From football to cross- country, fall sports are underway. While many injuries go unnoticed, parents and coaches need to know what to look for to keep the kids in the game.
“The biggest mistake is that parents and coaches look at kids and see them as smaller versions of adults. But, younger athletes are more likely to have strains and sprains,” explains Tuvi Mendel, M.D., fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon at Orthopaedic Specialists (OS).
“If you see a student athlete with difficulties, it’s time to pull them back,” agrees John Hoffman, M.D., who is fellowship-trained in sports medicine at OS. Both physicians have seen a noticeable increase in young athletes between the ages of 10-18 with sports-related injuries.
Dr. Hoffman says the most common sports-related injuries are knee ligament injuries (ACL tears, meniscus tears) and anterior shoulder dislocations. Interestingly, ACL occurrences have higher rates in basketball and volleyball, and 60% of ACL injuries are a result of a non-contact injury such as coming down wrong on the knee.
Are female athletes more prone to ACL injuries? “Yes,” says Dr. Hoffman. “Women are four times more likely to have an ACL injury than men for the same number of hours they participate in sports. This is in part due to their weight, and they are typically less strong and their ligaments aren’t as strong.”
When it comes to common foot and ankle injuries for athletes, Dr. Mendel says student athletes suffer stress fractures, sprains, instability injuries and tendonitis.
How to know if a child is injured? “You’ll usually see swelling, pain, bruising, or deformity,” he says. “If that’s the case the athlete should take an anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen or Advil as well as employ the ‘RICE’ method: rest, ice, compression and elevation of the afflicted area. If symptoms haven’t resolved with those treatments after approximately a week, it’s time to see a doctor.”
OS Saturday Sports Injury Clinics
Starting August 20th, OS offers a walk-in sports-injury clinic from 8-9 a.m., on Saturdays, at their Dexter Court location, Davenport. No appointment necessary.
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