Common Youth Sports Injuries

One in three kids participating in organized sports receives medical attention for a youth sports injury, according to the National Council for Youth Sports (NCYS). Kids in  the St. Paul and Minneapolis areas are no exception. When kids are injured, they not only miss out on playing sports as they recover but, depending on the severity of the injury, school time, too. 

Youth involvement in sports is important for their physical health and well-being as well as for their personal growth. Sports participation gives kids life lessons in leadership and teamwork. However, with all the positive reasons to participate in sports, there is also a high risk for injury. The good news, though, is that many injuries can be avoided with the right precautions in place.

Most Common Youth Sports Injuries

The types of injuries young athletes sustain depend on several factors, including the sport they play, whether it’s a contact sport and their sex. A 2022 study found that boys are injured more often than girls, and certain sports like football, soccer, lacrosse and wrestling are riskier. The most common sports injuries include:

• Apophysitis: A growth plate in a bone becomes irritated.
• Avulsion: Soft tissue separates or detaches, resulting in bone detachment.
• Contusions: Bruising, usually caused by a hard blow to the injured area.
• Dislocations: Two bones separate where they meet at the joint.
• Sprains: A ligament near a joint is stretched or torn.
• Strains: A muscle is overworked and stretches or tears.
• Torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL): The ACL is torn partially or in half.

Risk Factors and Prevention

Preventing injuries in youth sports activities starts with knowing how they happen.

There are two basic categories of sports injuries. One is acute, meaning the

injury is sustained by a sudden movement or accident, like a torn ligament or a broken bone. The other is overuse injuries, like tennis elbow, caused by repeatedly performing the same movements with the same muscles, tendons and bones, eventually causing pain and discomfort that, if left untreated, can worsen over time.

Some of the most common risk factors for youth sports injury include:

• Cardiovascular fatigue
• Inflexibility
• Lack of rest
• Low muscle strength
• Overuse of one muscle group
• Sudden growth spurt during puberty
• Wearing the wrong footwear or the wrong safety equipment

Each of these risk factors is preventable through sports regimens that include stretching, cross-training, strength and muscle training, regular cardiovascular exercise, and rest periods. Coaches and parents can help young athletes ensure they’re as protected as possible, including buying kids the right shoes and equipment and making a plan to train properly. Children who participate in sports must learn how to take good care of their growing muscles and bones to prevent injuries so they can keep playing.

Treating Injuries: Emergency, Orthopedics and at Home

When your child experiences a sports injury, what are your options? Consider the acronym RICE:

• Rest the injured area.
• Ice the area for 15–20 minutes at a time.
• Compress the area with a brace or wrap.
• Elevate the injured area.

You can also use over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen to help control pain and discomfort.

However, if any of the following symptoms appear following injury, seek medical attention immediately at a nearby urgent care facility or hospital emergency room:

• Inability to move the injured area
• Loss of consciousness
• Pain that becomes severe and doesn’t stop or worsens
• The injury involves the head and/or neck, especially common in football- and  lacrosse-related injuries

If you go to an emergency room first, you’ll often visit an orthopedist or sports medicine specialist later. These physicians are specially trained in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. Orthopedists can offer specific types of therapy including physical training, nerve blocks to reduce pain, prescription medication and more.

Schedule an appointment with a Summit Orthopedics sports medicine provider.