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Play safe: TRMC-Sunnyvale offers tips for staying safe on the playing fields this fall
By Zach Markovic, zmarkovic@starlocalnews.com
As children get older, they'll have more opportunities to play team sports. Because all children develop at different rates, both physically and psychologically, kids can get injured and hurt. Sports injury can occur as a result of falls, collisions, being struck by an object or overexertion.
With a new school year in session and many athletic leagues ready to embrace the fall sports season, athletes may want to consider these simple tips from Texas Regional Medical Center at Sunnyvale and Dr. John Zavala before heading back to the field or track:
Children are more susceptible to these injuries than adults; in fact, children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40 percent of all sports-related injuries. Taking sports safety precautions can help keep your child in the game.
"Every year, I see sprains, strains and even fractures resulting from a lack of flexibility," said Zavala, an orthopedic surgeon on staff at TRMC-Sunnyvale and who also practices at Rockwall-based Orthopaedic Specialists of Dallas. "So, I advise athletes not to do too much too fast when they start back up for a new season."
Zavala, who is fellowship-trained in sports medicine and shoulder reconstruction, said athletes need to stretch before and after activity.
Listen to your body
"If someone feels pain in the thigh, leg or foot while running, that should be evaluated," Zavala said. "In many cases, we can intervene before an overuse injury occurs."
Athletes of all ages can develop overuse injuries, which result from repetitive actions that stress the bones and muscles.
Pain under the kneecap is often caused by muscle tightness in the hamstrings or quadriceps and from muscle imbalances around the knee, he said. Pain in the front of the lower part of the legs, known as shin splints, can be caused by training too much early in the season, as well as by repeated running on hard surfaces.
Shoulder injuries
"Sports-related shoulder injuries can range from overuse injuries to more serious injuries, such as a shoulder separation or fracture dislocation," Zavala said.
Sports-related shoulder injuries physicians see frequently include dislocated shoulders; impingement syndrome, where the rotator cuff tendons become trapped in the shoulder joint; and rotator cuff strain, which is most common in sports that involve throwing or using rackets.
Treatment
There is often more than one way to effectively treat an injury. Treatment programs are always adjusted to meet the individual needs of the athlete and the unique requirements of the athlete's sport or activity.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends families understand a few general rehabilitation principles and their importance of each phase of the treatment program. While each injury has specific requirements for rehabilitation, the general principles of rehabilitation apply to all treatment programs.
The success of any rehabilitation program depends on an accurate diagnosis. If a swollen joint is being treated as a sprain when it is really a fracture, treatment may not only be ineffective but harmful. With a valid diagnosis and treatment, symptoms should improve in a natural and predictable way.
The effects of an injury usually include pain; swelling; and loss of joint motion, muscle flexibility and strength, speed, agility, and/or coordination. A comprehensive rehabilitation program must help reduce pain, restore movement and strength, and correct functional deficits.
It is also important to identify and address the causes of injury. Causes of injury can include poor training, incorrect technique, equipment failures, and individual factors related to flexibility, strength, joint stability, and alignment.
The 'no pain, no gain' approach to injury treatment is a certain way to achieve no gain. It is normal to have some lingering discomfort from the injury. However, efforts to bear weight, move a stiff joint, or exercise an injured muscle should not cause more pain.
Pain or swelling that increases usually means the rehabilitation is moving too rapidly or the exercise is being done improperly. Any increase in symptoms during rehabilitation means you need to check with your doctor.
The rehabilitation prescription may need to be changed or further testing may be needed to confirm that the diagnosis and treatment plan are correct.
Once an injury has been rehabilitated and the athlete has returned to play, there are usually a few exercises or ongoing precautions that are helpful in maintaining the recovery and preventing reinjury. This may include flexibility or strengthening exercises, use of protective equipment (such as tape, braces, or orthotics), or continuing with modifications of training or technique.
Once athletes have been cleared to return to play, they should know which precautions and exercises should be continued long term as well as when, or if, they need to check back for follow-up care.
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