Has your child suffered an injury during sport, gymnastics or dance or do they have a recurring injury that is stopping them from returning to a physical activity they enjoy? This is an important article that will tell you how to prevent reinjury and get your child back to doing the activities they love.
On average, six children were hospitalized every day for sports-related injuries in the last decade. Untreated injuries can turn into chronic problems that can mean longer periods away from physical activity.
Physical activity is essential in the healthy wellbeing of children as it brings a wide range of health benefits to support their growth and development, social skills and psychological well being. Sports are a popular form of physical activity that children engage in where involvement from a young age teaches them the importance of maintaining fitness that continues well into adulthood.
Unfortunately Children are potentially more vulnerable to sporting injuries due to their physical and physiological processes of growth and development. In comparison to mature adult bones, children’s developing bones are more cartilaginous resulting in injuries unique to their age group such as growth plate fractures and greenstick fractures.
Studies have also highlighted that during the pubescent period, the occurrence of injuries increases further because the rate at which certain muscles strengthen is not the same as other muscles leading to imbalance and instability. It’s for this reason also that’s it’s important to find a health professional who specialises in treating children and has expertise in how their bodies differ from those of adults.
“If left without intervention by a passionate practitioner who specialises in treating children, injuries can become chronic or recur again and again with further deterioration each time, treatment takes longer and gets more expensive, and in severe cases, the effects cannot be reversed and surgery may required”
Untreated injuries can lead to early development of health problems like osteoarthritis. Knee injuries (most commonly seen in netball players) can lead to ACL rupture which in turn leads to severe instability and poor knee function and carries the risk of sustaining secondary injuries such as meniscal tears.
Pain reported following sport may be related to microtraumas which can lead to more serious injuries.
Your child may have to give up a physical activity they love for a long period or even altogether due to ongoing re-occurrence and worsening of the injury.
When you see a Physiotherapist that specialises in treatment and rehabilitation of children following injury, recovery can be much quicker and more serious injuries or recurrences can be avoided.
You’re child is less likely to develop secondary conditions like early onset osteoarthritis as a result of the injury
The risk of more serious injury as a result of the initial injury can be reduced.
Your child can return to their favourite activity sooner and reap the rewards that being involved in this brings.
Because children heal quickly they often don’t get the treatment they need in order to prevent the injury recurring especially when they don’t require hospitalisation but it’s so important to get any injuries or pain your child reports properly assessed by a health professional who is an expert in how children’s bodies develop in order to get the right treatment and exercise plan to assist recovery and prevent recurrence of the injury.
Here’s some simple steps you can take to start helping your child recover from and injury until you can get in to see a Children’s Physiotherapist:
Rest
Do not use the injured area until seen for further evaluation by a Children’s Physiotherapist.
If walking with a limp, have the athlete use crutches.
Ice
Apply ice to the injured area to help decrease pain and swelling.
Use ice for a maximum of 15 - 20 minutes at a time.
Crushed/cubed ice or frozen peas/corn works best wrap them in a damp towel to prevent ice burn
Always ice for the first 48 - 72 hours after injury
Never sleep with ice on the injured area
Compression
Elastic wrap/compression sock should be used to reduce swelling
Apply wrap beginning below the injured area and wrapping upward
Always leave toes/fingers exposed
Watch for numbness, discoloration or temperature changes (loosen wrap if needed)
Do not sleep with wrap on the injured area
Elevation
Use gravity to control swelling
Prop injured area higher than the heart
How can you help your child to continue to participate in their favourite physical activity safely?
Active Life Therapies Children’s Physiotherapists have expertise in how young bodies develop and the types of injuries and causes of pain that are specific to children. They love working with young people and make assessment and treatment fun and engaging.
Whether your child has suffered an injury during a physical activity, is complaining of pain in their joints or spine, haven’t developed a physical skill appropriate for their age or you’d like to check that they are physically able to complete an activity safely our children’s Physiotherapists would love to help.
Give us a call to arrange an assessment or pre screening session for your child so they can continue to enjoy participating in the activities they love or get back to them sooner and safer.
