Our pediatric sports medicine specialist explains how to keep kids healthy enough to stay in the game.
After winter sports end and before spring weather arrives, most of our kids are pretty sedentary. But come April, they head outside in full force. That’s when injury rates – and fractures in particular – peak in children and teens.
“With the first sunny day over 50°, I see an influx of children with skateboard and RipStick injuries,” says Paul Saluan, MD, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health. “The more active they are, the greater the risk of injury.”
Injuries are often sport-specific: Little League shoulder or Little League elbow in baseball players, torn knee ligaments or sprained ankles in soccer players.
Deconditioning: a common thread
“The common thread here is that a new sports season has started and the child may be deconditioned,” Dr. Saluan explains. “That makes it easy to develop an overuse injury from any repetitive activity required.”
To prevent injury, encourage your child to remain active during the off-season – but not by training constantly. Most kids don’t need to be pushed to train year-round in a single sport, he adds. They just need to play. “Children will know when they’ve been active enough,” he notes.
Rotating through sports is healthier
“Kids also benefit from rotating through different sports to discover which ones they like, rather than being forced to remain in one. Injuries result when kids are not fully engaged or are unwilling participants in a sport,” Dr. Saluan cautions.
When children do suffer athletic injuries, they should be seen if pain in the evening lasts through morning and prevents them from participating in sports or school.
What to do when an injury occurs
Where a child should go depends upon the severity of the injury, says Dr. Saluan:
- If your child has a head injury, take him or her promptly to the nearest emergency department.
- If your child is in significant pain and can’t walk or use an injured limb, or develops immediate joint swelling, take him or her that day for emergency care.
- If your child develops chronic, nagging pain despite resting and using ice and anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or pain relievers like acetaminophen, then make an appointment with your pediatrician or family doctor.
Your doctor will monitor your child’s progress as he heals. In some cases, your child may be referred to a pediatric orthopaedic sports specialist. “We come into the picture when surgery or other interventions may be needed to restore function, or when a fracture may affect a child’s or adolescent’s growth,” says Dr. Saluan.
Related Content
Cleveland Clinic Sports Health
Preventing Sports-Related Injuries
Sports Physicals
Sports Injuries in Adolescents
Be Well™ eNews articles are written for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as medical advice. They have not been designed to replace a physician's assessment and medical judgment. Always consult with your physician first about anything related to your personal health.
