Stopping Strains in Their Tracks
Children spend much of their time at play, so occasional muscle soreness is to be expected. But how can you tell when your child’s injury is something more serious?
While sprains affect joints and ligaments, pulled muscles — or strains — are small tears in muscle or tendon fibers caused by excessive pressure, overstretching or pulling during a sport or other physical activity. The tearing of fibers can damage small blood vessels and nerve endings in the area and may lead to bruising and significant pain.
“We are seeing an overall increase in overuse injuries among active youth. I may treat four to six strains every week,” said Aaron Provance, MD, pediatric sports medicine physician on staff at Children's Hospital Colorado and Assistant Professor of Pediatric Sports Medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. “Young athletes involved in multiple sports or participating in one sport year-round often are injured due to repetitive stress placed on their muscles and tendons.”
More Than Soreness
While most pulled muscles simply require a break from physical activity, severe tears may need medical attention. To determine whether or not your child’s injury is more serious, considering the following characteristics of strained or torn muscles:
- A popping feeling when the affected muscle is moved
- Complete inability to use the affected muscle
- Immediate onset of pain after the initial injury
- Pain in one arm or leg, as opposed to muscle soreness, which generally occurs in both limbs
- Pain in the affected muscle while at rest
- Soreness for more than 24 hours
- Swelling, bruising or redness in the injured area
“The best initial treatment for strains is early application of an ice pack and keeping the strained muscle in a resting position,” Dr. Provance said. “Anti-inflammatory medication combined with 20-minute icing periods four to five times a day will decrease pain and swelling. I recommend refraining from physical activity for two to four weeks or until the pain has decreased significantly. Physical therapy is usually needed to regain strength in the affected muscle before safely returning to sports.”
Generally, only a muscle or tendon rupture will require surgery. A pediatric orthopedic specialist at Children’s can help determine the best treatment if conservative treatment options are not effective.
For more information about the Sports Medicine for Young Athletes Program at Children's Hospital Colorado, call (720) 777-3899 or visit www.childrenscolorado.org/sports.
Before the Pain Starts
Many common muscle injuries can be prevented with regular stretching routines and muscle conditioning. Instilling these habits and making sure kids warm up their muscles by stretching for at least five minutes before physical activities will help your child prevent injury.
