Sports Injuries in High School Athletes
Surprisingly enough, high school athletes are injured at approximately the same rate as professional athletes. However, injuries that affect high school athletes are usually different than those that affect mature athletes. The most obvious reason for this difference is because the high school athlete is still growing, and the mature athlete is completely done growing. An important characteristic of growth is that it is uneven (bones are the first to grow and everything follows). Since bones are the first to grow in a human, muscles and tendons are pulled taut on the growing bones. Because of the latter, high school athletes are very susceptible to: muscle, tendon, and growth plate injuries. Since the body of a high school athlete is still developing, there will be significant difference in: coordination, strength, and stamina between high school athletes and matured athletes. Another difference between injuries in high school athletes and more mature athletes is caused by a younger athlete's immature psyche. A younger athlete is usually convinced that he or she is invincible; this combined with the pressure to perform can lead to rash decisions that can potentially lead to additional injuries to the one that he or she has with additional long term effects. Lastly, since high school sports injuries occur so early in one's life, these injuries can often cause problems that require surgery as an adult and also cause arthritis in the athlete's future.
Types of High School Sports Injuries
The majority of injuries in younger athletes fall into two categories: overuse injuries and acute injuries, both of which are comprised of soft tissue injuries.
The first category of injury is Acute Injury. This type of injury is caused by a sudden trauma (ie. collisions, sudden twists of limbs, or falls).
The image to the left demonstrates two different twisting forces that can potentially affect the lower foot or ankle in the case of an acute injury. Twisting forces such a the ones depicted are common causes of ankle fractures as well as sprained ankles.
The first category of injury is Acute Injury. This type of injury is caused by a sudden trauma (ie. collisions, sudden twists of limbs, or falls).
The image to the left demonstrates two different twisting forces that can potentially affect the lower foot or ankle in the case of an acute injury. Twisting forces such a the ones depicted are common causes of ankle fractures as well as sprained ankles.
The second category, and potentially the more dangerous of the two, is overuse injury. Unlike acute injuries, these injuries occur gradually over time. The reason for the occurrence of overuse injuries is an improper resting time between playing time. Overuse injuries can affect basically anything in your body that is involved in motion: muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and growth plates. It is often found that specific overuse injuries can be associated with specific sports (ex. swimming and shoulder injuries, baseball and elbow injuries).
Stress fractures are another form of overuse injuries that are very common, not only in high school athletes, but in adults as well. Stress fractures usually occur in the shinbone and the various bones of the foot. The way that this injury works is, since bone is in a constant process of remodeling, new bone develops in order to replace older bones. If the athlete's activity is too great, or there is no sufficient resting phase, the breakdown of the old bone will be too fast for the new bone to replace it. As a result, the bone is weak and stress fractures can easily occur. The image to the right is an example of a stress fracture.
The reason that these injuries have the potential of being more dangerous than acute injuries is because athletes often ignore symptoms and do not report them to coach or parents. Another reason is that a pain one section of the body can actually be related to a problem in another part of the body, so these injuries can be hard to pinpoint. The reason for this is because the pain is not great enough to be notable, also if an athlete continually injures one part of his or her body it can turn into an overuse injury. Overuse injuries need to be treated and looked at as soon as possible by a physician and parents and coaches should be aware of the basic symptoms of overuse injury. These include: Pain (usually moderate), swelling, changes in form or technique, or decreased interest in practice.
Stress fractures are another form of overuse injuries that are very common, not only in high school athletes, but in adults as well. Stress fractures usually occur in the shinbone and the various bones of the foot. The way that this injury works is, since bone is in a constant process of remodeling, new bone develops in order to replace older bones. If the athlete's activity is too great, or there is no sufficient resting phase, the breakdown of the old bone will be too fast for the new bone to replace it. As a result, the bone is weak and stress fractures can easily occur. The image to the right is an example of a stress fracture.
The reason that these injuries have the potential of being more dangerous than acute injuries is because athletes often ignore symptoms and do not report them to coach or parents. Another reason is that a pain one section of the body can actually be related to a problem in another part of the body, so these injuries can be hard to pinpoint. The reason for this is because the pain is not great enough to be notable, also if an athlete continually injures one part of his or her body it can turn into an overuse injury. Overuse injuries need to be treated and looked at as soon as possible by a physician and parents and coaches should be aware of the basic symptoms of overuse injury. These include: Pain (usually moderate), swelling, changes in form or technique, or decreased interest in practice.
