sports help build a child’s social skills and teach group cooperation to accomplish a common goal.  Sports give children a chance to improve coordination, promote a healthy lifestyle and prepare them for a lifetime of physical activity. 

While beneficial, playing sports still poses a risk and a unique set of physical vulnerabilities.  Football players account for the most injuries and a large majority of these are related to the knees and ankles, where children are least protected by padding.  For basketball players, knee and shoulder injuries are most likely.  Soccer players will experience the largest amount of cuts, scrapes and bruises out of all child athletes, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).  Soft tissue strains, bone fractures and elbow tenderness are most often reported in conjunction with baseball players. Runners can expect strains and sprains in their legs, as their most common injury.   

According to the National Parent Teacher Association, more than 20 million children between the ages of 6 and 16 play an out-of-school sport and 25 million play competitive school sports. Of these, almost 45 million child athletes, nearly four million will be treated in the emergency room for sports injuries and another eight million by their family physician each year.  While many of these injuries are minor, a large number are, in fact, preventable.   Parents can do their part to prevent injuries even before a child begins to play a sport:

• Sign up for age and size appropriate sports. Try to find sports teams at schools, clubs or in the community where certified athletic trainers are accessible.
• Make sure children are in the shape/condition necessary to play a specific sport by consulting the child’s physician for a preseason physical.
• Help children to know, understand and follow the rules of the sport they will be playing.
• Be aware of coaching methods used for the child’s team and be sure the coach is teaching proper techniques.
• Just to be safe, Dr. Michael Moses of the Northern Virginia Pain and Rehabilitation Center reminds parents to “ask the coach/trainer what emergency plans are in place in case of a traumatic injury to a player.”

 Once a child begins to play a sport, parents should remember these useful guidelines:

• Wear all relevant protective gear in both practice and games, particularly for the head and neck. Teach children to use necessary athletic equipment properly and check equipment regularly for normal wear and tear.
• Be aware children sweat less than adults and therefore, it is easier for them to have heightened body temperatures. This can lead to dehydration and heat exhaustion.  Prevent this by dressing children appropriately for the weather, remembering sunscreen and making sure children have access to plenty of water.
• Teach the importance of warm up and cool down periods to prevent strains and reduce risk of muscle tears. This can include stretching and a light run or jog.
• Set up an emergency plan with the child’s coaches, just in case. 

  While prevention of injuries is preferable, they do happen and every parent should know how to treat basic sports related injuries. NIAMS recommends the RICE method for the treatment of minor injuries at home:

• R- Rest injured area for 48 hours.
• I- Ice area for 20 minutes 4-8 times a day to reduce swelling.
• C- Compression using a splint, air cast or elastic wrap will reduce swelling and stabilize injuries.
• E- Elevation- Use a pillow to prop injured area above the level of the heart to increase blood flow and circulation.

Significant injuries can occur as a result of team sports. Parents should get children professional treatment immediately for major injuries including an obvious fracture, dislocation, abnormal swelling and severe pain. When in doubt, always consult a physician.  After children experience any significant injury, they should only return to the sport with a doctor’s expressed permission to prevent further risk of injury. Dr. Moses tells child athletes, “taking the time to fully recover will actually put you back in the game faster.”

 Parents and their children can take many steps to prevent a dreaded injury call, however, should an injury occur, the proper treatment can ensure your child’s quick return to an active and injury free lifestyle. 

Articles in the Healthy Kids Series are presented by the Marine Corps Marathon Healthy Kids Fun Run, held every October in Arlington, VA on the day prior to the Marine Corps Marathon.  Visit www.marinemarathon.com.  Beth Cline is a member of the Marine Corps Marathon marketing staff.

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