6 Tips To Protect Kids in Fall Sports

Back-to-school sports season linked to ankle injuries

If your children are playing sports this fall, pay attention to five tips that could protect them from serious ankle injuries.

Every fall, foot and ankle surgeon Thomas Vail, DPM, notices an increase in ankle injuries among young athletes. Football, basketball, and soccer are the sports most likely to lead to sprains, broken bones and other problems.

Our top recommendation for parents is to make sure our kids get ankle injuries treated right away.

What may seem like a sprain, is not always a sprain; in addition to cartilage injuries, your son or daughter might have injured other bones in the foot without knowing it. You should have a qualified doctor examine the injury. The sooner your rehabilitation starts, the sooner we can prevent long-term problems like instability or arthritis, and the sooner your child can get back into competition.

As parents you should also follow these additional tips from the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons' Website at http://www.footphysicians.com/

- Have old sprains checked by a doctor before the season starts. A medical check-up can reveal whether your child's previously injured ankle might be vulnerable to sprains, and could possibly benefit from wearing a supportive ankle brace during competition

- Buy the right shoe for the sport. Different sports require different shoe gear. Players shouldn't mix baseball cleats with football shoes.

- Children should start the season with new shoes. Old shoes can wear down like a car tire and become uneven on the bottom, causing the ankle to tilt because the foot can't lie flat.

* Check playing fields for dips, divots and holes. Most sports-related ankle sprains are caused by jumping and running on uneven surfaces. That's why some surgeons recommend parents walk the field, especially when children compete in non-professional settings like public parks, for spots that could catch a player's foot and throw them to the ground. Alert coaching officials to any irregularities.

* Encourage stretching and warm-up exercises. Calf stretches and light jogging before competition helps warm up ligaments and blood vessels, reducing the risk for ankle injuries.