Sports are the “thing” at our house. Someone is playing a sport every season, whether it’s softball, soccer, basketball, gymnastics, or volleyball — our girls are into it if there is a competition involved. Our adult social lives are practically non-existent because our response is so often, “I can’t . . . my kid has practice” (or a game, or a mandatory parent meeting).
There are many great things that our children gain from playing sports: learning to be coachable, exercise and athletic ability, responsibility, teamwork, taking wins and losses like a good sport. However, there will most certainly be sports injuries. We can do all of the things to prevent these injuries, but sometimes they just happen.
A Crash Course in Kids’ Sports Injuries
Sprains and Strains
A sprain is defined as a stretched or torn ligament in a joint, caused by trauma or extending the joint beyond what it can naturally do. A ligament is a type of tissue that connects bones at a joint (ankle, wrist, knee, etc). Probably the most common sports injury of all time is the sprained ankle. Symptoms may include bruising, swelling, and pain at a joint, and you might even hear a “pop” from the joint at the time of injury (Medline Plus). The treatment for this injury is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. If your child has a sprain, he or she might require over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to alleviate some of the discomfort (unless, of course, your child has a reason he shouldn’t take these types of medications). Usually, sprains do not require any medication intervention and often heal over the course of several days to a week.
Similar to a sprain, a strain is a stretched or torn tendon. A tendon differs from a ligament in that a tendon attaches muscle to bone (as in your hamstring connecting to your leg bones); a ligament attaches bone to bone (as in a joint). The treatment for a simple strain is rest and ice, along with any over-the-counter medications that might help with discomfort.
Of course, there are more serious ligament injuries than the common sprain, such as a torn ACL or MCL, which are major knee ligaments, that would require an orthopedic specialist to make sure that medical or surgical intervention is not required to fix the tear.
Fractures
A fracture is a broken bone. The bone may be broken in one place or several places; the break might be completely through the bone or only extend partially through the bone. Symptoms of a break include swelling and tenderness to the area, inability to move the affected bone, or an actual deformity of the area when the bone appears out of place (or is even coming through the skin) (OrthoInfo). A fracture is diagnosed by x-ray of the affected bone. Treatment of a fracture depends on the severity and extent of the break. A cast might be needed for a broken bone, which is applied by an orthopedic doctor or practitioner. In some cases, a broken bone might require surgery to place hardware to put the bone back together. Getting over a fracture often takes weeks to months and will likely require physical therapy for rehabilitation after the bone is completely healed.
Concussions
Concussions are a very common sports injury in any age group, including children. Concussions are caused by trauma to the head, either by violent shaking or a blow directly to the head. Symptoms vary in severity and can include headaches, confusion, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, and slurred speech, among other symptoms. Concussions can also be associated with loss of consciousness (or being “knocked out”) but someone might also have a concussion without losing consciousness at all. The duration of concussion symptoms vary widely and can last a few days up to a few months after the injury. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends being evaluated by a physician or healthcare provider for any head injury in athletics and not to return to the sport until all concussion symptoms have subsided. Using proper athletic equipment, such as helmets, can help prevent concussions in your young athlete.
Dehydration
While not exactly a “sports injury,” this is a good place to mention that in any sport your child plays, appropriate hydration is of the utmost importance. Dehydration leads to muscle weakness and fatigue and decreased alertness or mental clarity, which in turn increases the risk of sports injuries in athletes. Good hydration should start one hour before any practice or game, continuing throughout the game or practice and after the activity ends. An estimate of good hydration for your young athlete is ½ – 1 ounce of water for every pound of body weight throughout the day. So, your 90-pound basketball player should try to drink 45-90 ounces of water daily to stay well hydrated. Sports drinks should not be your child’s only hydration throughout their sports practices and games, and they are really only indicated during times of prolonged, intense exercise (more than one hour at a time) or in extreme conditions (such as the middle of a Southern summer). Plain old water really is the best form of hydration.
The old saying goes: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and this is completely applicable to sports injuries. Using the proper equipment for sports to prevent injuries is incredibly important. For example, the use of batting helmets for softball and baseball players helps prevent concussions if a ball goes awry; the use of shin guards in soccer helps prevent tibia fractures; proper warm-up routines help prevent strains and sprains in all sports. If your child is injured during a practice or game, it is always a good idea to check with your pediatrician, coach, or sports medicine provider to make sure that your child does not have an injury that requires medical intervention.