x
Breaking News
More () »

Youth sport-related injuries on the rise, here's how to prevent them

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than half of all sports injuries are preventable.

Each year, more than 3 million children under the age of 14 receive medical treatment for sports-related injuries. Outside of that, high school athletes account for about 2 million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits, and 30,000 hospital visits.

While the numbers seem astounding the shocking fact is that most of the injuries are preventable.

We talked to a panel of specialists from Palmetto Health USC and they agreed, they are seeing more youth sport-related injuries than ever before.

Since 2000, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of serious shoulder and elbow injuries among baseball and softball players.

Doctor Mark Locke says the increase in patients is due to sports specialization or "year-round athletes."

"The combination of youth who are doing too much, too intense and year-round has lead to an increase in injuries," says Dr. Locke. "I think the year-round athlete has gotten very popular and I think that competition has gotten to the point where we are seeing injuries."

Chronic overuse injuries are responsible for nearly half of all sports injuries in middle and high school students. Doctors say these injuries are caused by prolonged repetitive motion, improper technique or training, lack of equipment support or structural abnormalities.

Physical therapist Joshua Vaughn says there are also problems that surround training in the same sport all year-round.

"If they are playing baseball 24 hours a day 365 days a year, of course, their arm is going to take a little more wear and tear. One of the best things you can do is go play basketball or something else," says Vaughn.

"They can still be active, have fun with their friends and be healthy, but they are going to give specific joints a chance to rest, heal, repair, lengthen. Some of these kids we can't get away from specialization. That's when we recommend a specific streaming or strengthening protocol."

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than half of all sports injuries are preventable.

Athletic trainer Jane Steinburg says preventing injuries starts with a healthy breakfast.

"Parents need to feed them healthy food. Not a Frappuccino from the gas station on the way to practice or games," says Steinburg. "Water goes along with that. Athletes need 2 liters of water a day."

"I'm a big calcium fan. There's a lot of athletes that don't touch milk, cheese or yogurt. Talk to your physician and get a calcium supplement with Vitamin D. Vitamin D is huge for repair," she says.

Here are some other ways parents can help prevent injuries:

Stretch: Have your child stretch before going to bed, before and after games and practices. According to the Palmetto Health USC panel, children's joints and muscles can be fragile while their bodies are developing. The best way to protect them from injury is to stretch the muscles they are using frequently.

If you are looking for a more specialized stretching routine, you can visit the physical therapists at Palmetto Health USC.

Take time off : The American Academy of pediatrics recommends taking at least one day off every week and one month off a year from training. This will give the body time to rest and recover.

Don't 'play through pain': If there is pain, that means it's time to take a break and possibly make an appointment to see an orthopedic physician. One-third of parents say they will pull their injured child out of a game but will let them play through pain during practice. Keep in mind 62% of sport-related injuries happen during practice. It's always better to rest muscles or joints that are in pain then to seriously injure them further.

Wear appropriate gear: Always make sure your child wears appropriately fitting gear. Steinberg says a 50 cent mouth guard can help protect your child from thousands of dollars in dental repair work.

USA Today contributed to this article. More information can be found here.

Before You Leave, Check This Out