Most parents, who are just about
begging their journey in organized sports, fear that their child might get
injured. If you are a freshman parent in the world of sports, here’s a
disclaimer - in organized sports your child will be prone to injury, more than
just regular scrapes and bumps of an active childhood. Sports and injury go
together, it’s a part of the package. Sprained ankles, bruised bones, torn
muscles, strains, concussions, all of these are unsurprising in sports, no
matter how much of precaution and safety measures you might take.
While you can’t do much to prevent the
injury, you can help manage it. More so, in youth sports, unlike college
sports, you do not get dedicated medical staff or sports medicine specialists,
which pretty much makes it the parents’ onus to get their child the right
treatment and on the right recovery regime.
Although recovery time and plan can
vary given the severity of the injury, here are a few points that might help
build an injury management and recovery plan just in case.
1.
For any physical
injury, you must first see a doctor. Even if the injury initially seems
harmless, it’s always recommended you see a doctor just to be on the safe side.
Mostly, your family doctor or your pediatrician should be able to help diagnose
the problem, then depending on the nature and severity of the injury, you might
want to consult a specialist.
2.
While you are
seeing a doctor who’s helping the child get cured, you must also consult a
doctor who specializes in sports medicine or a physiotherapist, who will then
put together a plan of recovery, how to get the motion and strength back, and
how to swing back in action.
3.
Ask doctors and
specialists about the time the child needs to take off. Let the child take
complete rest during this period. This will help in healing faster. And when
the child is ready to be back in motion, slowly introduce strengthening
exercises, obviously under supervision of a sports medicine specialist or a
physiotherapist.
4.
If the child’s
injury is severe, most likely the child will have to go through physical rehab
training. Be very patient. Physical rehab training can be very painful, the
child would need your full support. It would take time to regain the strength
and endurance back, and may take a while to get confidence back too.
5.
There will have to
be a special diet during the time of recovery. If your child is really serious
about his sport, you should consult a nutritionist to understand the type of
diet your child would need. You can also seek advice from the doctor regarding
the diet, but consulting a nutritionist will help you understand the exact diet
plan to follow since recovery time is critical.
6.
Even after
recovery, you should continue some strengthening exercises daily. Make it a
routine. The recovered area would need extra strength.
Kids are just keen about getting back
to playing. They would usually not follow the discipline required to recover
completely. You would have to be there to ensure there is no hurried return to
the game. If the recovery is not complete, there is a chance it may occur gain,
since the body is vulnerable.