High School Sports Injuries

Discussions about sports injuries in younger athletes are on the rise the past years and the rate just keep increasing and nothing is being done about the issue. High school athletes account for an estimated two million injuries and 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year. More than 3.5 million kids under age 14 receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year [Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America]. There are a lot of different ways of getting injured during sports. The most common injuries are; sprains, strains, growth plate injuries, repetitive motion injuries, concussions, and many more [Graham]. There is no exact way to eliminate sports injuries but there are ways to prevent them. This topic is very

An immense topic of this broad pathway is that injuries in high school athletes are on the rise. Many high school sports injuries can be prevented through proper conditioning in the off season and in the beginning of the season. They also can be presented by using the proper equipment, and methods while conditioning [Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America]. But there are also the injuries that cannot be prevented like sudden trauma injuries which account for a good chunk of high school sports injuries. Most high school athletes play sports year round; if you are playing the same sport year round then your risk of getting injured is significantly increased. This rate is increased because you are just using the few same muscles in your body, and after a while you can develop a stress fracture [Harris-Taylor]. If you are playing more than one sport year round that is excellent because you are working different muscle areas in your body. But, it is always fine to take a break from a sport for a few weeks a few times a

Physical therapists have a great number of responsibilities when it comes to sports injuries. They help rehabilitate the injured parts in one’s body so one does not heal the wound improperly and do more damage. Since there has been a recent spike in the injury rates for athletes, there has been more of a need for physical therapists. To prevent this rate from going up, the physical therapists need to educate the athletes, parents, and even the coaches about the proper ways of stretching and warming up before practices and games. They should always make sure the athletes are wearing the proper equipment that is suitable for the task at hand. For example if you’re up to bat at practice, one should make sure to wear a helmet and cleats to prevent any injuries to the head and foot area. Another example is that if an athlete is playing football and they are doing tackle drills the coach should make sure that the athlete is wearing shoulder pads, a helmet, and cleats to prevent any injuries to the head, shoulders, and ankles. They also should teach the athletes what muscles to exercise and strengthen in the off-season as another way of trying to prevent injuries. Children’s sports as a whole have become so competitive that unless some certain safety guidelines are met, young athletes are at risk for either physical and/or emotional harm [Graham]. Some physical therapists say that you