More than half of children in the U.S. ages 6 to 17 participate in sports. With participation also comes the painful reality of injuries that happen during gameplay.
Dr. Wes Troyer, a Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, explains how to reduce children’s risk of sports injuries.
From strikes and strains to footwork and fractures, injuries can happen to any young athlete.
Reducing the risk of injury starts with an annual physical to make sure children can participate. When it’s time to play, warm up muscles by stretching, and use protective equipment, when appropriate.
“It’s important to try out your equipment before you get into game-time situations to make sure it works properly, so that it’s actually protecting you when you’re going out there to perform the sport,” says Dr. Troyer.
