High school sports are more competitive and difficult with college acceptances and scholarships. Over 2 million high school athletes are injured each year, and 30,000 of these injuries lead to hospitalizations. To avoid injury and missing a game or worse, the whole season, it is important that your teen takes preventive steps.
Learn about the most common injuries in high school sports, and teach your teens safety tips to ensure they feel whole throughout the season.
Football Injuries
With over 1 million players each year, football is America’s most popular high school sport for boys. Did you know that football has twice the number of high school athletes who are injured as other sports? Because football is a contact sport, it’s twice as likely to injure high school athletes. Concussions, ligament sprains, and fractures are the most common injuries in football.
Injuries to Basketball
Basketball can cause ankle and hip injuries, as well as thigh and hip injuries. Basketball can also cause growth plate injuries that can lead to bone deformity or hinder bone growth.
Volleyball Injuries
With over 500,000 players every season, volleyball is a popular sport for high school girls in America. The most common injury in volleyball is an ankle injury. Most ankle sprains require physical therapy and rest to heal. However, there are some cases where the sprain can cause hairline fractures or cartilage damage that will require more care.
Soccer Injuries
Although soccer is generally considered to be a safe sport and injuries are not common, it can still happen. Ligament sprains and muscle strain are the most common injuries in soccer. A neck injury can also occur while playing soccer.
Softball and Baseball Injuries
An athlete injury occurs in 1 out of 1,000 high school baseball games or practices. Pitchers are most at risk of injury, particularly elbow and shoulder overuse injuries. These muscle strains and sprains can be severe enough to require surgery. Players may have to miss a whole season.
Gymnastics and Cheerleading Injuries
There are injuries that athletes need to be aware of due to all the jumping, performing and tumbling they do during competitions and practices. Although concussions rates in cheerleading and gymnastics may be lower than in other high school sports it is still quite common. Other common injuries include ligament sprains and ankle injuries.
Swimming Injuries
A swimmer’s shoulder is the most common injury in swimming. This injury can be caused by rotator tendonitis, shoulder instability, or bicep tendonitis. These injuries need extensive medical treatment and therapy in order to return the athlete to safety on the water.
This article was written by a medical professional at Florida Medical Pain Management. Florida Medical Pain Management is proud to offer Pain Management In St Petersburg FL to a diverse group of patients. Patients at Florida Medical Pain Management can get help managing hip, knee, leg, and neck pain. The practice also offers comprehensive arthritis management, along with treatments for auto accidents, sports, and work injuries.
