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Nancy Churnin / The Dallas Morning News

For young athletes, back to school means back to sports – with its giddy triumphs, heartbreaking defeats and painful injuries.

Yes, injuries. While sports promote the exercise that is so healthy for the body, injuries are becoming a growing concern as kids pour increasing hours and dedication into pursuing excellence.

About 20 million youths in the U.S. participate in organized sports, sustaining about 3 million injuries annually. And up to 90,000 of these injuries require hospitalization, according to Care of the Young Athlete, from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics. And those numbers may be low; the newest edition was printed in 2000.

Overuse is the most common reason that young pitchers injure their arms, tennis players get tennis elbow and gymnasts strain their knees. These are repetitive-stress injuries, experts say.

Rest helps. So does proper conditioning, which can help prevent many injuries before they start.

But if injuries do occur, kids should speak up at the first symptom. Coaches and parents need to bring a doctor and athletic trainer or physical therapist on board to work out a plan for healing. And everyone, including the kid eager to get back on the team, needs to resist the temptation to play before a doctor gives the OK.

PREVENTING INJURIES

Here's advice from Dr. Laura Scalfano, a board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist at Windhaven Adolescent Medicine in Plano, Texas. She is also assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern.

After an injury: Ask for help if the pain or weakness does not go away within a few minutes or, following a head trauma, if you have any loss of consciousness, confusion, vomiting, headache or visual changes.

To prevent an injury: Get a pre-participation physical evaluation from your physician that assesses previous injuries as well as general health, strength, joint mobility and stability.

Avoid heat-related injuries by drinking plenty of fluids and playing when the sun and heat are not in full force.

Maintain proper conditioning. Sports injuries are more likely to occur after an athlete has been sedentary in the summer.

Learn to strengthen specific muscle groups unique to your sport in pre-season and sports-specific camps (e.g., a tennis camp may focus on strengthening the range of motion of the rotator cuff muscles).

Use properly fitting protective equipment, including helmets, protective eyewear and mouth guards. Contact the American Ophthalmologic Society and the American Dental Association for information.

Keep your coach aware of any past medical and family health history, as well as emotional issues, such as divorce or death in the family, that could affect performance and susceptibility to injury.

Remember the most common injuries are re-injuries. Do not play until your physician has determined that the injury has been fully rehabilitated.

From Dr. Luis Palacios, a sports medicine expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center:

Beware the sweaty football jersey: moist, warm clothes can be a favorite hangout for bacteria and viruses that can grow quickly and become a source of illness.

Shower and change immediately after a game or workout.

Clean any cuts or scrapes you get with an antiseptic skin cleanser to remove dust, gravel, oil or road debris. Cover the area with a topical antibiotic to prevent infection, and cover the wound with a dressing.

From Daniel Evans, a physical therapist at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano:

Self-report: Athletes should be encouraged to speak up about discomfort and get checked out by an athletic trainer, physical therapist or doctor.

RICE: This stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. If a joint is swollen, rest it, put ice on it (no longer than 20 minutes), compress it by wrapping with an Ace bandage and elevate it above the heart.

Warm up those muscles: You should break a sweat in your warm up; that means your muscles are loosened up and ready for stretching.

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