It’s fantastic when your kids enjoy playing sports and join the various sports team either at school or neighborhood leagues. Currently the number of sports injuries sustained by young people is on a dramatic rise and is quickly becoming a concern for parents, teachers and coaches.

Approximately, three million children and adolescents visit the hospital emergency room each year with a sports-related injury and another five million visit their primary care physicians, specialists including chiropractors.

Injuries range from sprains, strains, fractures and breaks. At Bryn Mawr Wellness ,we are seeing a lot more of these injuries among our young patients. We offer a large range of treatments including diversified adjustments, physical therapies, therapeutic exercises and techniques. In combination, all these treatments will help with recovery and pain management so the body can heal. It is also vital to the recovery to follow the doctor’s suggested exercises and treatments for home care.

Preventing injuries

Injuries can and will happen but there are number of steps you and your children can take to lower their risk:

• Warm up and cool down. If you try to run or stretch a muscle without first warming up it is more prone to injury. Stretching after exercise is essential to keep muscles flexible and ensure a wide-range of motion is maintained.
• Keep hydrated. Muscles can cramp when not hydrated, making them more susceptible to strains. Dehydration can also result in loss of concentration or feinting, both putting your child at risk of injury.
• Follow proper technique. Injuries can occur through bad form. Ensure that you trust the coaches to look out for, and correct, form at each practice session.
• Wear the correct equipment. In very physical sports like football and hockey, it’s essential that your child always wears the right protective equipment and that it fits properly. This will help aid in injury prevention.

Over-use injuries

Aside from strains and sprains, one of the most common injuries we treat are over-use injuries. Kids are now playing one particular sport with serious intent from a young age and this can result in injuries and pain from repetitive use of a specific set of muscles.

Over-use injuries can be prevented or kept to a minimum by following the above advice. Adding other forms of exercise into the mix can help, ensuring that muscles are worked in a different way. In addition, a well-known  techniques known as “The Graston Technique” can also help as it reduces the scar tissue that can build up through chronic over-use.

Kids don’t have to give up their sports, we just have to help them be more aware of injury prevention and protection. If injury does occur… help is available to get them back in the game.