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Preventing Sports Injuries

August 10, 2017

Dr. Jesse
Van Heukelom

By: Jesse Van Heukelom, MD

Playing sports is an exhilarating experience that pushes students to be active and have fun! Getting hurt, however, is not. High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year. Although 62 percent of organized sports-related injuries occur during practice, one-third of parents do not have their children take the proper safety precautions at practice that they would in a game. Whether your child only participates in sports through school, or they participate in a traveling or outside league or club, be sure to follow these safety precautions to prevent sports injuries. These precautions will help your kids stay in the sports they love by being safe, which is what you love.

Wear protective gear – this may seem like a no-brainer but often times athletes are getting hurt during practice for not being properly dressed or prepared. This also includes making sure that all equipment for your sport is properly sized. Even your athletes’ shoes play a role in safety! Cleats should be worn for football, baseball, softball and soccer.
Warm up and cool down – it’s never a good idea to just bolt onto the field or court and start playing. Take a light jog to get warmed up, even before you begin stretching. After practice or a game, be sure to cool down properly. A body in motion must slowly rest.
Know the rules of the game – numerous injuries happen when players on both teams are unaware of the rules of the game. When players know the rules – what’s legal and what’s not – fewer injuries happen. For instance in soccer, you can’t come from behind, crash into a player’s legs and steal the ball.
Don’t play when injured – this may be the most important rule to follow. If your child loves the game, it’s tempting to get right back into play. However, playing when you’re hurt – or before an injury has had a chance to heal – it’s a bad idea. It can lead to an even worse injury – one that could sideline you for a long time, if not permanently. Healing completely before going back on the field or court is the best thing for your athlete.

There are three types of sports injuries that would require an athlete to see a physician: acute injuries, overuse injuries and a medical illness or condition. Examples of each type of injury are below.

Injury	Examples	Symptoms	When to Check With Your Doctor
Acute Injuries	Sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations	Swelling, bruising, spasm, tingling, numbness	Joint swelling or instability, inability to stand or walk, weakness
Overuse Injuries	Tendonitis, shin splints, stress fractures	Tightness, popping, grinding in joints, mild or localized swelling	Localized pain that gets worse over time, painful swelling, symptoms don’t go away after treatment such as rest or ice
Medical Illness or Injury	Concussion	Headache, disorientation, blurry vision, nausea	Check with doctor before returning to play with any symptoms

No injury is too minor to have an expert look at. Be sure to follow proper safety at both games and practices and be on the lookout for sports injuries. It’s better to “play” it safe than sorry when it comes to your child’s health! When in doubt, visit with a physician. If you don’t already have a physician, search our Find a Doc.

Sources: Kidshealth.org, Stopsportsinjuries.org, Healthychildren.org

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