Treatment
When an athlete develops symptoms that are chronic and/or affects his or her athletic performance, they should be examined by a doctor as soon as possible. This is because even the smallest untreated injury can turn into a much more serious injury, permanent damage, or a disability. Problems such as the latter are common because many high school athletes who are in the moment of competition neglect their symptoms so they can stay in the game, or they think they are invincible. Because of this parents, coaches, and officials should know basic signs and symptoms of sports injuries. When these signs and symptoms are seen, the athlete should seek prompt medical attention and immediately stop play.
When a case is first presented, a doctor will follow a very standard protocol. They start with asking about the injuries; how it occurred, symptoms, and a history of past injuries. After that, they will perform a physical test where they look for points of tenderness and as well as the athlete's range of motion. If the doctor is unable to determine the injury, or wants to confirm a more serious injury they will order an x-ray, MRI, or other tests to further examine the bone and other soft tissue. Once the injury is confirmed, the doctor will decide upon a course of action. The first action that a doctor will do to treat the injury will be to brace it and and prescribe pain medication. However, depending on the severity of the injury, the doctor will order a combination of: physical therapy, strengthening exercises, and in extreme cases- surgery. Sprains and strains are categorized by different degrees of severity; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. A first degree sprain/strain is the least serious- it consists of a few fibers of the tendon or ligament to be torn (this is the most commonly ignored form of sports injury in the high school sports world). Second degree sprains/strains are considered to be partial tears of a ligament or tendon. These are most serious, but usually do not require surgery because the tendon or ligament will be able to heal on its own with the help of bracing and physical therapy. The last, and most serious, are 3rd degree sprains and strains, these are complete tears of a ligament or tendon. Third degree sports injuries usually require surgery, physical therapy, strengthening exercises and bracing.
Prevention
All sports injuries can be prevented with proper training, conditioning, equipment and knowledge. Most sports incorporate sport-specific training in order to strengthen injury-prone areas in order to minimize the chance of injury. Since a lot of sports injuries occur as a result of suddenly increasing the intensity, duration, or frequency of an activity- many doctors suggest that high school athletes maintain a physical standard throughout the year. In the case of an athlete that is out of shape, doctors recommend that the athlete slowly builds the duration and frequency of an activity while maintaining the same intensity.
It is also imperative for injury prevention for the athlete to perform their athletic activity with the correct form and equipment. If the athlete is using improper technique, they might stress their joints in the wrong way which can lead to overuse injuries, such as tendinitis and stress fractures. In addition to stress injuries, incorrect athletic form can place the joint in such a way that it is more susceptible to injury. Proper equipment is also very important when performing injury prone sports. Even though it seems like such a small thing, anything from shoes that don't fit correctly to protective gear that doesn't protect you can increase your chance of getting a sports related injury.
Doctors are also seeing an increase in overuse injury in high school athletes. This is because younger athletes focus mostly on one sport, doing sport-specific training all year round. The latter practice increases the risk of sports injury because, constant use of a body part without a period of rest can weaken that specific area because there is not enough time for the body to heal the bone tissue and muscles fibers that were used during their workout. This lack of rest can lead to stress fractures and tendinitis; if these symptoms are ignored they can lead to more serious and (potentially) permanently damaging injuries. A suggested way to prevent these kinds of overuse injuries is to limit the number of teams that an athlete participates in during one season- athletes who participate on more than one team have been proven to be more susceptible to sports injuries. Also, a child should not be allowed to participate in a sport year round- taking regular breaks or participating in other sports is essential to preventing sports injuries and strengthening susceptible areas.
It is also imperative for injury prevention for the athlete to perform their athletic activity with the correct form and equipment. If the athlete is using improper technique, they might stress their joints in the wrong way which can lead to overuse injuries, such as tendinitis and stress fractures. In addition to stress injuries, incorrect athletic form can place the joint in such a way that it is more susceptible to injury. Proper equipment is also very important when performing injury prone sports. Even though it seems like such a small thing, anything from shoes that don't fit correctly to protective gear that doesn't protect you can increase your chance of getting a sports related injury.
Doctors are also seeing an increase in overuse injury in high school athletes. This is because younger athletes focus mostly on one sport, doing sport-specific training all year round. The latter practice increases the risk of sports injury because, constant use of a body part without a period of rest can weaken that specific area because there is not enough time for the body to heal the bone tissue and muscles fibers that were used during their workout. This lack of rest can lead to stress fractures and tendinitis; if these symptoms are ignored they can lead to more serious and (potentially) permanently damaging injuries. A suggested way to prevent these kinds of overuse injuries is to limit the number of teams that an athlete participates in during one season- athletes who participate on more than one team have been proven to be more susceptible to sports injuries. Also, a child should not be allowed to participate in a sport year round- taking regular breaks or participating in other sports is essential to preventing sports injuries and strengthening susceptible areas.