7 Days Pediatrics - Amboy Office

(732) 548-3210

7 Days Pediatrics - Oak Tree Office

(732) 548-3210

7 Days Pediatrics - South Plainfield Office

(732) 548-3210
How Your Pediatrician Can Help With Your Child's Sports Injuries

No parent wants a child hurt during gym class or a ball game. However, the fact is that 2.6 million children go to hospital emergency roomssports injuries every year in the United States because of sports injuries, says the National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases. What can you do to prevent these problems, and how can your pediatrician at 7 Days Pediatrics in Edison and South Plainfield, NJ and serving Fords and Perth Amboy, and Woodbridge help? Read how here.

What are the most common injuries?

Children engage in all kinds of physical activities these days--both in and out of school. Baseball, soccer, martial arts, football, and cheer leading are just a few. They result in a wide range of acute and many times chronic injuries to the head, chest and upper and lower extremities, the most common of which is the ankle sprain.

Other injuries your team pediatricians in Edison and South Plainfield, NJ and serving Fords and Perth Amboy, and Woodbridge see are:

  • Lacerations and bruises
  • Strains
  • Buckle fractures, affecting the long bones of the arms and legs
  • Fractures of the fingers and toes
  • Heat exhaustion
  • Concussions
  • Sun burns
  • Back injuries
  • Growth plate injuries of the long bones
  • Tooth avulsion and tooth fracture

Your children's doctor plays an important role in assessing, stabilizing and treating these injuries. The pediatrician teaches youngsters and parents the basics of staying safe while playing contact and non-contact sports alike.

First aid for sudden injuries

The team at 7 Day Pediatrics wants youngsters, parents, coaches and teachers to know the basics of first aid. Say, for example, a child goes down with a twisted ankle during a basketball game. Would you know what to do? Simply employ RICE:

  1. Rest--that is, stay off the ankle as much as possible
  2. Ice--20 minutes on and 20 minutes off
  3. Compression--with an elastic bandage
  4. Elevation--of the leg above the heart

RICE controls swelling and provides comfort for a sprained ankle. Then, contact the doctor's office.

More services

Additionally, your pediatrician provides sports physicals for school and town teams and tells children and teens the importance of staying active, eating a healthy diet and staying hydrated.

Prevention is key to an active lifestyle at any age. Regarding sports, your children's doctor stresses:

  • Good physical conditioning before starting a sport
  • Adequate hydration
  • Sunscreen application for summer sports
  • Wearing protective gear such as batting helmets, mouthguards and properly fitting shoes
  • Knowing how to use sporting equipment
  • Warming up and stretching

When something happens...

If an injury is life-threatening, get to the nearest hospital ER immediately. For less severe problems, please contact 7 Days Pediatrics in Edison and South Plainfield, NJ for compassionate and accurate advice and a same-day appointment if needed. We are open seven days a week and are proud to serve the families in and around Fords, Perth Amboy and Woodbridge. For all our locations, call (732) 548-3210 and our fax number is (732) 906-3966.