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As more young people get involved in sports, more end up in the emergency room with a sports-related injury. Here鈥檚 how to help your kids stay safe when they鈥檙e active.

Kids and teens derive huge benefits from participating in organized sports. They learn teamwork, cooperation, discipline and confidence, and they get much-needed physical activity, which improves their overall health.

Although the benefits outweigh the risks, sports do carry the possibility of injury. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2.6 million聽people under the age of 19 go to the emergency room each year because of a sports and recreation injury.

鈥淎mong young athletes, we see every type of sports injury, from ankle sprains to shoulder dislocations to concussions,鈥� says Alexander Weber, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with 喵咪社区 Orthopaedic Surgery, part of 喵咪社区.

Young people are prone to injury because their bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments are still growing. (cartilage areas that develop at the end of long bones) are particularly vulnerable. An injury to a young person could impact their future bone growth.

But, the good news is that most sports injuries can be prevented with proper safety measures. Read on to learn about some common injuries and how to avoid them.

Overuse injuries

Sports injuries can be singular and traumatic, such as a collision that leads to a shoulder dislocation. This type of injury is called acute. , on the other hand, occur gradually, so they鈥檙e harder to pinpoint. These injuries can range from swimmer鈥檚 shoulder, runner鈥檚 knee and tennis elbow to Achilles tendonitis and shin splints.

鈥淲e think that early sports specialization is a real issue leading to increased overuse injury rates,鈥� Weber says.

Repeating the same physical motions over and over can lead to these conditions, especially when the proper technique hasn鈥檛 yet been mastered.

鈥淪igns of soreness or fatigue are common with overuse, and they signal that it鈥檚 time to stop and rest,鈥� Weber says. 鈥淥verall soreness and fatigue are easy indicators that muscles and joints are fatigued, as well.鈥�

Weber advises treating an overuse injury with short periods of rest, which often enable athletes to resume activities, with certain modifications.

Knee pain

Because young athletes are still growing, their bodies are susceptible to several specific types of caused by an acute injury, overuse or both. causes discomfort behind the kneecap due to friction on the cartilage and occurs in sports that involve running, jumping or squatting. Osgood-Schlatter鈥檚 disease, another common knee condition in young players, results from an irritation of a growth plate at the knee; its main symptom is pain in the tibial tubercle, or 鈥渂ump,鈥� below the knee.

鈥淧atellar tendinitis (knee pain) is commonly associated with overtraining syndrome,鈥� Weber says. 鈥淥vertraining syndrome occurs when a player trains beyond the body鈥檚 ability to recover. Such overuse injuries are under-recognized.鈥�

RICE, or rest, ice, compression and elevation, is the go-to treatment for most knee injuries, but if the pain continues, it鈥檚 best to see a doctor. and kneepads may help to treat (or prevent) some of these injuries; proper technique, warm-up, conditioning and cross-training can also help reduce the risk.

ACL injuries

Cutting maneuvers, awkward landings and pivoting are among the actions that can lead to of the (ACL), which stabilizes the knee. This often makes a 鈥減opping鈥� sound and may lead to swelling. It鈥檚 particularly common in teen athletes, with girls especially at risk 鈥� while their body size may increase, they don鈥檛 develop as much muscle strength to support the joints.

Weber notes that among college athletes, female soccer players have the third-highest ACL injury rate and are 4 to 8 times more likely to experience an ACL tear than male players. 鈥淢ost specialists agree,鈥� he explains, 鈥渢hat the higher rate in women can be attributed to both knee mechanics and changes that occur during puberty, including strength and hormones.鈥�

ACL injuries often require surgery in order to continue playing, and recovery can take time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that coaches use neuromuscular training to teach teach athletes better body habits and help to reduce the risk in young athletes with ; this includes jump training (plyometrics), strength training and balance, which have been shown to reduce the risk of ACL injury.

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