How Pediatric Physical Therapy Can Help Prevent Sports Injuries in Young Athletes
Are you searching for a way to keep your child healthy and prevent an injury from sidelining them as they compete in their favorite sports? Our pediatric therapists at Skills on the Hill in Washington, DC, and Arlington, VA are up to date on the most advanced strategies for preventing youth-related injuries and maximizing their physical potential!
Our clinic provides evidence-based information to educate coaches, school trainers, parents, and youth sports officials about the importance of incorporating injury-prevention strategies to help kids have an injury-free season. Request an appointment with one of our pediatric specialists today!
What do repetitive stress injuries look like in youth sports?
Upper-body repetitive stress injuries affect the muscles, tendons, nerves, and ligaments. These injuries are usually the result of poor technique or overuse. Tenderness, stiffness, or even tingling in the affected area are common symptoms.
Youth sports require children to perform repetitive movements. This becomes an issue when movement techniques are performed incorrectly. Overuse injuries are also common in young athletes who only play one sport all year. For some, an injury (such as a sprain or strain) results in compensations and changes in form, resulting in injury.
The following are the most common youth-related repetitive stress/overuse injuries:
- Little leaguer’s elbow
- Little leaguer’s shoulder
- Jumper’s knee
- Shin splints
A new ache or pain is too often dismissed as a normal part of playing a sport and is ignored until it becomes an injury that interferes with participation. The solution here is to seek medical attention as soon as an injury occurs!
At Skills on the Hill in Washington, DC, and Arlington, VA, our highly trained pediatric therapists will conduct an injury assessment to identify all factors contributing to the athlete’s repetitive stress injury. Once we’ve identified the issue, we will create a customized treatment plan to help resolve it and prevent any further injuries.
How to help prevent repetitive stress injuries
The good news is that tried-and-true strategies can help prevent youth sports injuries. Here are a few strategies to try for yourself:
- Instill the right warm-up and cool-down techniques: A proper warm-up ensures that the body is physically prepared and reduces the likelihood of injury. Warm-ups that simulate the actual sport (functional movements) can also help children perform better overall.
Evidence for proper cool-down in injury prevention has emerged in recent studies. Building good cooling-down habits while the athlete is young can help minimize post-sport soreness and allow the body to recover enough to be ready for practice or competition the next day.
- Avoid specialization: Far too often, adults have encouraged young athletes to specialize in one sport, believing that doing so will give them a competitive advantage. Participating in multiple sports reduces the risk of injury and improves the athlete’s overall performance and ability to compete at the highest levels, according to recent research!
Specialization also leads to more injuries and can limit a young athlete’s success in sports!
If you want to give your young athlete an advantage, teaching them the good habits listed above, proper nutrition, and addressing pain and dysfunction as soon as possible will help them avoid most injuries.
What to expect at your child’s sessions
Our pediatric sports injury treatments at Skills on the Hill are conservative and non-invasive to relieve pain and promote healing. As needed, our highly trained pediatric therapists incorporate specialized methods into their treatment plans. We also provide patients with light stretching and exercise plans to help them improve their range of motion and overall function.
Pediatric treatments may look very different from adult treatments. This is because children are still developing physically and mentally. Each pediatric sports injury treatment plan is unique and considers the child’s age, level of physical activity, and ongoing physical and mental development.
Physical therapy’s overarching goal is healing and prevention. In addition to treating the injury, our therapists will help strengthen the affected area to prevent further injuries.
Request an appointment at Skills on the Hill today!
At Skills on the Hill in Washington, DC, and Arlington, VA, our therapists can help guide your children through the most effective strategies that will help minimize the risk of injury. We know how important sports can be to a young child and want to ensure that your little one can compete to the best of their ability!
Contact us today to get started on a customized injury prevention plan!
Sources:
https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000346.abstract
https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200131140-00003
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/9/528.abstract
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557657/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK561507/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12178-018-9456-5
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0363546517734172
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-60216-1_18