SJ Sports: Kids, Sports, and Injuries

Take Care: Preventing Overuse Injuries In Children
Kids seem to love being out on the field, being active. And youth sports participation in the United States has grown dramatically in the past 10 years. Approximately 35 million children and young adults between the ages six and 21 participate in sports, including almost eight million in school programs.

Over the past two decades, participation among young women has increased dramatically. Additionally, parents are hiring "personal" coaches and trainers to provide specialized training beyond that of the school or club.

The benefits of regular exercise are not limited to adults. Youth athletic programs provide opportunities to improve self-esteem, acquire leadership skills and self-discipline, and develop general fitness and motor skills. Participation, however, is not without injury risk. While acute trauma and rare catastrophic injuries draw most of the attention, overuse injuries are much more common.

With the growth of youth sports programs, overuse injuries in youth occur too frequently. Recent data indicates that 30-50 percent of all pediatric sports injuries are due to overuses. Athletes who had overuse injuries lost 54 percent more time from training and competition than those who had acute injuries. Overuse injuries occur when tissue, muscle, ligament, tendon or bone, is injured due to repetitive, microtrauma, or injury below the level of pain. The repetitive activity fatigues or weakens the tissue. With adequate rest between periods of activity the tissue can adapt and heal. Without adequate rest and recovery time, the tissue continues to breakdown, causing swelling, poor blood supply and eventual damage to the tissue.

There are many factors that contribute to overuse injuries. Growing spurts of adolesence, for instance, sets up the body for muscular imbalance, inflexibility and weakness of cartliage and bone. Previous injuries that have not been adequately rehabilited also leads to overuse injuries. Other factors include poor conditioning upon entering a season; structural, biomechanical misalignment; hormonal imbalance as a result of puberty; poor nutritional habits; increasing training too rapidly or poor training technique and inappropriate equipment and/or training surface.

Preventing overuse injuries is essential in keeping a child participating in athletics. The American College of Sports Medicine estimates that 50 percent of overuse in children is preventable. Pre-screening, by a trained professional, is an excellent way to spot sport-specific injury risk factors and to assess a young athlete’s physical and emotional maturity. Training programs should focus on general fitness, flexibility, and conditioning, and should avoid excessive intense prolonged activity. The athletes should maintain good nutrition and adequate hydration.

Children should be encouraged to try different sports to develop various fitness and motor skills, enjoy the social aspect of sports and make a conscious choice of the sport they prefer. Treatment of overuse injuries depends on how quickly the injury is identified. Proper identification and diagnosis may address an injury before it becomes season ending. The adage "No Pain, No Gain" does not fit into youth athletics. If your child complains of injury, have him/her evaluated by a sports injury specialist. Treatment is directed at developing strong, flexible tissue that can absorb and handle the forces of the specific sport. Initially, rest is required to protect the injured tissue. Ice should be used to reduce the swelling and pain. Rehabilitation is used to restore range of motion, strength, flexibility, and balance. Returning to the sport before rehabilitation is complete can increase the risk of re-injury.

By being aware of the risk factors common to youth athletes, progressive training and adequate rest periods, proper condition including flexibility and cardiovascular, proper training techniques, and early detection of overuse injury, parents and coaches can participate in providing an exciting and enjoyable athletic experience for their children.

Content provided by South Jersey Sports Club.

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Author: SJ Sports Club-Dr. Kathleen Baumgardner