Phoenix Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Shelden Martin Says Fall Sports Maintain Some of the Highest Injury Rates for American Youths
Phoenix, Arizona (PRWEB) November 14, 2014 -- The fall season ushers in not only cooler weather but many professional and amateur sports seasons, including football and soccer. With approximately 51 million youths between the ages of 6 and 17 participating in sports each year, the seasonal increase in activity creates the perfect condition for potential injuries.
Approximately 3.5 million children and adolescents ages 14 and younger are injured each year playing sports or participating in recreational activities.
Some of the most common fall sports also maintain some of the highest rates of injuries for American youths. Last year, more than 880,000 children ages 5 to 18 years old were reported with football-related injuries; 99,900 sought treatment for cheerleading-related injuries; and more than 430,000 athletes reported soccer-related injuries.
As the team physician for Arizona youth sports teams such as Desert Vista High School and Swim Neptune, Phoenix orthopedic surgeon Dr. Shelden Martin is familiar with the trend. Everyday, Dr. Martin treats sports-related injuries for young and professional athletes alike and recognizes the benefits and risks involved in playing team sports.
“Physical activity is a positive in regards to overall health,” Dr. Martin said, “but minimizing risks and taking the appropriate precautions is essential to avoiding injuries that can set your body back and potentially affect your ability to play sports to your best ability.”
Dr. Martin said there are several ways to help ensure optimal performance in youth sports while protecting against possible injury include the following:
Remember the Warm-up: Remember to warm-up, cool down and stretch before and after exercising. This becomes increasingly important as athletes grow older. Muscle strength, mass, and flexibility is lost with age, in addition to the natural degeneration of joints, further increasing an individual’s chances of injury.
Feed the Body Right: Taking care of the body off the field with proper hydration and a healthy diet is also important. The end result will be better mental and physical performance when it counts.
Report Signs of Injury: From slight muscle strains to shooting pains, report signs of injury as soon as they occur. Playing through pain and overtraining are detrimental to athletic performance and may lead to serious or debilitating injury.
“Listen to your body, play smart, and play safe is my advice,” Dr. Martin said. “Don’t keep a pain or injury private. Letting your coach and parents know right away is the best play to make. Small injuries are easier to treat and care for and ignoring them can result in a much more serious injury down the road.”
For more information on Dr. Shelden Martin, please visit http://www.orthopedicarizona.com.
For more information on OrthoArizona - Arizona Orthopaedic Associates, please call (602) 631-3161 or visit http://www.orthopedicarizona.com. Find out more about Dr. Martin at http://www.facebook.com/drsheldenmartin and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sheldenmartinmd.
About OrthoArizona - Arizona Orthopaedic Associates
OrthoArizona - Arizona Orthopaedic Associates strives to improve the quality of life of its patients and their families through outstanding orthopedic care. OrthoArizona - Arizona Orthopaedic Associates is committed to excellence by pledging to provide the highest quality of orthopedic care possible. Along with the treatment of immediate or chronic problems, top-rated and board-certified orthopedic surgeons strive to integrate the doctrine of prevention in all treatment plans as a way to alleviate possible future difficulties.
Al Stevens, The SPR Agency, http://thespragency.com/, +1 (480) 648-1770, [email protected]
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