Scottsdale Health December 2019

doctor’s orders
/ by Anikar Chhabra, MD
Anikar Chhabra, M.D. is
an orthopedic surgeon,
the director of the
Sports Medicine Section
in the Department of
Orthopedics and vice
chair of Clinical Practice
at the Department of
Orthopedic surgery at
Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
THOUGH
INJURIES MAY
VARY FROM
SPORT TO
SPORT, THE
COMMON
YOUTH INJURIES
INCLUDE:
Youth Sport Injuries
A safety guide for young athletes
Millions of children and teens in the
United States practice sports, and every
year about 3.5 million sport injuries
occur. That said, most of these injuries
are not serious and do not need surgery
to correct them. A significant number of
these injuries are preventable.
Injuries on the
rise
As sport specialization
among children
becomes more common,
injuries are
increasing. Children
nowadays are playing
one sport year-round.
This causes them to
not develop different
muscles groups.
Additionally, this is
not allowing their
brains to develop different
motor skills.
On top of that, most
parents admit that
their children rarely
take extended periods
of time off from
their sport.
Resting is key
The best way parents
and youths can
avoid these issues is
to listen to the body
and let it rest. If a
patient is in pain and
continually sustaining
injuries, early treatment
is necessary
so that the injuries
won’t become a
longstanding problem.
Most parents
want their child to
play at the next level.
If they don’t let their
children rest their
bodies rest now,
these injuries may
ruin their chances of
extending their playing
career. Ideally, an
athlete should take
two to four weeks
off from the sport
after the end of each
season.
Preparing for
practice
Before sending
your child out on
the field, make
sure they hydrate
before, during and
after practice. Also,
equipping them with
the correct protective
gear that fits is
instrumental to both
their performance
and form.
A sport injury
is never planned for,
but it doesn’t have to
take your athlete out
of the game. With
proper equipment,
nutrition, hydration,
rest, and crosstraining,
your child’s
chances of getting
hurt are substantially
reduced.
Shoulder
or patella
dislocations
Growth plate fractures:
A condition
that affects the
growing tissue layer
near the end of a
child’s bone.
Muscle sprains
Osteochondritis
dissecans: A joint
condition that occurs
when a lack of blood
flow causes the
bone underneath
the joint’s cartilage
to die.
Shin splints
Patellar tendinitis
(jumper’s knee): An
injury to the ligament
that connects the
kneecap to the shinbone
that allows for
walking, running and
jumping movements.
Torn ACL
Sever’s disease in
the foot (calcaneal
apophysitis): A condition
that causes heel
pain due to stress
on the heel’s growth
plates.
50 ScottsdaleHealth 12/19