Prevent Sports Injuries in Young Athletes

Tips to Prevent Injuries

-from the Hand Center of Western Massachusetts -  

Every year thousands of people in western Massachusetts hurt or injure their fingers, hands and wrists at home, at work and while playing sports. Many of these injuries could have been easily avoided. Many of these injuries are alos in CHildren and Young Athletes. At the Hand Center we want to support helping to curtail "the escalation of injuries in youth sports." These tips below are availalble through the ASSH and AAOS.

Knowing a few preventative measures can help to keep hands safe.

The physicians and staff at the Hand Center of Western Massachusetts have important safety tips that can protect you and your family from unnecessary harm.

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Articles

Sports and Fractures

You may have seen professional athletes on TV playing with casts or splints on their hands or wrists.  Other people, including family, friends, and trainers, may have told you and your child that it won’t be a problem participating in sports immediately after a fracture. The truth turns out to be more complicated.
There are many factors involved in the care of a fracture and the ultimate return to sports.
Every fracture has its own personality.  Some fractures are very stable and start off in relatively good position.  Other fractures can be unstable and require surgery with pins, plates or screws.  Some fractures may involve the joint surfaces and may require more care to prevent displacement and complications later on.  Different bones also have different healing potentials with some taking longer to heal.  The age of the patient and severity of the trauma also play an important role in determining the prognosis and ultimate course of treatment.
Different sports also have different requirements regarding return to play.  A soccer player or cross country runner may be able to avoid using his or her hands all together.  Still other sports run a high risk of reinjury due to the increased contact, unpredictable nature, and significant force involved in the activity, i.e. football, hockey, and wrestling.  Different positions in a particular sport may also affect the decision of when to return to play: kicker vs. quarterback or striker vs. goalie.
The decision of when to return to sports must be individualized for every patient.  A parent must realize that a child is not the same as a professional athlete.  With a professional athlete, there may be significant financial considerations which factor into whether an athlete should return to play – a professional athlete may be willing take on the risk of reinjury or irreparable problems in the future for immediate glory or fortune.  For most children and teenagers with a fracture – and indeed most adults not competing at a professional level – a more conservative approach is warranted.
The discussion of when your child can return to sports should take place between you and your doctor.  If your doctor feels that your child may participate in sports with some restrictions, one must realize that there is still a chance that some unforeseen event may occur.  There are rarely if any certainties in medicine as in life.  Your treating hand and upper extremity surgeon must try to weigh all these factors in order to determine the best course of action for your child’s injury.  If your doctor tells you that your son or daughter should not participate in sports at this time, it is because he feels this will ensure the best outcome for your child’s fracture.

Additional Information

• Thumb Sprains
• Mallet or Baseball Finger

Video

The Hand Center of Western Massachusetts encourages you to stop sports injuries.

http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/

STOP Sports Injuries | Sports Injury Prevention

PRESS RELEASE

Contact:  The Hand Center of Western Massachusetts

 413 733 2204

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Keep Kids in the Game for Life Through the STOP Sports Injuries Campaign

Healthcare and, Business Leaders, and Professional Athletes Join Forces to

Help Young Athletes Play Safe and Stay Healthy

Springfield, MA –– Today, leaders at The Hand Center of Western Massachusetts are coming together with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, National Athletic Trainers’ Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association and Safe Kids USA to promote the STOP Sports Injuries campaign. 

The campaign educates athletes, parents, athletic trainers, coaches and healthcare providers about the rapid increase in youth sports injuries, the necessary steps to help reverse the trend and the need to keep young athletes healthy. The STOP Sports Injuries campaign highlights include teaching proper prevention techniques, discussing the need for open communication between everyone involved in young athletes’ lives, and encouraging those affected to sign The Pledge to be an advocate for sports safety. The campaign website and pledge are available at www.STOPSportsInjuries.org.

Sports injuries among young athletes are on the rise.  According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high school athletes, alone, account for an estimated two million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations every year. 

Sports injuries are a common part of our practice according to Drs. Wint, Wintman and Martin at the Hand Center. The hand surgeons  have devoted a portion of our website at http://www.handctr.com/sports-fractures.html  to these injuries as they know the best way to treat a sports related injury is to prevent it, but if the injury occurs, timely appropriate follow –up care is needed.

The high rate of youth sports injuries is fueled by an increase in overuse and trauma injuries and a lack of attention paid to proper injury prevention. According to the CDC, more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable.

“Regardless of whether the athlete is a professional, an amateur, an Olympian or a young recreational athlete, the number of sports injuries is increasing – but the escalation of injuries in kids is the most alarming,” said Dr. James Andrews, former president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and STOP Sports Injuries Co-Campaign Chair.  “Armed with the correct information and tools, today’s young athletes can remain healthy, play safe, and stay in the game for life.”

Supporting the STOP Sports Injuries campaign are the country’s leading sports medicine organizations along with professional athletes and business leaders who have signed on as members of the campaign’s Council of Champions. This Council will help raise additional awareness about this growing epidemic of youth sports injuries.  Some of the founding members of the Council include former Olympic champions Christie Rampone, Eric Heiden and Bonnie Blair, professional golfer Jack Nicklaus, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, MLB baseball player John Smoltz, NFL Hall of Fame defensive end, Howie Long, and Heisman Trophy winner and St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford.

Every year thousands of people in western Massachusetts hurt or injure their fingers, hands and wrists at home, at work and while playing sports. Many of these injuries could have been easily avoided. Knowing a few preventative measures can help to keep hands safe. 

The physicians and staff at the Hand Center of Western Massachusetts have important safety tips that can protect you and your family from unnecessary harm. Our office has taken a lead in Western Massachusetts to educate children and adults in the prevention of sports injury. and other accidental injuries. Our injury prevention tips are a popular feature of our website at http://www.handctr.com/prevent-hand-injuries.html as well as at our WWLP website listing at  http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/health_experts/hand_surgery/Tips_to_Prevent_Injuries

For more information contact the Hand Center of Western Massachusetts.