COR Clinic sees many adolescent athletes each day receiving services in sports performance and or physical therapy. Though we have many goals with these athletes, it is one of our main goals to teach them and their parents about the prevention of injury.
- Did you know: Approximately 30 million children and teenagers participate in organized sports. (Best, et al, 2006)
Communication between the health professional, adolescent athlete and their parents is important due to the increased level of participation now seen in youth sports. As many you well know, society now places more importance on children becoming a professional athlete than ever before. It is not uncommon for teens to train 20 or more hours a week or for youngsters as young as 6 years to play organized hockey or soccer and travel with select teams to other towns and communities to compete on a regular basis. (Caine et al, 2006). Since the level of participation has increased over the past several decades so have injuries related to sport. Many studies now show that more than one in three adolescents seek medical attention for a sport injury every year (Emery et al 2006, Best 2006). Exercise-related injuries were the most common cause of pediatric injuries accounting for 19% to 29% of all injuries in this population. (Caine et al 2006).
- Did you know: 65% of all exercise-related injury visits to the emergency room in 2000 and 2001 (out of 4.3 million visits) are sustained by individuals 19 years of age or younger. (Caine et al 2006)
With this type of information one would wonder why a parent would want their child to play sports if injuries are so common. But sports and exercise are more important today than ever before due to our extremely sedentary society. Sports and exercise are important for children because it builds important lifelong fitness habits that can prevent disease process, socialization habits that can promote team work, and fortitude that promotes working through difficult situations.
- Learn: “A popular message from health promotion advocates is that if we can make physical activity a lifestyle choice at a young enough age, the public health benefits will be considerable. One downside to participation, however, is exposure to injury risk. In both elite and recreational sport populations, every sport entails some degree of injury risk. Therefore, strategies to promote safe participation and to prevent injuries are paramount.” (Emery et al, 2006)
Since The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one half of all sports injuries in children are preventable (Best, 2006), it is therefore important to work with physical therapists, physicians, strength coaches and sports coaches to learn what to look for to prevent injury.
In the coming weeks COR Clinic staff will provide information to help inform the public on injury prevention and sports medicine topics as it relates to the adolescent athlete.
For further information please contact COR Clinic at 480.272.7638.
