Can severe knee injuries in youth football be avoided?
With football being the most popular sport among children and teenagers in the United States, parents and coaches face a real challenge: how to prevent severe knee injuries in children while enjoying this dynamic sport?
Football has a rich list of health benefits for children. It is one of the most effective ways for the youngsters to boost the level of their fitness as it requires intensive physical effort for playing. Furthermore, football prevents obesity and health conditions closely related to diabetes, it improves the self-discipline and self-esteem in young players, and it advances their motor skills too.
Unfortunately, as a sport with highly intense contact and collision between
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These injuries are known as contact injuries.
On the other hand, noncontact injuries include running shooting, twisting or turning, and landing.
However, both contact and noncontact injuries can severely damage the knee and cause painful conditions that leave the child seated on the bench.
No parent or coach wants to see a sport-loving child on the sidelines, which is why safety must always come first. For this reason, the first step towards successful knee injury prevention is understanding the types of football knee injuries.
Sprains – the knee sprains involve damage to the ACL and/or the MCL. In severe cases, sprains involve complete tears of one or more knee ligaments.
Strains – strains occur as a result of a partial or a complete muscle tear.
Tendonitis – this condition occurs as a result of irritation or inflammation of the tendon.
Meniscus tears – this is one of the most common knee injuries in football, as it occurs due to the sudden changes in speed or the sudden side-to-side movements.
Bursitis – this condition occurs as a result of irritation or swelling of the knee