WHEN TO ICE
When to Ice and When to See the Doctor
You should expect your child to have some aches and pains when playing sports. Sore muscles are part of the deal; severe pain or symptoms that don’t get better are not. Some injuries, if left untreated, can cause permanent damage and interfere with proper physical growth.
Look for symptoms that don’t go away or that affect your child’s performance. These symptoms should be examined by a pediatric orthopedist, a medical doctor with extensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of children with bone, joint, ligament, tendon, and muscle problems.
Signs that you should visit a pediatric orthopedist include:
- Inability to play following a sudden injury.
- Decreased performance after recovery because of continuing complications.
- Visible deformity of the athlete's arms or legs.
- Severe pain from sudden injuries that prevent the use of an arm or leg.
Remember, your child should never "work through the pain."
For more information on children’s sports medicine, click on any of these links: