Sports injuries from overexposure to kids
Recent research shows that sports injuries account for as high as 40% of ER visits for children aged 5-14 years. There is no one sport that is more to blame. Experts believe that injuries can be caused by overexposure to one or too many sports. These injuries are known as “overuse injuries”.
According to one attorney, any sport can cause overuse injuries in children. Children today are more vulnerable than ever because they require more recovery time. They play multiple sports every day, or one or more at a time. They don’t get a single day off.”
Many parents claim that their children were just as athletic in childhood and didn’t sustain injuries. Children were more in control of their own activities in years past. Today, things are more competitive and strict.
Doctors quickly point out that today’s kids are mabetsika subject to strict schedules set by adults for adult-driven activities. Most children used to direct their daily activities outside, or in their backyard. They would also take breaks to reduce their energy levels.
Dr. Michael Kelly, Hackensack University Medical Center, New Jersey, is the chairman of the department for orthopedic surgery. He says cross-training is better than having too many children focus on one sport that puts repetitive strain on certain muscle groups or bones.
He stated, “It used be that you played football, then you might have gone on to play basketball and then, later, you might go on to play Little League or even tennis.” It was easy to switch between sports and not have any training that would prevent repetitive injuries.
Because children are still developing, repetitive injuries are very common in them. Doctors are most concerned about growth-plate areas, which are areas of soft tissue and developing tissue. The growth-plate areas can be found at the ends of long bones such as those of the arms and legs. These bones are still growing and are not as solid as adult bones.
The National Institutes of Health warns that 15 percent of childhood fractures are growth-plate injuries. These injuries are twice as common in boys than they are for girls. This is most common among boys between 14 and 16 years old. The most injuries for girls are between 11 and 13.
How to keep your kids safe from sports injuries
Parents don’t have to shelter their children in order to protect them. Parents can take many precautionary steps to ensure their children’s safety while they play sports. Parents don’t always have to be the bad guys and force their child to take time off, especially if they’re playing a sport that could cause injury.
Technology that is constantly changing brings more risk of injury. For example, the balance boards (think about a hoverboard with two big wheels). These have been known to cause injuries such as a head injury, broke bones, sprained ankles and so on.
“Kids will play whenever they want to, even if they get hurt.” If an injury occurs or is possible, it is up to the parent. A parent should tell their child what to do.
This can be challenging, especially when there are many adults involved in the children’s activities. Children often play on the courts or fields with coaches, trainers, parents, and teachers. High school students can be difficult to manage in order to avoid overuse injuries. Their eyes are focused on college scholarships, and they often hide their pain or injuries.
Children should stop playing when they feel pain. Coaches, team leaders, and other personnel need to be trained to recognize that pain can indicate injury. If the pain persists after several days of rest, it is time to visit the doctor.
Doctors advise children to stop focusing on one sport until puberty. Each season should only be one sport with breaks of one to two months in between. These breaks allow kids to be children and still enjoy other activities or bike riding. They should not be as focused on their sport during these breaks as they are during the designated seasons.
You may be eligible for compensation if your child is injured while playing a sport, or while being supervised by others.