Pediatric Sports Injuries
Sports Injuries in Children
As helpful as sports can be in maintaining a healthy body, sports injuries are a common occurrence. Usually, these injuries are small, such as sprains or bruises, but there are a number of possible sports injurie especially common in children.
Common Pediatric Orthopedic Conditions
The most common and frequently mentioned sports injury is a sprain or a strain. This covers injuries to ligaments and muscles or tendons, respectively. Both of these injuries can be anywhere from mild to severe. Stretching and warming up properly before exercise can reduce the risk of these injuries greatly, but muscles in any part of the body can be injured.
Fractures are also common in sports; though these occur less frequently, as they usually only occur in the event of a fall or impact of some kind. These are bone injuries, and require medical attention, as they rarely heal correctly on their own, unlike mild sprains or strains.
In children, it is also possible for the growth plates to become injured. The growth plate is an area of growing tissue found along longer bones. These injuries can be fairly serious, as they are similarly bone injuries, and it is generally a good idea to visit a pediatric orthopedic surgeon if these areas are injured.
The most serious bone injuries are spinal injuries. Other broken bones can be very painful, and require medical attention, but these should be attended to especially quickly, as they can cause lasting injury, possibly paralysis.
Similarly, serious conditions are concussions. It is best to know the signs of concussions. Milder concussions often go undiagnosed, and though they usually heal without medical attention, a second injury to the head when the brain is still healing can come with very serious repercussions. Concussions occur when the head receives some kind of impact, though they can occur during larger falls even when the head is not a visible hit. It is best to be as careful as possible with these injuries.
Treatment of Orthopedic Injuries
The treatment of these injuries usually depends greatly on the injury. If an injury is causing intense pain or is a head and/or spinal injury, then it is usually necessary to see a professional. However, if it is mild or if immediate care is required before seeing a doctor, one rule of thumb to remember is the "RICE" treatment.
"RICE" is an easy way to remember the most important steps of treating most sports injuries. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. When facing an injury, rests the injured area for 48 hours or until you get to a professional. Ice will help with swelling and pain. Compression also helps with swelling. In a rush, a roll bandage will help; otherwise, a doctor can give other options for compression. Elevation also reduces swelling and inflammation, as propping up the injured area will draw away the blood flow.
This is, of course, just a general rule of thumb. Each injury should be dealt with by assessing the situation and reacting according to the severity and nature of the sports injury