PJ’s Corner: Keeping Young Athletes Safe
Sponsored by Saint Francis Children's Hospital
Dr. Mark Schwartz a pediatric orthopedic surgeon with Saint Francis Children’s Hospital, answers questions about sports injuries in young athletes.
Q: What are some of the most common sports injuries you see, and are they preventable?
A: Each season, we typically see two main categories of injuries. We see acute injuries like ankle sprains, wrist fractures and ACL tears. Then we see overuse injuries like tendonitis and growth plate inflammation.
The most preventable injuries are usually the overuse injuries. These happen when young bones, tendons and muscles are repeatedly stressed without enough time to recover. Taking scheduled rest days, following pitch counts for baseball players and avoiding sudden increases in training intensity can help prevent many of these injuries.
Q: Do the injuries change depending on the sport?
A: Yes. High-impact and high-velocity sports like football, soccer, basketball and gymnastics naturally carry a higher injury risk. We also see a lot of overuse injuries in baseball, swimming and gymnastics.
One of the biggest changes over the past decade has been early sports specialization, where kids choose one sport and play it year-round. Because they’re performing the same repetitive motions over and over without seasonal variety, we’re seeing more adult-type stress injuries and ligament tears in much younger athletes.
Playing multiple sports throughout the year is healthier for these young bodies. It also helps prevent the mental burnout we see in kids who play the same sport all year.
Q: How can parents tell the difference between normal soreness and an injury?
A: Normal soreness is usually a dull pain that affects both sides of the body and improves over a day or two with light rest and movement. Injuries are more likely to cause sharp or pinpoint pain, swelling, limping or pain that worsens during a specific activity. Pain that wakes a child at night is also concerning.
A good rule of thumb is if pain is changing how your child runs, walks or throws, it’s probably an injury that should be evaluated.
Q: Can warmups and strength training help prevent injuries?
A: Yes. Stretching is important, but dynamic warmups like light jogging, high knees and lunges are even better than only doing static stretches before activity. A combination of both is ideal.
There are also excellent injury prevention programs like FIFA 11+ and Stop Sports Injuries that focus on dynamic warmups and can help reduce injuries.
Q: If a child gets hurt during a game, when should they stop playing?
A: Never ignore a child who’s limping. Joint swelling, pain directly over a joint, bone or growth plate, or an inability to bear weight are all signs they should come out of the game. Head injuries followed by dizziness, confusion, headaches, numbness or tingling should always be taken seriously and may require concussion protocols.
If a child can’t bear weight or move a joint after a significant injury, they should be seen in the emergency department. Less severe injuries may be monitored until the next day, but ongoing pain, limping or difficulty moving the joint should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
Q: Are children more prone to injuries at certain ages?
A: Early adolescence is one of the most vulnerable times. Kids ages 11 to 14 are often going through rapid growth spurts. Their bones are growing quickly, while their muscles, tendons and ligaments can’t always keep up. That can affect flexibility and coordination and increase the risk of injury.
Q: What’s the most important advice you’d give parents?
A: Be consistent with stretching and dynamic warmups, and make sure kids have rest days. For children who play the same sport year-round, it’s important to take breaks so their bodies have time to recover.
If kids are playing multiple sports, that’s different because they’re using different muscle groups and movements. But even then, they should ease into a new season rather than jumping in at full intensity.
