Sports injuries in children
In Australia, sports injuries in children are on the rise., from more serious ones that require surgery to minor sprains and strains.
In the past, major incidents that require surgery, such as ACL tear in the knee, were reserved for adults. In the last ten years, surgeons are witnessing a fairly rapid rise in the number of children on the operating table as a result of sports injuries. This is partly because adult training methods are sometimes now being applied to training sessions for children, and more children are training several times a week in one sport, instead of doing multiple sports just once a week.
To help prevent more serious sports injuries for your children, you can:
Ensure they do a variety of sports/activities instead of one intense training program - of course, if your child is in training to become a professional athlete at a certain sport, this may not be possible. In this case, it’s important they have a strengthening program designed by an osteopath, physio, or exercise physiologist.
Ensure they do activities that increase strength in a variety of muscles - swimming is an excellent one, but play activities such as climbing trees, using monkey bars, hula-hooping and other easy activities are great too.
Focus on warm-up - before playing sport, make sure they are truly warmed through every muscle for a good 5-10 minutes before starting - a gentle jog, a few star jumps, a speedy walk to the club all count - anything that raises heart rate gradually will get your muscles warm and juicy and ready for exercise.
Post-sport stretching - have a thorough stretching session after sport, to help keep muscles stretchy and supple. This is especially important in the cold Warrnambool winter!
Stay well-hydrated! Bring a water bottle and remind them to use it. Dry muscles are much more prone to injury.
Can Osteopaths treat sports injuries in children?
You guessed it, yes we can! Pediatric and Sports Osteopaths are highly trained for hands on treatment, and to give your young sports enthusiast exercises to do - whether a full rehab program for more serious athletes, or just a couple of fun and engaging exercises to help speed up recovery. Over my years of practising, I’ve helped children with the most minor issues arising from sport, major ligament. muscle or joint damage (sometimes in combination) requiring pre and post-surgical rehab, and everything in between.
