By Brent Thibodeaux M.D. with Ryan Basen
Thousands of kids nationally are diagnosed with overuse injuries every year, as young body parts succumb especially to sport specialization and year-round play. Overuse has afflicted young athletes throughout my 18 years of practicing pediatric medicine, but it has become especially prevalent over the past decade.
Kids are more susceptible to overuse than adults because their bodies are not as developed and their ligaments are not as flexible, leading to more stretching and tearing injuries. Adolescents are especially susceptible because they are growing rapidly. Combine this internal makeup with pressure to earn a starting spot on a team or a college scholarship, or to be there for the team—pressure that drives kids and their parents to ignore pain and medical advice—and it’s no wonder that overuse injuries have accelerated.
Injuries such as stress fractures, jumper’s knee and Osgood-Schlatter’s disease occur when muscles, bones and ligaments are worked beyond their capacity. Unrefined techniques such as incorrect form on tennis serves or swim strokes also lead to injury when combined with overuse, as does poorly fitting athletic equipment.
If your child plays sports, you can help prevent and treat injuries caused by overuse.
Consider this advice, based on the latest medical evidence on how to prevent these injuries:
1. Encourage younger kids to sample different sports and activities.
2. Make sure they get rest from structured activities at least once a week.
3. Allow them to get at least two months’ rest between seasons.
4. Ensure they get enough calcium in their diet to stimulate bone growth.
5. Encourage them to regularly stretch to make their ligaments and tendons more flexible.
6. Teach them to listen to their bodies. If they feel pain, they should take time off.
7. Ask your kid’s coach or trainer to help them develop more diverse motor skills to reduce injury risk.
8. Bring your child to see their regular doctor if they feel pain.
To treat overuse injuries:
1. Apply ice for 24 hours, followed by heat.
2. Administer anti-inflammatories.
3. Affix ankle or knee braces if needed.
4. Ask a trainer to recommend proper stretching and muscle strengthening exercises.
5. Make sure kids rest for at least 7-10 days. No training. Just rest. If it still hurts when kids return to action, rest some more.
Returning to action too soon makes kids more likely to suffer a debilitating injury that could sideline them for several months. I understand parents don’t want to hear that warning. They fear alienating their kid from teammates and coaches by holding their kid out. But it’s the parents’ responsibility to say, “This is enough.” You have to stick up for your kid, who is still a minor, no matter how physically gifted or dedicated.
A board-certified pediatrician, Brent Thibodeaux is the pediatric chief in Northern Virginia for the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (MAPMG). Ryan Basen is a writer with MAPMG.
