As a young athlete your focus should be on preventing injuries. This section provides extensive information on how to prevent common athletic injuries.
Neck Strains:
- Perform neck stretching exercises
- For contact sports, perform neck-strengthening exercises like upper trapezius work
- Avoid sleeping on stomach
- Make sure equipment fits properly
- Use proper tackling techniques
Wrist Sprain:
- Wear wrist guards when possible
- If unable to wear wrist guards, use tape to prevent hyperextension of wrist
- Enhance coordination to minimize the chances of falls
Hip Flexor Strain:
- Maintain good flexibility of lower-body musculature
- Perform a well-rounded dynamic warm-up prior to activity
- Perform static stretching after activity
- Maintain good strength of lower-body musculature
- Train in multiple planes and load the muscles in a sport-specific matter
- Increase general endurance, as the chance of injury increases when training results in muscle fatigue
- Maintain equal bilateral strength to avoid compensations
- Maintain equal bilateral strength to avoid compensations
Hamstring Strain:
- Maintain good flexibility of lower-body musculature
- Perform a well-rounded dynamic warm-up prior to activity
- Perform static stretching after activity
- Maintain good strength of lower-body musculature
- Train in multiple planes and load the muscles in a sport-specific matter
- Increase general endurance, as the chance of injury increases when training results in muscle fatigue
- Maintain equal bilateral strength to avoid compensations
- Increase core strength
Groin Strain:
- Maintain good flexibility of lower-body musculature
- Perform a well-rounded, dynamic warm-up prior to activity
- Perform static stretching after activity
- Maintain good strength of lower-body musculature
- Train in multiple planes and load the muscles in a sport-specific matter
- Increase general endurance, as the chance of injury increases when training results in muscle fatigue
- Maintain equal bilateral strength to avoid compensations
- Increase core strength
High Ankle Sprain:
- Maintain good strength of lower body
- Improve proprioception (awareness of body position in space)
- Perform a well-rounded dynamic warm-up before activity
- Enhance agility and coordination
- Increase core and buttock strength, especially the gluteus medius (outer hip muscle)
- Use proper footwear
Ankle Sprains:
- Maintain good strength of lower body
- Improve proprioception (awareness of body position in space)
- Perform a well rounded dynamic warm up before activity
- Enhance agility and coordination
- Increase core and buttock strength, especially the gluteus medius (outer hip muscle)
- Use proper footwear
The above information is not medical advice and is provided for information only. You should not make any treatment decisions on the basis of this information.
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