san antonio – 18-year-old Emily Rodriguez is a force on the high school basketball court.
“I love the adrenaline,” she said. “If I have to, I'll throw myself on the floor and go get the ball.”
But after years of playing in school team sports or competitive summer leagues, injuries occur.
In addition to spraining her ankle, she suffered fractures to her hands, legs, and back.
Rodriguez is one of a growing number of children and teens who suffer from so-called overuse injuries, particularly stress fractures.
What is most worrying is that patients are getting younger.
“As of last year, my youngest stress injury was 8 years old, which is a record for me,” said Dr. Hector Lopez of Sports Medicine Associates San Antonio.
While athletics benefits young people in many ways, Lopez said the culture is one of increased competitiveness and early specialization. Children work hard on themselves almost all year round.
“Children aren't just little adults, right? They're rapidly increasing in size and height. And it takes time for these growth plates to fully carry out the process of becoming permanent bone. We need it,” Lopez said.
Doing the same sport repeatedly, such as throwing, running, or bending, can lead to stress fractures over time.
“The analogy I give parents is a paperclip: (a) strong piece of metal,” Lopez said. “But if you bend it too many times, it will eventually break.”
Some injuries heal, while others can have effects such as impaired growth and chronic pain.
Lopez urges young athletes and parents not to ignore aches and pains. He prescribes rest so that injured muscles, bones, tendons, and growth plates have time to regenerate and heal.
“I think it's very important to incorporate rest and recovery as part of your training plan,” he said. “Overtraining can reduce your performance. So you need to strike the right balance. As they say, everything in moderation.”
Proper nutrition, sleep and stretching are also important, he says. Playing a variety of sports can help you avoid repetitive motion and overuse injuries.
As for Rodriguez, she is about to graduate from the Young Women's Leadership Academy. Although she has completed her rigorous training for competitive basketball, she is not quitting the sport.
“In the future, I would like to go into sports medicine,” she said.
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