4 Simple Tips for Preventing Spinal Injuries

Every year around thousands of new spinal injuries to young children and adolescents are recorded by Paediatric Orthopaedic Spine Specialists in UK. And the majority of them are directly or indirectly caused by sports activities and the numbers of spinal injury cases are steeply increasing.

Though sports and recreation activities are essential for all-round development of a child, these activities come with increased risk of injury. Kids, in particular, are at more risk of coping an injury owing to a variety of reasons. Slower reaction times and coordination, tender builds that are still in their growth phase, and the difference in weight classes among playgroups’ further increase the risk of injury.

“Given how important sports and recreation is for kids, the risk of spinal injuries can be reduced by adhering to certain preventive measures”, says Mr Jwalant S. Mehta, Children and Adult Spinal Surgeon in Birmingham.

Following are some of the simple preventive measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of spinal injuries in children:

Physical exam for sports:

It is very important to get a proper physical exam done before enrolling your child into a sports team. Given the physical exams can easily determine whether your child will be able to meet the minimum demands of that particular sport, future risk of injury can be significantly reduced with ease.

Right protective gear is paramount:

Parents must ensure that their child uses the necessary protective gear helmets, pads, mouthpieces, eyewear, and proper footwear depending on the sports according to the guidelines. Parents must talk to the coaches and prepare in advance for the upcoming sports season to make sure the protection is on point.

Proper technique & supervision is paramount:

Every sport has a proper technique that maximizes performance while minimizing the risk of injury. Coaches must ensure that the correct way of doing things get ingrained in the kid’s mind without fail, especially for high-intensity sports.  Proper warm-up and cool-down methods before and after the sports activity must be strictly adhered by the kids under the supervision of the coaches.

Emphasize proper rest & diet:

Overuse injuries are some of the most common forms of injuries suffered by a young athlete. The repetitive stress on the body can cause micro-trauma damage and when the body is not given enough time to heal and recuperate,  the risk of injury increases significantly. So you must make sure that your kid is getting everything he needs with enough sleep and well-balanced diet for proper recovery.

The spinal cord is one of the most important and delicate structures in the human body and it must be protected at all times by adopting the above preventive measures. Any injury to the spine of the child must be treated by a Paediatric Orthopaedic Spine Specialist as soon as possible to ensure it doesn’t get complicated due to oversight.

Having helped hundreds of kids get rid of the back pain caused by sports injuries Mr Jwalant S.Mehta is one of the paediatric spine specialists in UK who can treat all types of back, neck and spine injuries in children.

So, if you are living in and around Birmingham and looking for Paediatric Orthopaedic Spine Specialists in UK for your child, you can contact him here: Clinical secretary: +44 785 021 1939