Preventing Youth Sports Injuries
Reducing Sports Injuries to Keep Kids Playing
Safely
Now that the weather is warmer, kids are hitting the athletic
fields and skate parks for some healthful exercise. Parents need to
keep an eye on their children and help them prevent a nasty injury
that could take them out of their favorite game.
The first rule in sports safety is proper gear. This especially
applies to footwear. Ankle sprains are the most common injury in
the United States and often occur during sports or recreational
activities. Approximately 1 million ankle injuries occur each year
and 85 percent of these are sprains. The right shoes that fit can
help reduce your child's chances of twisting an ankle.
Warm-up exercises, such as stretching and light jogging, can
help minimize the chance of muscle strain or other soft tissue
injury during sports. Warm-up exercises make the body's tissues
warmer and more flexible. Cooling down exercises loosen the body's
muscles that have tightened during exercise. Encourage "warm-ups"
and "cool downs" as part of your child's routine before and after
sports participation.
R-I-C-E
If your child receives a soft tissue injury, commonly known as a
sprain or a strain, or a bone injury, the best immediate treatment
is easy to remember: R-I-C-E (Rest, Ice, Compression, and
Elevation).
- Rest: Reduce or stop using the injured area for 48 hours. If
you have a leg injury, you may need to stay off of it
completely.
- Ice: Put an ice pack on the injured area for 20 minutes at a
time, 4 to 8 times per day. Use a cold pack, ice bag, or a plastic
bag filled with crushed ice that has been wrapped in a towel.
- Compression: Compression of an injured ankle, knee, or wrist
may help reduce the swelling. These include bandages such as
elastic wraps, special boots, air casts and splints. Ask your
health practitioner which one is best.
- Elevation: Keep the injured area elevated above the level of
the heart. Use a pillow to help elevate an injured limb. Get
professional treatment if any injury is severe. A severe injury
means having an obvious fracture or dislocation of a joint,
prolonged swelling, or prolonged or severe pain.
Heat-Related Injuries
Another often overlooked sports injury is heat stroke, heat
exhaustion and dehydration. Heat injuries are always dangerous and
can be fatal. Because children perspire less than adults and
require a higher core body temperature to trigger sweating, it's
important to know the signs of heat exhaustion, which are: nausea,
dizziness, weakness, headache, pale and moist skin, heavy
perspiration, normal or low body temperature, weak pulse, dilated
pupils, disorientation, fainting spells. The signs of heat stroke
are headache, dizziness, confusion, and hot dry skin, possibly
leading to vascular collapse and coma.
Tips to avoid heat-related injuries include:
- Respond quickly if heat-related injuries occur.
- Schedule regular fluid breaks during practice and games.
- Drinking water is the best choice; others include fruit juices
and sports drinks.
- Kids need to drink 8 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes, plus
more after playing.
- Make player substitutions more frequently in the heat.
- Wear light-colored, "breathable" clothing, and wide-brimmed
hats.
- Use misting water sprays on the body to keep cool. NUHS
clinicians say don't forget to use sunscreen when outdoors. Sunburn
is a very common sports injury and if children are overexposed to
the sun damage while they're young, they have a much higher chance
of experiencing skin cancer when they're older.
Exercise is beneficial for kids. Don't let the fear of injury
stop you from letting your child lead an active life and
participate in sports. Just make sure they have the proper training
in the rules of the sports they're playing, and that they know how
to use the equipment safely. It can help to match the child to the
sport. If your child has a hard time running long distances, it may
be counterproductive to push the track team. Finding a sport he or
she truly enjoys will build good lifetime fitness habits and is
worth the effort.
Contact Us
For more information on helping your child stay active, or for
other questions regarding youth sports injuries, contact a
National University of Health Sciences Whole Health Center.
