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Encouraging children to participatein sports fosters more than goodhealth — it also builds confidence,character and cooperation. Unfortu-nately, just like adults, young athletes often sufferinjuries that can sideline them in the middle of theseason. When this happens, it’s the parents’ job tobrush away the tears and make sure kids get theproper care to ensure a safe return to the field.

Injury Treatment for Developing BodiesChildren with sports injuries should receive carefrom pediatric sports medicine specialists who arespecially trained to diagnose, treat and manage in-juries in children and teens. John Polousky, MD,surgical director at the Rocky Moun-tain Youth Sports Medicine Institute,says, “The most common mistake

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June 2011

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we see is treating young athletes like smalladults.” According to Polousky, injuriesand medical problems affecting thebones, muscles, ligaments, tendons andjoints (a.k.a., musculoskeletal injuries) ofgrowing children are quite different fromconditions more commonly seen in olderpatients. “It’s important to employ a treat-ment plan tailored to the developing bod-ies of children so that the injury healsproperly and doesn’t cause the athleteproblems later in life,” says Polousky.

Sports Injury Q&APolousky, his partner Brooke Pengel, MD,and other experts at the Rocky MountainYouth Sports Medicine Institute recentlyaddressed some of the most common ques-tions they hear from parents of injuredyoung athletes.

Which is better for my child’s injury – ice or heat?In the case of a sudden, acute injury, the bestchoice is to use ice. The swelling and inflam-mation associated with acute injury often re-sults in significant pain. Ice applied directlyto the injured area helps to reduce swelling,and therefore can be useful in controllingpain in the first 24-48 hours after a new injury.Ice can be applied with an ice pack. Applying

ice di-rectly to

the skins h o u l d

generally bea v o i d e d .Joints like the

ankle respondwell to submersion in

a bucket of ice water.Heat tends to be useful inmore chronic injuries as amethod of increasingblood flow to the area inorder to relax and loosentight, painful tissues.

Physical therapists may even alternateice and heat during specialized treat-ments for the athlete.

How can my child stay active if he or she is injured?Having an injury can sometimes be a blessingfor an athlete! During the injured period, theathlete can focus on gaining strength in othermuscle groups. For example, core muscle train-ing is usually allowed and can be an effectivemethod of enhancing sports performance in amultitude of sports. Additionally, time canbe spent on stretching tight muscles, a commonproblem in children and teens that may havecontributed to injury. During the injury re-covery period, flexibility around the injuredjoint and other joints can often help the athleteonce she/he is ready to return to participating.

Should my child compete wearing a brace?If your child is recovering from an injury, itmight be appropriate to wear a brace to com-pete. For example, if the athlete has had a sig-nificant ankle sprain, research has shownthat an ankle brace may help prevent anotherankle sprain. Not all braces have been shownto be as effective as the ankle brace, but thereare other braces that may help athletes com-pete during the recovery phase. For athleteswho have not had an injury, the use of brac-ing is controversial, as there is a lack of evi-dence that bracing is helpful in preventing aninjury from happening in the first place. Themost important concept for the athlete to un-derstand is that regaining range of motion,strength and balance after an injury is thebest method of preventing future problems.Bracing cannot substitute for the hard workneeded to rehabilitate an injury.

Prevention is KeyWhile proper medical treatment is critical,most parents would rather their childavoid an injury all together. “Education isthe key to prevention,” says Brooke Pengel,

medical direc-tor for theRocky Moun-

tain Youth SportsMedicine Institute.

Education should extend beyond the me-chanics of the sport to include all aspectsof exercise from correct stretching tech-niques to healthy nutrition, proper equip-ment and safe rules of play. Pengel believesparent education is critical to preventingsports-related injuries and illnesses amongyoung athletes. “The coach is focused onthe mechanics of the game and on teachingthe skills to maximize the player’s perform-ance. It’s up to the parents to make suretheir child is prepared for the game in thefirst place,” says Pengel.

Athlete Prep Q&APengel and the staff at the Rocky Moun-tain Youth Sports Medicine Institute an-swered some of the most commonquestions they receive from parents ofyoung athletes:

Should my child drink wateror a sports drink?

