- This can lead to two things: happy children and injuries.
- Up to 50% of boys and 40% of girls will break a bone during childhood and adolescence.
- But it is not just broken bones that can hamper your children’s Olympic dreams – or just disrupt their play.
Different doesn’t mean better or worse
- Sprains, strains and fractures are all different types of injuries – and the type doesn’t necessarily indicate the severity.
- Sprains are injuries to ligaments and joints.
- So even a complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture (when one of the ligaments of the knee is torn through) is technically a sprain.
Kids are at increased risk
- ACL ruptures are also common in children, with the highest rise in ruptures among 5–14-year-old females in Australia, increasing by 10.4% from 1998 to 2018.
- Some kids are not getting so much as a single physical recovery day per week and are training more than elite athletes while their bodies are still lanky, uncoordinated and developing.
- In addition to muscle, tendon and bone injuries, children are also at risk of concussion and clear guidelines now exist to inform management of this condition.
Read more:
Concussion in sport: why making players sit out for 21 days afterwards is a good idea
With all that energy and commitment going into sport and play, it’s not surprising some kids hurt themselves. Here’s what to do next …
5 ways to assess the severity of an injury
- Injuries with bigger changes in physical appearance will be much more severe.
- If they are unable to bend a joint or they are “guarding” the area and refusing to move it, it is a sign of more severe injury.
- Obviously, the more severe the injury the more likely your child will recoil with pain when being touched – or not let you anywhere near them.
- If the injury does not seem to be changing or getting better within 24 hours it may be a more severe injury, even if the previous pointers do not suggest it is.
Read more:
Hot pack or cold pack: which one to reach for when you're injured or in pain
Now what? Top tips to manage injury
Do the basics well. No matter how severe an injury may be – the RICE protocol will be useful. RICE stands for rest, ice (with a pack or cold water if no ice is available), compression (with a bandage or fitted fabric) and elevation (position the body so the injury is above the level of the heart)
if your child has an obvious deformity of the bone, joint or muscle, seek medical attention as quickly as you can. The best thing to do is take them to an emergency department for assessment. They will likely need imaging (an X-ray or CT scan) to assess the bone and joint. Treatment should happen as soon as possible as injuries are often very painful and may need relocation or splinting
if your child is struggling to move the injured area, you are unable to touch the sore spot or they cannot tolerate taking weight on the injured area, a review with your GP or physiotherapist as soon as possible is your best course of action
if your child is not improving within 24 hours, but pain levels are not too high, an appointment with a GP or physiotherapist can still be a good idea. The injury may not be that severe, but if your child is needing to walk in an unusual way or not using their arm we want to get them back to normal as fast as possible
talk to your child and see what they want to do. If the problem is lingering and they are worried about getting back to sport or play, an assessment by someone qualified (usually the GP or physio) can be very reassuring.
Read more:
Is netball actually bad for knees and ankles? What does the research say?
Myles Murphy receives funding from the Raine Medical Research Foundation, Western Australian Department of Health, Perth Wildcats, Western Australia Police Force, Defence Science Centre of Western Australia.
