Each year millions of young athletes are injured while playing a contact sport. Health experts say more than half of those injuries can be prevented.

Mark Tesoro, a trauma services educator at Lee Memorial Health System says each year dozens of student athletes are taken to the Trauma Center after sustaining injuries while playing sports. “1.35 million kids have sport related injuries a year, and about half of those are believed to be preventable. We do see probably about a half dozen concussions a year and probably about 15 to 18 fractures, sport related fractures, a year.”

Tesoro says dehydration, contusions, and abrasions are the most common injuries seen in student athletes over the age of 13. “From zero to 13, we probably see more bicycle injuries and playground injuries. From 13 and above the kids get stronger and faster and they tend to be more organized sports injuries so that tends to be the football, soccer, and the baseball injuries.”

To prevent sport injuries, Tesoro says it’s important for young athletes to make sure they are drinking plenty of water before, during, and after a sport. They also need to make sure they are wearing the correct attire and safety gear. “Coaching is a big part of it. A lot of these injuries can be prevented from really good technique. If you learn how to tackle correctly at a very young age, you’re not going to see those injuries,” said Tesoro.

Resting is also important. Health experts say overuse is a common cause of injury that can have long-term effects as the athlete gets older. “We hear a lot about little league shoulder and little league arm, even tennis elbow, and those kinds of things are overuse injuries. A lot of times those growth plates get disturbed and you’re still as a child growing and you’re injuring those limbs,” said Tesoro.

To make sure the athlete isn’t pushed beyond his or her limits, the coach needs to be aware of any health issues the athlete may have.

View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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