Major sporting events such as the Olympics are most obviously physical competitions, but they also serve as inspiration for children and teens to become more active. Athletics can help build self-esteem and avoid a wide range of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Although taking part in sports has numerous benefits, youth injuries are common during practices and games. As reported in Medical News Today, preventative tactics should be used in athletics.
Below, we detail possible injury avoidance methods, as well as providing an overview of an Olympic injury monitoring program that seeks systematic injury risk reduction.

Prehab & other ways to prevent injury

Military veteran and fitness author Stew Smith advocates prehabilitation for injury prevention. Prehabilitation, or prehab, is a fitness plan customized for an individual athlete to reduce risk of high school sports injuries by balancing out any repeated motions and making sure that the body is not excessively strained in any one direction. When any repetitive motion takes place over a prolonged period of time, the muscles start to tighten, and muscle strength incongruities develop (unless balanced through compensatory activities).

As advised by Smith, you want your body to be protected and in proper balance to minimize your likelihood of injury. The following recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics are also helpful to avoid youth injuries:

  • Hydrate before you start exercising, during athletic competition, and afterward.
  • Schedule in at least one recovery day per week.
  • Prevent heatstroke and achieve general injury prevention with periodic breaks.
  • Prime your body for greater flexibility by stretching before and after the game.

 

Injury and Illness Performance Project

Although injuries are not entirely preventable, the above tips help to reduce risk, as does research. A major example of the latter is the Injury and Illness Performance Project (IIPP), which – somewhat ironically – was created in the nation with the lowest average incidence of injury in the Beijing 2008 Olympics: Great Britain.
Following Beijing, the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and UK’s Work Research & Innovation Team created an injury and illness study that covers 14 Olympic sports. Coaches and medical professionals from various national organizations submit thorough details about injuries and illnesses to the research team. The Director of Medical Services for EIS, Rod Jaques, notes that grounding treatments in comprehensive research decreases risk of athlete harm.

Stop suffering today

For those who do experience high school sports injuries or any physical damage from athletics, Health Star Clinic can help. Our team of medical doctors, chiropractors, nurses, and physical therapists practice responsible pain management that avoids surgery and extensive use of prescription medication. Get your free consultation today.