How to Ensure Sports Injuries Don’t Limit Youth Potential

Introduction:

Youth sports injuries, especially in baseball, are escalating into an epidemic, potentially jeopardizing future professional careers. This article sheds light on the urgent need for early, appropriate treatment to safeguard young athletes’ futures.

Key Takeaways:

• Youth sports injuries, particularly in baseball, are causing major concerns for future professional athletes.
• Injuries like “Little League Elbow” and “Little League Shoulder” arise from intense playing schedules and insufficient rest.
• Early and appropriate treatment of youth sports injuries can prevent long-term problems and ensure a quicker return to sports.
• Treatments should consider the unique developmental needs of children, with options including physical therapy and deep tissue laser therapy at specialized centers like Orange County Wellness Physicians Medical Center.

What causes youth sports injuries and how can they be treated?

Youth sports injuries are often caused by intense playing schedules, lack of rest, and playing through pain, leading to conditions like “Little League Elbow” and “Little League Shoulder”. Early and appropriate treatment, tailored to the unique developmental needs of children, is crucial. Treatments include physical therapy and deep tissue laser therapy, aimed at a swift and safe return to sports.

In recent weeks, media sources around the country have been drawing attention to youth sports injuries and how they can potentially hamper young people who later move on to professional sporting careers. Baseball in particular, is said to be suffering an epidemic of arm injuries among major league pitchers. It’s thought that the problem can be traced back to sports injuries occurring in youth baseball.

Little League Sports Injuries Causing Major League Concerns

Separate reports from Fox4 News on June 3rd and the Kansas City Star on May 25th describe how doctors believe the sheer amount of games in which youth players compete is resulting in arm injuries. In fact, the problem is so prevalent that some common sports injuries incurred by youth Baseball pitchers have even acquired their own title, namely Little League Elbow and Little League Shoulder.

The big problem is that damage caused through intense playing schedules and lack of rest may not reveal itself during a pitcher’s time in Little League. Later on, though, the undetected damage often results in sports injuries, sometimes serious, in a player’s adult professional career. Worse still, some youth players ignore the pain of injury and continue to play through it. This can result in permanent damage which might curtail an otherwise bright sporting future.

Youth Sports Injuries Not Limited to Baseball

A recent article in the Washington post also discussed youth sports injuries following the foundation of a local Loudoun County program focused on injury prevention for young athletes. The article, published on June 4th, highlighted examples of local youths suffering what it describes as “adult injuries” through playing baseball and also soccer.

What is clear from these media reports and from general observation is that youths engaged in any athletic sport are at risk of injury. Prevention is always better than cure of course, but if your child should suffer a sports injury, it doesn’t need to be the start of longer term problems. In order to keep sports injuries from having a lasting effect though, allowing youths to continue playing with an injury is not an option. Instead you should seek appropriate treatment as soon as possible, while enforcing a break from your son or daughter’s chosen sport.

Prompt, Appropriate Injury Treatment Will Keep Your Child in the Game

All too often, our children shrug off an injury as unimportant and as parents we can be guilty of overlooking the significance too. Prompt, professional treatment, however, is likely to make the difference between your child’s early return to his or her sport of choice unhampered and the prospect of long term and potentially progressive discomfort.

In selecting the most appropriate treatment for youth sports injuries, we must remember that our children are not merely small adults. Their musculoskeletal structures are still developing and any treatment or therapy must take that into account. At OC Wellness we provide a range of treatments for sports injuries. Our experts can assess which approach is most appropriate for your child’s injury and how to administer treatment based on the patient’s age and stage of development.

Physical Therapy for Youth Sports Injuries

For many common sports injuries, physical therapy offers the most appropriate and fastest way to get your child back in their sport of choice. At OCWP, our physical therapists near me understand the differences in therapy requirements for pediatric patients versus adults. Your child will receive a program of therapy which is customized specifically to his or her unique circumstances. Where necessary, your child’s therapist will also provide counseling to help him or her to modify activities and get the appropriate rest to prevent injury progression.

Deep Tissue Laser Therapy

Our Class 4 deep tissue laser therapy is a very effective treatment for a variety of sports injuries. The treatment is safe for patients and has no side effects. The only sensation experienced by the patient is a feeling of warmth around the treated area. Usually a course of 6 to 12 treatments is required over a two to four week period. Each treatment takes only a few minutes to administer after which your young athlete should be free of damage and discomfort and ready for a controlled return to sports.

Other Treatments for Youth Sports Injuries at OCWP

During your child’s initial consultation, our sports therapists can determine the exact type of treatment and care required to enable recovery from his or her sports injury. This treatment may include physical therapy and/or deep tissue laser therapy. Additionally, we provide a range of other treatments such as acupuncture, massage therapy, and chiropractic care. Depending on the nature and seriousness of your child’s injury, any of these treatments may prove to be appropriate for initial recovery or for longer term wellness. Our physicians recognize that every young athlete is unique and will recommend a program of treatment and therapy only after the most thorough assessment. This ensures that your child is free from pain and back in the game within the shortest possible time.

If your young athlete has recently suffered a sports injury, it’s not too late to act, you can book an appointment right here on our website or if you prefer, give us a call on (657) 837-2608.