Sports injuries are highly common in the U.S. The CDC estimates nearly 3.2 million children between the ages of 5 to 14 visit the emergency room for sports-related injuries. For high school children, sports injuries are the most common reason for a medical visit.

However, the high rate of sports injuries should not discourage you from enrolling your child into a seasonal sport.

Many sports injuries are highly preventable while most can be treated in a short period of time. Taking the time to prevent injuries, administer first aid, and seek appropriate treatment will allow your child to have a healthy sports season!

Prevent injuries before they happen with these steps

Sports injuries are preventable if you and your child take a few precautions before a sporting event:

• Make sure your child’s equipment fits properly and is in good enough condition to play. If your child’s school provides equipment, consult with the athletic department if you believe the equipment is unsafe.
• Have your child stretch before participating in any athletic activity. Stretching approximately 15 minutes before their sport/game can help significantly lower common injuries like muscle pulls and sprains.
• Coaches and trainers should teach children defensive skills during an athletic event to help avoid injuries.
• Make sure you get an updated sports physical for your child. Usually, most school-sanctioned sports require a physical to ensure your child is fit enough to participate.

Administer First Aid and Get Injury Treatment

If your child has an injury on the field, then make sure you or a certified athletic trainer is prepared to administer first aid.

Before performing first aid, make sure play has stopped on the field (or court) to avoid other potential injuries. Once play has stopped, make sure you elevate the injury, apply pressure, and secure the injured area before finding treatment.

Always remember the PRICE method for managing sports injuries which includes protecting an injured area, resting an injured limb, icing the injured area, compressing the injury, and elevating the injury when possible. These tactics allow the injury to heal and stabilize before receiving further treatment.

Thankfully, most sports injuries are acute which means that you can get injury treatment at an urgent care center. Patients located near Burlington can find urgent care services very quickly at AFC Urgent Care Burlington.

We offer services to walk in patients so you can get injury treatment at any time. And remember that sports injuries are preventable, and treatable, conditions that shouldn’t keep your child from taking the field!