Pediatric Injuries & Outdoor Activities
Posted on December 16, 2022 in Hand, Elbow & Wrist by Dr. Steven Kronlage
Posted on December 16, 2022 in Hand, Elbow & Wrist by Dr. Steven Kronlage
With summer in full swing and children taking advantage of more time to participate in sports-related or other outdoor activities, it’s essential to be mindful of injury prevention while encouraging their interest in activities that don’t involve screen time! The fact is, accidents can happen practically anywhere – on a swing set in your backyard, riding a skateboard in a park or biking on a neighborhood designated path.
While we must let kids play and be kids, it is also imperative to recognize that children don’t typically have the experience or knowledge to make the safest decisions. To mitigate or at least limit the risk of injuries, adults can take several steps to create safer environments for children as they participate in outdoor recreational activities.
Playing on Playgrounds
Each year, more than 220,000 children under age 14 are treated in hospital emergency rooms across the United States for injuries occurring on playgrounds. Although minor bumps, bruises, and cuts frequently occur on playgrounds, many playground injuries are more severe. Broken bones, sprains and strains, internal organ injuries, dislocations and concussions are the most common playground-related injuries that require a doctor's care.
Riding Bicycles & Scooters
The most important thing to remember when riding bicycles, scooters and other ride-on toys is wearing a helmet and other appropriate safety gear. Scooters, in particular, led to more than 81,000 hospital emergency room visits in 2017. While head trauma is the most severe injury we see in bicycle and scooter accidents, the most common injuries include cuts, sprains and fractures of the wrist and elbow.
Skateboarding & Longboarding
Skateboarding and longboarding are also popular recreational activities among children and teenagers. However, approximately 70,000 skateboard-related injuries require a visit to emergency departments each year, with half of those involving children 15 or younger. Whether your child is doing a “kickturn” on their skateboard or loses their balance while standing stationary on top of a longboard, injuries can occur. Like other ride-on toys, fractures or dislocations to more severe head injuries can be prevented with the proper protective gear.
If your child experiences an injury while participating in one of these or any other outdoor recreation activity, the fellowship-trained physicians at North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists provide non-surgical treatment options and surgical intervention. Dr. Steven Kronlage, Dr. Alex Coleman and Dr. James Piorkowski treat both pediatric and adult patients, with same-day and next-day appointments in our Gulf Breeze and Pensacola locations. State-of-the-art, on-site imaging and diagnostics are also available at both locations to make your visit as convenient as possible.
A study in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise noted that the average person takes 5,117 steps per day. With so much time on our feet, Foot Health Awareness Month in April is an opportunity to focus on the health of our feet and give them the attention they deserve.
As a subset of occupational therapy, hand therapy plays a significant role in treating and improving patient outcomes related to acute and chronic conditions of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. At North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists, our Certified Hand Therapists (CHTs) are board-certified in occupational therapy with an added qualification in Hand Therapy. Working with a CHT can have several benefits, including:
Youth sports participation promotes physical health and leadership skills and is a positive outlet for children within our communities. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3.5 million youth sports injuries occur each year in the U.S. Of those injuries, one in three participants seeks medical attention, resulting in lost sports and school time. Fortunately, the CDC also concluded that more than 50 percent of these injuries are preventable.