Yesterday, AllKids Urgent Care pediatrician, Dr. Sheena Banerjee, visited AZ Family studios in Phoenix to talk about preventing common fall sports injuries and offered some advice in case an injury occurs. Here are some quick tips and take-aways from her visit. Schedule a sports physical
The number one thing every parent of a sports-minded child should do is get a physical, because most schools require a sports physical before your teen can participate in a sport. Ensure you have plenty of time to schedule your teen’s sports physical to avoid missing a deadline that may prevent them from trying out or joining the team. We here at AllKids do sports physicals and are open 7 days a week from noon to 10 pm.
Update medical history
Although sports physicals should involve the discussion of general medical problems, coaches and school nurses should be made aware of your child’s health history. Make sure you inform the coach of any preexisting condition the child suffers from. If living with allergies or other underlying health conditions, ensure your child’s medical ID and emergency health record are current. Choose a flexible, sporty ID that won’t get in the way of your athlete’s game. Make sure the child is unto date on all routine immunizations.
Proper hydration and stretching
Pre-hydrating before games, drinking fluids every 15-20 minutes while practicing outdoors, and re-hydrating after practice and games is essential, especially during this hot summer heat. Make sure the child knows the early signs of heat exhaustion. Headache and lack of sweating should alert the child to stop and hydrate themselves. Pre-workout stretching greatly reduces the chance of injury. If your athlete is more flexible then she is less likely to pull or tear a muscle. Warming up before practice and games also helps encourage the flow of blood. If the child can pre condition before the season begins, it greatly helps to reduce injuries.
Proper protective gear
Don’t let your child use worn out equipment. A common problem in child athletic programs is a lack of protective equipment. Make sure your athlete has the required equipment necessary such as helmets, padding, supportive shoes, safety harnesses, mouth guards, and goggles.
RICE
If an injury occurs, Dr. Banerjee suggests parents follow the RICE therapy, R for rest, I for ice, C for compression, and E for elevation. If the injury doesn’t get better in a few days or the pain gets worse, then take your child to the doctor, or utilize AllKids Urgent Care. We have state of the art digital X-Rays machines where we can put your X-rays on a CD for your team’s doctor, or school nurse. We also have slings and orthopedics in all sizes to ensure proper fit for your child.
AllKids Urgent Care believes that all kids deserve the best. Both our Mesa Pediatric Urgent Care and our Gilbert Pediatric Urgent Care are open from noon to 10 pm daily, including holidays, so we are available when kids (and parents) need us most. For more information on our pediatric urgent care clinics, click here for more information.