Top 10 questions parents have about sports injuries
How can sport injuries be prevented? What can I do for my child who is in pain?

Injury prevention guide
How can injuries be prevented? The following are recommendations for lowering the risk of injury to the young athlete.

Heat-induced injury prevention
Athletes in the North Texas region are challenged with excessive heat, humidity and ozone fluctuations.

Strength training injury prevention
It is imperative that a trained adult in pediatric strength training be available to supervise.

Baseball injury prevention
Although the overall rate of high school baseball-related injuries has decreased, the severity of injuries has increased.

Basketball injury prevention
Injuries are usually minor, including sprains and strains, with the knee and the ankle most susceptible.

Cheerleading injury prevention
Cheerleading injuries range from mild conditions, such as sprains and strains, to very serious conditions.

Dance injury prevention
Dancers typically dance year-round with minimal rest or cross-training.

Football injury prevention
A leading cause of sports-related injuries; with an injury rate almost twice that of basketball.

Gymnastic injury prevention
Gymnasts may prevent injuries by cross-training with appropriate conditioning programs.

Hockey injury prevention
Ice hockey has one of the highest sports injury rates for children. However, many injuries can be prevented by increasing the level of awareness and knowledge.

Soccer injury prevention
Approximately 40 percent of all soccer players between 5 to 14 years of age will sustain an injury.

Softball injury prevention
Research shows that one out of every 10 softball injuries result in medical disqualification for the season.

Swimming injury prevention
It is possible to swim too much, leading to overuse injuries.

Tee-ball injury prevention
Even in tee-ball, injury is a possibility.

Tennis injury prevention
Ways to prevent tennis injuries include selecting the right equipment and stretching before and after.

Track injury prevention
Muscle strains and sprains are the most common track and field injuries.

Volleyball injury prevention
Volleyball does require high energy and repetitive movements that can place an athlete at risk for injury.

Shoulder dislocation
A dislocation injury occurs when the ball (the head of the humerus) is forced out of the socket, usually resulting from a traumatic event such as falling on an outstretched arm, a direct blow to the shoulder or an overstretch injury associated with overhead hanging.

Shoulder instability/subluxation
Shoulder instability/subluxation occurs when the head of the humerus (the ball) does not move properly against the surface of the scapula called the glenoid fossa (socket).

Point of no return: the importance of proper leg alignment
In combination with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), the ACL makes a diagonal "X" through the center of the knee joint and provides stability to the knee and allows it to twist/rotate and move side-to-side. The ligament becomes injured or torn when it is stretched beyond its normal range of movement.

Rotator cuff injury of the shoulder
The rotator cuff muscles provide stability to the shoulder joint and perform specific movements at the joint. Injuries can occur as a result of traumatic injury, overuse, incorrect movement patterns involving the arm.

Back muscle strain
A strain typically occurs when a muscle is placed in a stretched position and then contracted forcefully in the opposite direction, resulting in a possible pull or tear in the muscle.

Braces for scoliosis
For scoliosis patients, braces are primarily used for treating spinal curves that are more than 25 degrees or curves less than 25 degrees increasing in size.

Idiopathic scoliosis
Scoliosis is a curve of the spine measuring more than 10 degrees. Idiopathic means the cause is unknown.

Spondylolysis/spondylolisthesis
Spondylolysis in athletes is typically an overuse stress reaction on the bone. This leads to a crack in the back (posterior elements) of the spine called the pars interarticularis.

Adductor/groin strain
The adductor/groin muscles are located on the inside of the thigh. Adductor/groin strains can happen during vigorous directional changes, while running, sprinting and jumping.

Hamstring strain
The hamstring muscles are located on the back of the thigh. Hamstring strains can happen during vigorous running, sprinting and jumping activities.

Hip flexor strain
The hip flexor muscles are located on the front of the hip. Hip flexor strains can happen during vigorous sprinting and kicking activities.

Quadricep strain
The quadriceps muscle is located on the front of the thigh. Quadricep strains can happen during vigorous running, sprinting, jumping and kicking activities.

Anterior knee pain
Anterior knee pain is pain around the front part of the knee and/or under the kneecap (patella).

Chondromalacia patella
Chondromalacia patella is the softening of the cartilage on the underneath surface of the patella (kneecap).

Fat pad impingement/irritation
Fat pad impingement occurs when the fat pad becomes irritated and swollen from repetitive tissue pinching by the structures within the knee joint.

Gastrocnemius/soleus strain
The gastrocnemius/soleus are located on the back of the calf. Astrocnemius/soleus strains can happen during vigorous running, sprinting, jumping activities or repetitive heel raises (i.e. relevé in dance and gymnastics).

Hamstring strain
The hamstring muscles are located on the back of the thigh. Hamstring strains can happen during vigorous running, sprinting and jumping activities.

Quadricep strain
The quadriceps muscle is located on the front of the thigh. Quadricep strains can happen during vigorous running, sprinting, jumping and kicking activities.

Ankle sprains
An ankle sprain is the overstretching of the ligaments (structures that connect bone to bone) during a traumatic fall or twisting of the ankle.

Gastrocnemius/soleus strain
The gastrocnemius/soleus are located on the back of the calf. Astrocnemius/soleus strains can happen during vigorous running, sprinting, jumping activities or repetitive heel raises (i.e. relevé in dance and gymnastics).

Sever's disease
Sever's disease is an overuse syndrome found in child/adolescent athletes and is characterized by inflammation and pain around a growth plate on the back of the heel bone (calcaneus).

Shin splints
Shin splints can be defi ned as a pain response between the knee and ankle on the inside of the tibia (shinbone).