Treatment of Common Sports-Related Injuries in Children

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Treatment of Common Sports-Related Injuries in Children

Even if you take all the precautions necessary – warming up, wearing protective gear, not playing through pain – injuries can still occur. So the most important thing to know is what some of the most common injuries are and how to treat them.

Most Common Injuries:

Soft tissue injuries, known as a sprain, strain, or bone injury, are the most common. These injuries should be treated with “RICE” (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). Severe injuries including an obvious fracture, dislocation of a joint, prolonged swelling, or prolonged or severe pain should receive immediate professional treatment.

Sprains – injury involving the stretching or tearing of a ligament.
- Ligaments are a band of tough, fibrous tissue that unite two or more bones at a joint and prevents excessive movement of the joint. One or more ligaments can be injured during a sprain.
- Ankle sprains are the most common injury in the United States and out of the one million ankle injuries each year; 85 percent of them are sprains.
Strains – injury to a muscle or tendon.
- A muscle is a tissue comprised of specific cells that, when stirred by nerve impulses, contract and produce movement.
- A tendon is a tough, fibrous cord of tissue that attaches muscle to bone.
Growth Plate Injuries – area of developing tissues at the end of the long bones in growing children and adolescents.
- The long bones in the body include those of the fingers, the outer bone of the forearm, the collar-bone, the hip, the bone of the upper leg, the lower leg bones, the ankle, and the foot.
- When growth is complete, sometime during adolescence, the growth plate is replaced with solid bone.
- If any of these areas become injured, seek professional help from a doctor who specializes in bone injuries in children and adolescents (pediatric orthopaedist).
Repetitive Motion Injuries – these can include stress fractures and tendonitis where ligaments and tendons are damaged.
- Stress fractures occur when a ligament pulls off small pieces of bone.
- Tendonitis is an inflammation of a tendon that occurs from overuse of both muscles and tendons.
- These injuries usually don’t show up on X-rays but tend to cause pain and discomfort.
- Other treatments include RICE, crutches, cast immobilization, or physical therapy.

Basic Treatment for Simple Injuries-“RICE”:

Rest: Reduce or stop using the injured area for 48 hours.
Ice: For 20 minutes at a time, four to eight times per day; use a cold pack, ice bag, or plastic bag filled with crushed ice on the injured area.
Compression: Compression of an injured ankle, knee or wrist may help reduce swelling. These include bandages such as elastic wraps, special boots, air casts, and splints.
Elevation: Keep the injured area elevated above the heart. Use a pillow to help elevate the injured limb.

Severe Signs Warranting a Visit to a Health Care Professional Specializing in Bone Injuries:

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the following are signals to seek specialized medical attention:

Inability to play following an acute injury (sprain,strain, fracture).
Decreased ability to play because of chronic or long-term complications following an injury.
Visible deformity of athlete’s arms or legs.
Severe pain from acute injuries that prevent the use of an arm or leg.

Sources: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.