HD Physical Therapy Recognizes April as National Youth Sports Safety Month

WAKEFIELD, Mass. - April 23, 2013 - PRLog -- Spring is finally here; that means warmer
weather and spring sports. Though playing sports is a great way for your
child to stay fit and healthy, learn about teamwork, make friends and
develop a sense of personal satisfaction, they can also cause injury if
not carefully monitored.

According to Safe Kids USA, more than 38 million children and adolescents
participate in sports each year in the U.S., and more than 3.5 million of
those aged 14 and under receive medical treatment for sports injuries. To
help promote sports safety and help prevent injury, Wakefield's HD
Physical Therapy recognizes April as National Youth Sports Safety Month —
a national health event initiated by the National Youth Sports Safety
Foundation Inc.

Some of the most common sports-related injuries for children include
sprains, muscle strains, bone or growth plate injuries, repetitive motion
injuries and heat-related illness. Youth sports injuries may be caused by
many factors, including: medical conditions, inadequate physical exams
before play, lack of pre-season conditioning, improper equipment, unsafe
playing fields/surfaces, improper training or coaching, not warming up,
cooling down and stretching properly, playing while injured and poor
nutrition, hydration or temperature control. Being aware of these factors,
and properly preparing is key to preventing injury.

To further help prevent sport injuries, or to treat an injury that does
occur, many children also visit a physical therapist. Your physical
therapist can take on many roles — confidante, educator, healer and, in
many cases, mediator between a parent and athlete. Parents want their
children to be healthy, happy and successful. Kids tend to want to
continue playing and not worry about their injury.

“We treat sports injuries in kids of all ages, whether they occur during a
high school game, or while playing in the backyard. Regardless, our job is
to remind kids that this is youth sports — it’s about the kids learning
lifelong lessons about teamwork, having fun and remaining in good health,”
says HD Physical Therapy CEO, Ed Harding, PTA. “It’s important to stress
that the lifelong risks of ignoring our recommendations far outweigh the
short-term benefits of winning a game. Overuse injuries, for example,
especially in younger athletes, have long-term consequences that parents
and athletes need to recognize. It is important to stress rest and
recovery for future success, both on and off the field.“

For more information about preventing and treating youth sports injuries
or to make an appointment at HD Physical Therapy, please call 781-587-0776
or visit www.HDPTonline.com. We proudly serve Wakefield, Reading, North
Reading, Lynnfield, Saugus, Melrose, Peabody, Stoneham, the North Shore
and Essex County, Massachusetts.