Across the country, millions of adolescents participate in high school sports. An injury, particularly to a high school athlete, can be extremely disappointing for the teen, family, and even coaches. The desire and pressure to play too soon after injury can lead to decisions that place the athlete at risk of additional injury and potential lifelong effects. When a sports injury occurs, it is important to quickly seek proper treatment to allow for treatment and safe guidelines for returning to play.
While people often think of common acute (or sudden) injuries obtained playing sports, overuse injuries are often common. These occur over time when an athlete does not properly rest and allow the body to heal between playing, especially if playing sports year-round. Stress fracture injuries are a common overuse injury in young athletes.
In the case of all overuse injuries, rest is critical to the prevention of further problems.
