What Parents Should Know About Sports Rehabilitation
Sports Rehabilitation: 5 Fast Facts Every Parent Should Know
Spring sports have arrived in full swing, which means nearly 47 million children around the country, including New Jersey, will be participating in a variety of team and individual sports. No matter which sport your child is participating in: soccer, track, swimming, lacrosse, softball, baseball, golf, etc., sports-related injuries are inevitable. If (or when) an injury does occur, it’s crucial to seek professional sports rehabilitation as quickly as possible to minimize the impact of the injury and begin the climb back to those desired activities once again.
Let’s take a look at five fast facts about sports injuries that every parent of a young athlete should know.
1. One in three children who play a team sport are injured seriously enough to miss practice or games.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), participation in organized sports is on the rise. With the increase in participation comes the increased risk for injury. Even sports injuries that appear to be minor should be evaluated. If left untreated, a seemingly minor injury, like a sprained ankle, can result in a chronic problem.
2. Girls are up to eight times more likely to have an ACL injury than boys.
Sports popular among female athletes, including cheerleading, dance and soccer, all may place a significant strain on the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). ACL tears are much more common among females than males (some theories suggest it is due to anatomical or biomechanical differences). As a sports rehabilitation clinic, the Twin Boro physical therapists have the experience to treat ACL and other common sport injury conditions.
3. Most organized sports-related injuries (62 percent) occur during practice rather than in games.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable. Take steps to help prevent injuries by reminding your child to always warm-up and cool down properly before/after any physical activities, select the proper safety equipment and help your child recognize when his or her body is fatigued and needs to take necessary breaks. Minimize the number of teams your child is on. The cumulative impact of those teams does increase the risk of being on fewer teams.
4. The most common types of sports-related injuries among children are sprains, muscle strains, bone or growth plate injuries, repetitive motion injuries and heat-related illness.
Among those injuries, the body parts most commonly affected include the ankle, head, finger and knee. However, the body parts at risk are very sport-specific. Become familiar with the sport. Know the risks of the sport and how to prevent common injuries of that sport. The risk of injury is greatly reduced through proper technique in training for and participating in the sport. When a sports injury occurs, it is important to quickly seek proper treatment to ensure the best possible recovery.
Each of our 27 Twin Boro Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation clinics throughout New Jersey are equipped to treat common sports injuries including:
- Sprains
- Strains
- Arthritis issues
- Pulled muscles
- Repetitive-use injuries
- Rotator cuff tears
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Tennis Elbow
- and much more
5. Sports injuries are not limited to contact sports.
Although football, lacrosse and soccer rank high in the number of injuries to athletes, other non-contact sports can also result in an injury. Swimming and cycling, for example, are listed among the top five sports that children are at risk of injury.
Sidelined by an Injury? Twin Boro Sports Rehabilitation Can Help!
If you or your child has experienced an injury or you have questions, consult a sports rehabilitation therapist at one of our convenient locations. We work with individuals of all ages on pain management, treatment, prevention, rehab and post-op rehab.
