Does your child practice sports? If so, they’re certainly not alone. In Australia, approximately 60% of children aged 5-14 participate in at least one sport outside of school hours 1Australian Bureau of Statistics, with swimming, soccer, basketball and AFL being particularly popular. While these activities promote good health, they come with a downside: each year, about 40% of young athletes experience sports-related injuries.
At Rasura Chiropractic Centres, our practitioners have extensive experience treating the unique challenges these injuries pose to children's developing bodies. Read on to discover the most common sports injuries affecting Australian children, why children's bodies respond differently to injuries than adults, and how we approach treatment and prevention of sports injuries in children.
Children's Bodies Are Different
When treating sports related injuries in children, it's crucial to recognise that they’re not simply “small adults”. Their bodies are still growing, and they need special care when injured.
Vulnerable Growth Plates
Children have growth plates at the ends of their bones that are still developing. These growth plates are 2-5 times weaker than the surrounding ligaments and can be easily injured during sports that involve quick changes in direction, like netball or rugby.
According to recent research from Victoria 2Safer Care Victoria, growth plate injuries make up 18% of emergency room visits for athletes aged 10-14 years.
Tendon-Bone Imbalance
When kids go through growth spurts, their bones grow faster than their tendons. This creates a problem where the tendons can't keep up, making their knees and heels especially vulnerable to injury.
This is why we often see conditions like Osgood-Schlatter disease (knee pain and often a bony outgrowth or deformity) and Sever's disease (heel pain) in active children. These two conditions make up nearly one-third of all the sports injuries we treat in young patients at our Sunshine Coast clinics.
Developing Coordination and Strength
Children are still developing their muscle control, balance, and strength. As they grow, their movement skills aren't yet perfect. This can put extra strain on their growing joints and tissues, especially during intense sports activities like tackling in football or bowling in cricket.
Common Sports Injuries in Australian Children
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
This condition affects children aged around 11-15 years old. It causes pain just below the kneecap where a tendon connects to the shinbone. Those who play sports with lots of running, jumping, and kicking – like football, basketball, and netball – often have this problem.
Many children develop a visible bump where the pain occurs.
Sever's Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis)
Sever's disease affects children aged 8-12, especially those who play soccer and basketball. It causes heel pain because the growth plate in the heel bone gets inflamed from repeated pressure on the heel. It gets worse when calf muscles and Achilles tendons are tight during growth spurts.
You might see your child walking on their tiptoes to avoid heel pressure, or they may not want to participate in activities that involve running or jumping.
Little League Shoulder
This shoulder injury affects teenage cricket bowlers and baseball pitchers. It happens when the growth plate at the top of the arm bone gets stressed. The twisting motion of throwing or bowling puts too much force on the developing shoulder, causing pain and making it harder to throw well.
Watch for signs like shoulder pain during throwing, slower or less accurate throws, and your child avoiding throwing activities. Getting help early is very important to prevent lasting problems.
Sports-Related Back Pain
There is a growing participation of children in sports like gymnastics, football, and swimming, which has led to an increase in back pain. This pain often comes from repetitive movements or using incorrect techniques.
Children can experience muscle strains, joint pain in their spine including neck pain, or in some cases, stress damage to their spine.
How We Treat Sports Injuries in Children
At Rasura Chiropractic Centres, our team takes a comprehensive, three-phase approach to treating children's sports related injuries, focusing on both immediate relief and long-term recovery.
Early Treatment Phase
During the initial painful stage, we focus on reducing inflammation and pain while protecting the injury. We may use techniques such as:
- Massage therapy and chiropractic adjustments: We use gentle methods to relax tight muscles. Dr Lillie Lines at our Alexandra Headland clinic specifically treats soft tissues with her added expertise as a myotherapist as well as a chiropractor.
- Rest guidance: We'll help you figure out how much rest your child needs and what activities they can and can't continue with.
- Ice and heat therapy: We'll tell you exactly when to use ice or heat, and how to do it safely.
- Activity advice: We'll show you practical ways to keep your child active while protecting the injured area until it heals.
Recovery Phase
As pain decreases, we focus on helping your child regain normal movement and build strength:
- Strength-building exercises: For example, with heel pain (Sever's disease), we use simple heel raises to strengthen important foot muscles.
- Gentle joint movement: For ankle problems, we use gentle techniques to improve movement range, helping to reduce tension on the Achilles tendon.
- Movement retraining: We teach your child how to move correctly for their specific sport to prevent getting hurt again.
- Balance training: We use exercises that improve your child's awareness of body position and joint stability.
Prevention Phase
The final phase focuses on preventing future injuries and helping your child perform better:
- Movement assessment: We watch how your child moves to find and fix any problems that could cause injuries.
- Sport-specific training: For shoulder problems, we teach proper shoulder movements using simple exercises like wall slides.
- Strength and flexibility exercises: We create exercises just for your child based on their needs and sport.
- Nutrition advice: We help with food choices that support healing and growth, including supplements when needed.
Our chiropractors have specific training in child-friendly approaches that keep your child comfortable and safe. In every treatment phase, we use methods that are appropriate for their age.
How Parents and Coaches Can Help Prevent Sports Injuries
Here are simple strategies to keep young athletes healthy:
Appropriate Equipment and Technique
- Make sure shoes fit well and support your child's feet
- Use proper safety gear for each sport (helmets, mouthguards, shin guards)
- Teach correct movements from the start, especially for repeated actions
- Get help from coaches to check and fix movement patterns that could cause injuries
Managing Training Time and Effort
- Use the "10% rule": increase practice time or effort by 10% each week
- Plan rest days between training sessions
- Watch for signs of tiredness, which makes injuries more likely
- During growth spurts, cut back on high-impact activities
Food and Water
- Make sure your child eats enough to fuel both growth and sports
- Include foods with calcium and vitamin D for strong bones
- Keep your child hydrated before, during, and after playing sports
- Include foods with magnesium to help muscles work well and recover
Warm-Up and Recovery
- Start with active warm-ups that slowly prepare the body for sports movements
- Include exercises that improve balance, coordination, and safe landing
- Always cool down and stretch after playing
- Make sure children get enough sleep (9-11 hours) to recover properly
When to Seek Chiropractic Care
A little discomfort during sports is normal, but watch for these warning signs that call for our professional help:
- Pain that lasts more than a few days or gets worse during activity
- Noticeable swelling, redness, or unusual shape
- Limping or walking differently to avoid pain
- Limited movement or weakness
- Not wanting to play sports they usually enjoy
- Pain at night or when resting
At our clinics, your child's first visit includes a full check-up and adjustment. We'll ask about their health history, examine the sore area, and look at how they stand and move. Our chiropractors use gentle techniques that are child-friendly and often fun.
We explain everything in simple terms to both you and your child. Our aim is to ensure everyone understands the treatment plan and knows how to help with recovery.
Conclusion
Sports are great for children. They help them grow physically, make friends, and feel good about themselves. But when kids get hurt playing sports, they need special care for their growing bodies. The right treatment can turn a potentially serious problem into a minor setback.
At Rasura Chiropractic Centres, we provide gentle and effective care for all children. We don't just treat the pain – we look for what caused the injury to help stop it from happening again.
If your child has pain while playing sports, please contact our friendly receptionists to book an appointment with one of our experienced chiropractors.
