Can You Prevent Student-Athlete Injury?

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 3.4 million student-athletes aged 14 years or younger are treated for sports injuries annually in the United States. The vast majority of these injuries are soft tissue bruises, sprains, and strains, but some can be more serious. Many occur at the beginning of the season, commonly among athletes who have not maintained fitness and activity levels in the off-season. Can you prevent student-athlete injury?

More and more students are training and playing sports year-round. Whereas, in the past, students played a variety of sports throughout the year, and developed the different muscles in their body. Further, more student-athletes are experiencing an increased intensity in their particular activity. So, not only are they playing more, they are playing harder. Therefore, this exceptional focus on one particular sport leads to repetitive-use injuries.

The National Athletic Trainers Association warns that:

“Appropriate medical care of the secondary-school age athlete involves more than basic emergency care during sports participation. It encompasses the provision of many other health care services.”

Hence, the physical therapy field has formulated a sophisticated care response that meets the specific needs of these young athletes.

The American Physical Therapy Association has developed a list of mandates as laid out in the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. It presents a specific treatment for the needs of this young population about:

• Sports Injury Prevention
• Sports Injury Assessment
• Management of Sports Injuries
• Sports Injury Education
• Sports Injury Research

If your child competes in sports from a young age, physical therapy for student-athletes is no longer a luxury that is confined only to elite, high-level athlete. The physical therapy field aims to educate students and coaches toward creating an integrative approach to training. While we understand the importance of the sport-specific training, we encourage coaches to incorporate a musculoskeletal strength and flexibility component.

Our industry has found that often, student-athletes are performing general activities. But, a general program does not focus on problem areas or high-risk impairments that may lead to injury. Further, exercises need to be tailored as sport-specific and aimed at building strength and flexibility. Therefore, the training program is injury preventing as well.

The goal of physical therapy in the training of young athletes is providing a proactive assessment and utilization of appropriate rehabilitative treatments to prevent injuries from becoming chronic. Further, we work toward creating and maintaining a safe and healthy overall physical environment for young athletes. We are achieving this through continued education and research.

The staff at Kinetic PT believes in a holistic approach. We understand that through working in conjunction with coaches, trainers, athletes and their parents, we can make a significant contribution both on and off the field. Our primary goal is preventing student-athlete injury. And, we have extensive experience treating all populations. You can trust us to create a specific treatment for your child’s specific needs.

Has your child experienced an injury? Contact Kinetic PT today for an evaluation.