Prevent sports injuries for your children with these easy-to-remember tips!
Playing sports is a great way to foster excellent health in your child, both physically and mentally. However, sports-related injuries are very common and, at times, can be serious. Rather than pull your young athlete off of the field, court, track, or pool, check out the following injury prevention tips below to keep your child safe while they play.
Take some time off. It’s okay to take spend some time away from the game. In fact, it’s encouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics that your child spends at least one day a week and one month out of the year not competing or training in any organized sports. This is especially true for any sports involving tournaments or back-to-back games. Taking rest breaks during these events is crucial.
Mix it up. Repeating the same motions over and over again can be hard on a young athlete’s body. Over time, the same actions repeated too often can cause the athlete to burn out or risk an overuse injury. It’s best to encourage your child to try multiple sports and activities that allow them to give some of these overused parts of their bodies a rest. This also creates an opportunity for movement in other under-utilized parts of the body.
Look (and listen) for the symptoms. If your child is complaining of aches or pains lasting over two weeks, you may want to take them to a sports physician or a physical therapist. This is even more important to keep in mind if your child has any previous sports injuries.
If your child is facing a sports injury, we may be able to help. Contact the Pediatric Surgical Associates for all your pediatric surgical needs. Our pediatric surgeons in Orange County are experts at protecting your kids’ health and wellness!