Teenage Injuries - Part One
Strengthening and prevention of teenage injuries.
Part one- joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons
My interest on this topic is very close to home. We have an active family and I have three children- two teenagers. They are all very sporty. We have seen in the last 12 months injuries amongst my children, and their peers. Some of them serious injuries and injuries that could affect them for a lifetime. The reason for writing this is educational, first to help parents and kids prevent these injuries, secondly prevent them reoccurring and lastly to avoid long term problems of the damaged muscular/ skeletal areas such as arthritis, movement restriction and/or pain. Sport and exercise are an important part of health: being active not only when we are younger, but also as we get older, is critical to good health. Injury prevention and good recovery is crucial to a healthy exercise life.
Let us look at some interesting statements from SBS Insight on teenage injuries:
- Children aged 11-16 are the most likely to be hospitalised for a sports injury.
- The parts of the body most often injured are the head, wrist, shoulder, ankle and knees.
- A study of over 60,000 sports injuries found over the last 7-8 years emergency hospital visits have risen by 29%.
- Sports related concussion has risen by 60 percent in the past decade.
- Over the last 15 years ACL reconstructions have increased by 74% amongst young people under 25 years of age.
- We are seeing adult injuries in younger children.
WHY COULD THIS BE HAPPENING?
- Intensity of exercise has increased at a younger age. This coincides with puberty, which is a time of huge growth and hormonal change. The process of pubescent changes can be compromised when exercise regimes are extreme, and vice versa when energy is going into growing, the joints and muscles can be vulnerable. Exercise is so important to all children but knowing when it is too much or too intense is important.
- Nutrition has deteriorated. Families are eating more processed foods, not to mention more chemicals/additives in soils and foods. Less protein and/or less quality protein together with higher consumption of refined carbohydrates. Joints, muscles and connective tissue need good nutrition to thrive yet teenagers are eating fewer vegetables, less protein and more sugar.
- We are more likely to see inside sedentary activities followed by little to no warm up going straight into intense exercise.
- More electronics – this effects sleep quality/nervous system not to mention is more sedentary. Quality sleep helps with muscle recovery and growth.
- There is less variety of exercise and natural movements such as riding bikes, climbing trees, walking etc.
- Being inside we have less sunlight less vitamin D (This is made worse if living in areas of less sun) Vitamin D is important for bone strength.
- With better drainage comes harder training grounds, ovals and training surfaces leading to more jarring on the joints.
I have tried to brain storm all the things that could help build integrity of a joint. This in no way means all these remedies would be needed. You only need what is specific to you. At the clinic we work out what remedies and nutrition will strengthen any particular injury. Prevention is the key starting with nutrition and diet to help prevent an injury. You do not have to wait until an injury happens. Prevention is the aim and learning what your body requires to make you the strongest athlete through puberty and leading into young adulthood. If you get injured we can aid in the healing and help reduce the chances of it happening again. We see many sports people from amateur to professional.
It is so important to have the least amount of injuries when you are younger so you are not affected with scar tissue or joint problems as an adult. Everyone is different and has different demands on joints and different genetics – what is right for you? What will help you do your sport for as long as you can, with the least number of injuries, great recoveries, functioning at your peak physically and energetically? In the years to come it would be really good to see the statistics of teenage injuries get better.
Supplementation Ideas
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Inflammation is damaging in the process of healing, hence using the right natural anti inflammatories helps aid healing. Some people are genetically more inclined to have inflammation in their joints, for others inflammation is present post injury or post operatively.
Natural Anti Inflammatory
- Traumeel - internal and/ or cream
- Theractiv - turmeric or turmeric lattes. Turmeric with added pepper and ginger is more effective
- Lymphodran plus – Quercetin dihydrate
- Medical anti-inflammatories can be hard on the liver and the digestive system. They also need to be used responsibly if any blood clotting family history.
- Antiinflammatory probiotics- Lactobacillus plantarum
- Ginger
- PEA - Palmitoylethanolamide
Support
- Strapping
- Brace
- Kinesiotape
- Stretching
Remedial treatment
- Myotherapy / remedial massage
- Neuro Structural Technique - NST
- Physiotherapy
- Exercise physiology, pilates, core stability, gym
- Acupuncture
- Podiatrist
- Osteopathy
- Magnesium pools/ bath
Food for thought
- Half time food in the past was oranges. Now lollies and oranges are given
- If we can go back to fruit at half time that would be so good. No sugar, colouring and preservatives.
- Try and keep treats as treats not everyday foods. Keep them for the once a week or once a fortnight special treat.
- Chewing gum – most chewing gum is sugarless so contains artificial sweeteners like aspartame. Yes, the kids like their breath to be nice but at what cost? Again when children are chewing gum it is not good for the overall health not to mention the integrity of the muscular skeletal body.
- Energy drinks including colouring and caffeine.
- It is great to see some teenagers educated about good carbohydrates for energy and good protein. The right balance of these with lots of veggies help aid recovery, repair and strength of muscles, tendons and ligaments to prevent future injuries.
- Is gluten right for you or more inflammatory?
- Sugar - are you or your children having too much?
- Veggies contain the best mineral - try eating more veggies and more variety
- It is best to eat meat that is grass fed and better still, organic
- Protein is one of the most important nutrients for repair and recovery - eggs, buckwheat, meat, fish (mercury free), turkey, quinoa, nuts and seeds are beautiful sources of protein.
Warm Ups
Have you heard of the Fifi Eleven Plus? Incorporated in sports clubs from the local ones to the professional clubs, warm up programs like the Fifi Eleven Plus may be a great help in reducing injuries. It was originally designed for soccer but research is showing this is effective for so many sports to prevent especially knee and hip injuries. I have sent a link to this to my kids' school and to their sport's clubs. The more people, especially coaches, who know of it the better.
These are some of the things that here at the clinic we need to be consider with all injuries but particularly knee/hip injuries. Knowing this information helps us be more specific at helping guide the client for the best results.
- Existing conditions - Eg.Patella issues, chrondomalacia patella or runners knee, osgood slatters
- Arthritis now or in future
- Vitamin D levels
- Muscles above and below the joint affected?
- Postural/structural issues -Eg.flat feet, hip and feet position effecting knee, core stability
- Are the shoes you are using the right ones for you and your chosen sport?
- Current and past sports?
- Past Injuries and operations - Eg fractures, ACL, tendon tears etc
- Genetic disposition to injuries and/or osteopenia
Part Two in the next newsletter is on CONCUSSION
If we can help the nutrition, biochemistry, activity and warm ups hopefully the statistics of teenage sports injuries will be less in the future. Education and prevention is paramount.
