3 Ways to Help Your Kids Deal With Common Sports Injuries
While sports are a great way to keep your kids active and healthy, as well as preventing things like diabetes and obesity, there is a chance that your child could get hurt while participating in sports. Try as you might to keep your child safe with the proper equipment and supervision while playing, accidents happen that may result in an injury to your child. Apart from prohibiting your child from playing for a period of time, sports injuries could also end up causing your child serious physical damage if not addressed quickly. So to help you recognize injuries that may occur and know how to act when they do, here are three ways you can help your kids deal with common sports injuries.
Soft Tissue Injuries
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, some of the most common injuries that happen to young athletes are soft tissue injuries. These type of injuries consist of your typical strains and sprains that can happen in any number of sports. While painful, these injuries generally just need time and attention in order to heal. The best way to address these types of injuries is R.I.C.E.: rest, ice, compression and elevation. When done immediately, this treatment can be very effective. If the pain is persistent or the injury doesn’t appear to be improving, seek medical attention for your child.
Overuse Injuries
Playing sports involves completing a lot of repetitive movements and motions. Because of this, extended play can often lead to overuse injuries. Mary L. Gavin, MD, a contributor to KidsHealth.org, shares that common overuse injuries include knee pain, elbow pain, shoulder pain and shin splints. The best course of action if these injures present themselves is to limit your child’s activity until he or she can see a doctor. Even if you don’t think the injury is severe, seeing a physician will help you nip the problem in the bud before it has the potential to become a chronic issue your child must deal with for the rest of their life.
Head Injuries
Head injuries can happen in many different sports and can be very scary to deal with. According to Jerry Grillo, a contributor to WebMD.com, if your child suffered head trauma and feels confused, has a headache, vomits, gets dizzy or has any memory loss, there is a chance he or she may have a concussion. Concussions are serious and need to be given treatment by a medical professional immediately. Therefore, if your child has a head injury while playing sports, get them to the hospital or doctor’s office as soon as possible.
Keeping your child safe and healthy is every parent’s top priority. Use the tips mentioned above to help you maintain your child’s physical health and safety during their sport seasons this year.
