Sports Injuries On The Rise
April 16, 2009
Broken Distal Right Tibial
Youth sport Injuries are on the rise and seem to be more and more in the news lately. Much of the increase has to do with year round one sport activity,lack of mental and physical rest at regular intervals to help rejuvenate young athletes.
Growing bodies are amazing resilient at the same time can be very fragile and attention needs to be given to the amount and type of training given to the child. More and harder doesn’t equal better results on the track.More frequently it can result in less than desired results. It is important to know your child, I call it the “Athletic Barometer“ which assesses where he or she is at with the sport and enthusiasm for it. A lack luster disinterested kid can sometimes be more injury prone due to bad or lazy habits sneaking into good mechanics and body posture.
Mary Shedden of the Tampa Tribrune writes:
“What’s all the rage with young athletes these days? Hospital visits. With more than 30 million children playing organized sports in the United States today, the opportunity for injury is on the upswing. Almost 1.9 million children under 15 years old were treated in emergency rooms for sports-related injuries in 2002, says the most recent information available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 2 million children were treated that year for less-serious sports injuries.”
LA84 coaching newsletter reports that
” Brian Williams and NBC Nightly News reported on what they called a “growing problem” in youth sports: “young athletes pushing themselves, perhaps, beyond their physical capacity to the point of injury.” In part one of the report, we met some young athletes who have sustained sports injuries. Also on the NBC Nightly News site, a video report on knee injuries to young athletes.”
We are (should) be our children’s advocate. Accidents happen,but over use injuries can be prevented.
Until Next time
Related posts:
- Overuse Injuries and Youth Athletes
- Youth Athletes And Injuries, Is Your Youth Athlete Next?
- Sports And Your Children’s Feet
- Smarts Thoughts On Youth Sports
- How Many Sports Should My Child Participate In At One Time?
Hey Trackmom,
Great blog. I noticed this post about child sports injuries on the rise because I blogged about it here: http://www.thechildinjurylawyer.com/take-it-easy-sports-parents.
I also know of an excellent book about the even sharper rise of girls sports injuries. The book is titled: Warrior Girls: Protecting Our Daughters Against the Injury Epidemic in Women’s Sports.
In it, Michael Sokolove describes how as girls mature through puberty, they do not naturally develop strength like boys do. The naturally gain flexibility. The problem is that strong muscles are required to protect our joins and since our culture does not encourage girls to improve their strength, many more girls injure their knees in sports than boys.
I experienced this first hand with a cycling knee problem. My sports medicine doctor prescribed weightlifting, saying the quads are the great protectors of the knee. Three months later, I had no knee pain.
Thanks for visiiting TrackMom, I have heard of the book by Michael Sokolove, guess I will have to bmoveit up on my very long list of must reads.
Have a great day!
Lorraine
Trackmom.com
you have a very talanted daughter
Thank-you very much : - )
One comment on the injury (the pic was originally uploaded by me with the patient’s permission) … the victim was an experienced 55-year old male skier who had been skiing “like a maniac” for two days. He broke his leg when he slipped on ice in the parking lot.
As any ski patroller will tell you, the most common injury we see could be almost completely prevented by proper protective gear … a $40 pair of wrist braces on a snowboarder will prevent about 90% of the wrist fractures they get from landing on an outstretched hand or hands.
Dehydration, lack of food (not taking time for snacks and water) and trying to do more than they are physically fit for cause a lot of injuries we see. You get clumsy, then you get hurt.
With todays hectic lifestyle few people spend enough time if any at all, warming up properly. Athletes are under increasing pressure from their coaches to get ready for certain deadlines etc. All of this is bound to increase injury. painful injury and inability to compete is the price you will pay if you push yourself beyond your limits.
I have never hurt lifting weights, typically offered by the hamstring pulls and knee injuries for things like running and kicking boxing.I this instruction seriously and immediately stopped