Understanding back-to-school sports
injuries
Has your child been injured in
back-to-school sports? No teacher, parent or guardian likes to see a child
injured in school sports activities. But, the new school year is beginning and
so are the back-to-school sports activities. Be aware that sports injuries can
happen quickly to children of any age.
The incidence of sports
injuries is always high, when children are first returning to school. It is an
exciting and busy time, as they begin to participate in sports activities that
are new to them. At the same time, they may not have learned how to engage in
different kinds of sports activities in a way that is safe for them, as well as
other students.
School nurses everywhere will
be focusing on reviewing nursing care needs of children injured, while
participating in back-to-school sports.
Understanding what sports
injuries are and why they occur can help parents, guardians and others to
reduce the incidence of back-to-school injuries.
The school nurse plays a vital
role in the emergency treatment and nursing care of students who sustain sports
injuries and depending upon the school scenario, he or she may be active in the
sports injury prevention program, in terms of ongoing student education and
training.
"Sports injuries are
injuries that typically occur while participating in organized sports,
competitions, training sessions, or organized fitness activities. These
injuries may occur in teens for a variety or reasons, including improper
training, lack of appropriate footwear or safety equipment and rapid growth
during puberty." (1)
Parents should be aware that
the most common sports injuries include sprains, strains, knee injuries, swollen
muscles, Achilles tendon injuries, pain along the shin bone, fractures and
dislocations. (2)
"The best way to deal with
sports injuries is to prevent them. Prevention includes knowing the rules of
the game you're playing, using the proper equipment, and playing it safe."
(3)
It is not always possible to
avoid sports injuries, as children love to play with others, as well as to
compete in various kinds of sports activities. Children have a lot of energy,
as well as bold, courageous spirits. They should be encouraged to be active
participants in school sports, as this is health and happiness related, as well
as an important aspect of their education.
What should you do, if you are
engaged in school sports and sustain an injury? What if this happens to your
child?
There is a good rule of thumb
that suggests:
"If you get hurt, stop
playing. Continuing to play or exercise can cause more harm." (4)
Ongoing participation in the
sports activity in which one has been injured may put the student at risk of
increasing damage to the part of the body that has sustained an injury. It
should be reported to the school nurse immediately. The nature and extent of the
injury should be properly assessed, as soon as possible and appropriate first
aid treatment administered, immediately. Obtaining additional advice
from a physician, a more accurate diagnosis, as well as more advanced medical
treatment, may be necessary.
Where the injured student is
treated initially, may depend where the student was at the time of injury. This
could be in a playground, gymnasium or football field. The student may be taken
into the nurse's office or directly to a hospital emergency department.
"Treatment often begins
with the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) method to relieve pain,
reduce swelling and speed healing. Other possible treatments include pain
relievers, keeping the injured area from moving, rehabilitation and sometimes
surgery." (5)
Back to school sports injuries
are either acute traumatic injuries or chronic injuries.
Acute traumatic
injuries entail receiving "a single blow from a single application of
force." (6)
This often happens with head,
neck and back injuries, as well as other acute sports injuries.
Chronic injuries occur as the
result of “repetitive" actions of some kind. (7)
Chronic injuries appear
as ongoing damage that is the direct result of doing something repeatedly like
jogging, jumping or throwing a football.
Acute traumatic injuries cause
the following kind of sports injuries: fracture: crack, break or shattering of
a bone, contusion: bruise, swelling and bleeding in muscles, strain: stretching
or tearing of a tendon or muscle attached to a bone, sprain: stretching or
tearing of a ligament connecting bones and cartilage, abrasion: a scrape or laceration:
a cut in the skin (may require sutures) (8)
Acute injuries may not always
be evident immediately, as sometimes the pain does not reach any degree of
intensity until several hours later. By then, swelling will have occurred and
that will have caused the pain to become more severe.
Chronic injuries include: stress
fractures: cracks in the bone's surface, tendonitis: inflammation of a tendon
from repetitive stretching and epiphysitis (apophysitis): growth plate overload
( eg. Osgood-Schlatter disease) (9)
Chronic pain injuries are
evidenced by repeated complaints of ongoing or intermittent bouts of pain. At
times, they can only be diagnosed with x-rays. Because it is not
always possible for a school nurse to know exactly what kind of an injury a student
has sustained, a visit to the doctor's office or emergency room at the local
hospital, may be indicated. An x-ray may be necessary to obtain the correct
diagnosis.
It is important for parents to
understand the seriousness of both kinds of sports injuries and to be aware
that the return to sports activities, after an injury has been sustained should
be accompanied by a permission slip from the doctor or school nurse. It is
important for parents and others to understand the importance of having the
recommended equipment for participation in various kinds of sports activities.
Other web sites that offer
further information on sports injuries include the following:
Your children will love being
actively involved in sports at school. You will get a thrill out of watching
them play too, whether they win or lose. Certainly, there is always going to be
some degree of risk involved with back-to-school injuries.
It is always important to
encourage children to engage in healthy, school sports activities, but teaching
them sport safety is an important part of your role as a parent or guardian. Have you been engaged in any sports lately? If not, now may be an
excellent time to start. Begin by learning the rules and then, become actively
involved with your children's school sports program. Help teach sports safety,
for the protection of your children, as well as others.
(1)
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/sports_injuries.html
(3) Op. Cit. kids health
(4) Op. Cit. med line
(5) Ibid.
(6) Op. Cit. kids health
(7) Ibid.
(8) Ibid.
(9) Ibid.
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