Sports are an easy way to get your child involved in something where they can learn new skills, create new friendships, and develop lifelong values. Playing sports is often more fun for children than the classroom because any learning or challenges are centered around a game. They often don’t know the valuable lessons they are learning until they realize it later in life.
What children also don’t think about is the potential for injury while playing sports. Parents know the risk all too well, and they understand it can happen in any sport, whether it’s football, soccer, gymnastics, swimming, or even unorganized games at home. The force and impact built into the rules of sports increase the likelihood your child will suffer at least one injury, hopefully only minor, during their time in athletics.
Unfortunately, some injuries require medical attention to treat and heal. In fact, you can rarely “walk it off” or “rub some dirt in it” to recover. The more serious types include fractures, sprains, strains, cuts, and concussions. Wearing proper safety equipment is heavily advised and sometimes necessary to help prevent injuries.
Youth injuries need to be handled differently than adult injuries because the bones in the human body are different depending on a person’s age. In children, bones can bend or buckle instead of breaking. This makes it difficult to identify an injury that needs immediate medical attention because there isn’t always visual evidence that the bone is compromised.
Keep in mind that children are also growing. The ends of children’s bones have growth plates where new bone is laid and lengthened. If an injury occurs on or near these growth plates, it can cause the plate to set incorrectly, leading to complications in the development process. Elbows, knees, fingers, and ankles are often at risk during sports, and injuries to these body parts can lead to severe damage if not treated properly by a medical professional.
If your child displays any of the following symptoms or behaviors after an injury, you should take them to urgent care for treatment.
- Immediate swelling at the injury site
- Deformity or misalignment at or near the injury site
- Refusing to move the injured body part or holding it close to their body
- Refusing to walk or stand after a lower-body injury
- Complaining of a headache or acting unusually after a bump to the head
Children’s bodies are fragile, as they are constantly growing and developing into their adult form. This makes injury treatment even more vital because neglecting medical care can have serious consequences on a child’s future. It’s important for parents and children to know the risk of injury in sports and to take the necessary precautions so that the sport is more enjoyable than harmful.
Children’s Urgent Care Pediatric Specialists treats broken bones, cuts, fractures, and sprains. They also can perform sports physical exams and X-ray services. Visit their website at ucc4kids.com. They treat kids and keep parents happy.