When you have active children who are involved in sports, you know that injuries are inevitable at some point in their athletic careers. While you can’t completely prevent injuries from occurring, you can help minimize their risk of getting hurt.

Do you know what you would do if your child got hurt during a game or practice? Our team at AFC Urgent Care Chattanooga is extremely knowledgeable about sports injuries and will help you on the track to wellness with the tips below.

Are Some Sports More Dangerous Than Others?

When you think of sports that produce injuries frequently, football and basketball are probably the first ones that come to mind. While it is true that high-contact sports have a higher risk of severe injury, there is always a risk when it comes to low-contact sports as well.

However your child chooses to be active, there is a risk for injury. Being informed about the most common types of injury and prevention tips can help you reduce that risk.

Common Sports Injuries

• Sprains and strains: Constantly pivoting and twisting is a perfect recipe for ankle sprains.
• Overuse injuries: Repeated motion like pitching a ball or having the butterfly be your specialty stroke in the pool can lead to these types of injuries.
• Stress fractures: When the constant strain on your muscle becomes too much, tiny fractures can occur along the bone. Sprinters and other track athletes see these often.
• Head or neck: Injuries from the neck and up need to be taken seriously every single time as they can become severe.

How Can I Prevent Injury for My Child?

The best first step is to come by for a sports physical to make sure your child is well enough to participate in his or her activities. A thorough evaluation can help ease worries and create a good baseline if there were to be an issue that arises later in the season.

After passing the sports physical, make sure your child is taking care of his or her body by fueling it correctly with a varied diet and drinking enough water to stay hydrated. Upon arriving at the field or to the court, encourage proper warmups and stretching, and cool down afterward. Also make sure your child uses sport-specific equipment and proper technique.

Tips for Caring for an Injury

• Utilizing the RICE acronym can help reduce swelling and prevent further injury—Rest, Ice the area, Compression (wrap it or use pressure), Elevate the injury.
• Monitor for any significant changes or severe symptoms, such as a growing bruise.
• Come see us to get an X-ray so we can get a better picture of what is going on.

Did your child recently suffer a sports-related injury? Visit our AFC team to get an X-ray—no appointment necessary!