Water usually is the best choice for exerciseunless your child is involved in work-outslonger than 60 minutes. At that point, the en-ergy stored in muscle is becoming depletedand electrolytes in the body have been lost inthe sweat. Therefore, for these longer bouts ofexercise, have your child consume a sportsdrink that contains carbohydrates (for fuel)and salt/potassium (for electrolytes).

When can my child start to lift weights?Research has shown that even young childrencan safely begin strength training. If your childis ready to participate in organized sports, theyare probably ready to begin strength training(typically around ages 6-8 years). The key tomaking this activity safe is to provide supervisedtraining that emphasizes safety precautions and

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proper technique/use of equipment. The training regimen shouldinvolve lower weight, higher repetition lifting. Body resistance ex-ercises are a great choice for young athletes. Maximal lifts or anytype of Olympic-style lifting should be avoided.

Should my child take performance-enhancing supplements?Prior to considering a supplement, an athlete needs to determinewhat he hopes to accomplish by using the supplement. Propertraining, adequate rest and optimized nutrition are the best waysto enhance performance. If an athlete is not maximizing thesemethods, supplementation will likely be unsuccessful and theathlete’s expectations will continue to prove unrealistic. In gen-eral, most supplements have not been studied in youth and usingthem should be discouraged because of this fact. There is no re-quirement for supplements to be proven safe by the Food andDrug Administration (FDA). The products often do not live upto claims and may not contain what they list as ingredients. Ad-ditionally, because of the lack of regulation, the product maycontain traces of illegal, potentially dangerous, substances.

Head SafetyAny injury in a young athlete can be scary for parents, buthead injuries are particularly nerve-wracking. According tothe Brain Injury Association of America, 1.6 to 3.8 millionsports- and recreation-related concussions occur in theUnited States annually. Unfortunately, the symptoms ofconcussion can be difficult to recognize. Karen McAvoy, di-rector of the Center for Concussion at the Rocky MountainYouth Sports Medicine Institute, offers these tips to parentswhose children have suffered a blow to the head.

Know the symptoms: Only 10 percent of kids lose con-sciousness when they suffer a concussion. Be sure toquestion your child regarding the following symptoms:headache, nausea, balance problems, blurry vision, sen-sitivity to light or noise, fatigue, brain fog. If several ofthese symptoms are present, be sure to take your childto a physician.

Understand the timeline: Symptoms from a concus-sion are often delayed, especially for children involvedin weekend games. They may suffer a blow to the headand not experience any symptoms until returning toschool on Monday. As the brain is engaged to concen-trate on schoolwork, the metabolism changes and thesymptoms often come to the forefront.

Insist on proper rest: Rest is one of the most importanthealing remedies for a brain injury. Immediately

following the injury, makesure your child refrainsfrom both physically and mentally strenuous activities.Loud group functions, driving, video games and textmessaging should all be avoided. Reading and school-work should be limited for the first few days followingthe injury so that the brain can rest.

Sideline the sports: A child who has suffered a braininjury should not return to play until symptoms disap-pear completely. Make sure the return to sports is slowand easy. If symptoms return, pull your child out againand wait before starting a gradual return to play.

Teach your child to speak up: Young athletes are oftenafraid to tell their coach if they have a headache becausethey don’t want to be viewed as weak. Before the seasonstarts, review concussion symptoms with your childand explain that these symptoms must be reported tothe coach.

Don’t fret: 90 to 95 percent of kids who experience afirst concussion that is properly managed will com-pletely recover. The important thing is to make sure thebrain is completely recovered as a second head injurycan create real issues.

Bottom line for parentsTeaching your children proper exercise and sports tech-niques and getting them the care they need when injuredlays the foundation for a lifetime of health and enjoymentin sports.

Rocky Mountain Youth Sports Medicine Instituteis located at Centennial Medical Plaza, 14000 E ArapahoeRoad, at Jordon Road. Call 720.979.0840 or visit www.YouthSportsMed.com for more information.

Rocky Mountain Hospital for Childrenand its family of locations in every HealthONE hospitalbrings trusted experience and proven care to you and yourchildren. For information on parenting and health tipsvisit www.RockyMountainHospitalForChildren.com.

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