Don't let these common football injuries blindside your young athlete

As the leaves begin to change colors and temperatures slowly drop, many families with young athletes are also getting back into the swing of the fall sports season. One of the most popular sports among young athletes in the United States is football. Unfortunately, this sport is also one of the largest contributors to high school sports injuries. In fact, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that in 2012 alone, an estimated 1,242,491 individuals were treated for football-related injuries in doctor’s offices, emergency rooms, and clinics.

Given this risk, it’s important to be aware of the three types of injuries commonly sustained by young football players: overuse injuries, traumatic injuries, and concussions.

Overuse Injuries — When young bodies continuously engage in training for one sport, they inherently become susceptible to this category of injury, which is brought on by a lack of diversity in physical activity. Patellar tendinitis, more commonly known as jumper’s knee, and general back pain are both common overuse injuries sustained by football players. The key to avoiding these types of injuries is making sure your young athlete engages in different types of physical activity outside of football practice. Anything from swimming laps to riding a bike can provide this diversity and ward of overuse injuries.

Traumatic Injuries — Given the highly physical nature of football, traumatic injuries are an unpleasant reality of the game. One of the most common types of traumatic injuries seen in football players are knee injuries, especially to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL/PCL) and the cartilage of the knee. The shoulder area is also very susceptible to traumatic injury during football. The labrum, or the cartilage surrounding the shoulder socket, and the acromioclavicular joint, which is the connection between the scapula and the clavicle, are particularly vulnerable parts of the shoulder.

Concussions — Although this is often categorized as a ‘traumatic injury,’ concussions merit a mention of their own, given the increase in their occurrence and the severity of their impact. Concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries, are caused by forceful blows to the body or head which cause the brain to be jarred inside the skull. Despite popular belief, an individual does not have to lose consciousness to have a concussion. Other signs of this injury include dizziness, headache, nausea, drowsiness, numbness/tingling, blurry vision, and loss of balance. If signs of a concussion are present, individuals should see a medical professional for evaluation.

The physical, mental, and social benefits of participating in organized sports like high school football are truly great, and by continuing awareness of common football injuries, parents, guardians, and coaches can help keep young athletes in the game and reaping their benefits long after the season ends.

Dr. Shaun L. Traub is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon. His areas of expertise include arthroscopic reconstruction of the shoulder and knee; arthroscopy of the hip, knee, and shoulder; sports medicine; and general orthopaedics. Dr. Traub is in orthopaedic practice with Resurgens Orthopaedics — Decatur (487 Winn Way, Suite 100) and Resurgens Orthopaedics — Snellville (1600 Medical Way, Suite 150). Additional information on Dr. Traub can be found at www.resurgens.com.