Youth sports offer a great way to keep kids active and engaged, but what happens if they get hurt while playing?
KidsStreet has all the details on sports injuries in kids!
Types of Sports Injuries
Any kind of physical activity comes with the risk of injury, and youth sports are no exception. Common sports injuries seen in seen in young athletes are:
- Broken bones: acute breaks that can require casting or surgery
- Stress fractures: injury to the bone caused by stress placed on tendons, joints, bones and muscle
- Twists: sudden twist of an extremity like an arm or leg
- Sprains and strains: injuries to the ligaments and muscles
- Knee injuries: range from ACL tears to pain caused by overuse
- Elbow pain: ranges from tennis elbow to little league elbow
- Concussions: head injuries caused by sudden impact
Treating Sports Injuries in Kids
For serious sports injuries like severe broken bones and concussions, KidsStreet suggests taking your child to the emergency room.
In the case of minor kids sports injuries, we recommend treating at home or visiting us! We treat sports injuries in kids in our urgent care services.
For smaller injuries like twisted ankles and sprained wrists, try the R.I.C.E. method. R.I.C.E. stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.
- Rest: Avoid using the injured area as much as possible
- Ice: Apply ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables to the injury. Wrap the ice pack in a hand towel to avoid direct skin contact.
- Compression: Wrap the injury in an elastic bandage to provide support, reduce blood flow and limit swelling.
- Elevation: Keep the injury raised above heart level to reduce swelling.
You can also reduce pain and swelling with over-the-counter medications like children’s ibuprofen.
What Causes Sports Injuries?
While just about anything can cause a sports injury, we’ve found a few common reasons your child might get hurt while playing a sport:
- Improper equipment use
- Poor instruction on proper technique
- Imbalance of strength or range of motion
- Improper footwear
- Overuse and exhaustion
- Lack of proper warm-ups and cool-downs
What Sports Are Most Risky For My Kids?
KidsStreet promotes healthy play or exercise habits for all kids, whatever their sport may be! However, impact sports lead to more injuries in children.
Sports like football, hockey, soccer, basketball and rugby have higher rates of injury. Parents and coaches should always be vigilant about the health and safety of their kids when playing sports, but especially these sports!
Reducing Your Child’s Risk of Sports Injuries
No kid wants to take time off from their favorite sports, so try to reduce their risk of getting hurt where you can! You can’t always avoid a sports injury, but we’ve pulled together some tips to help decrease your kiddo’s risk of getting hurt.
- Ensure your child always uses the proper equipment when playing their sport.
- Make sure equipment meets safety standards and that your child uses it correctly.
- Take rest time at least 1-2 times a week so they don’t get an overuse injury.
- Make sure your child warms up and cools down properly before and after playing.
- Get a sports physical to check if there are any underlying issues.
- Talk to your child’s coaches about previous injuries to avoid reinjury.
Experts suggest putting your child in multiple sports throughout the year. By participating in different sports, they can develop new strength and skills.
Turn to KidsStreet Urgent Care
Is your kid struggling with a sports injury? KidsStreet can help them heal and feel better FAST!
To visit our child-centric clinic, use our online registration system. You and your kiddo will be able to wait from your home or car until we are ready to see them.
Forget to register? No big deal!
KidsStreet accepts walk-in patients every day and would still love to see you. We recommend all patients register ahead of their visit to reduce in-clinic wait times. Walk-ins join the same queue as those who register.