GET YOUR KIDS BACK IN THE GAME FASTER

Get Your Kids Back in the Game Faster

(ARA) - More than 10 million sports injuries occur every year, many of them involving children. During the warm weather months, as millions of children participate in summer sport leagues and camps, parents need to be prepared for the possibility that their kids may get banged up on the playing field.

Children are more likely to suffer sports injuries than adults since they are often more vulnerable because of immature reflexes, underdeveloped coordination and the inability to recognize and evaluate risk. Each year about 3.2 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are injured while participating in athletic activities, accounting for about 40 percent of all sports injuries, according to the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Information from the American Academy of Physicians, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the National SAFE Kids Campaign, shows that more than 775,000 boys and girls under the age of 14 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries.

More than 95 percent of these injuries involve soft tissue, minor trauma injuries -- contusions (bruises), sprains and strains. These muscle, ligament, and tendon injuries can be prevented with proper conditioning and training, wearing protective gear and using the proper equipment.

A good precaution for high school and recreational league coaches, and high school athletic trainers is to have some form of instant ice available on the field. For immediate treatment, one option is Gebauer’s Instant Ice, an over-the-counter topical skin refrigerant intended for treating minor sports injuries. In fact, Jim Ramsay, head athletic trainer for the New York Rangers, has been using Gebauer topical skin refrigerants for years. “Instant Ice is great for on-the-scene care,” said Ramsay. “If a player gets hit on the wrist or takes a puck off the shin, I can easily anesthetize the area with Instant Ice to reduce the pain, allowing the player to get back in the game quickly.”

For more information about Gebauer’s Instant Ice, a nonprescription topical skin refrigerant used by the pros, call (800) 321-9348 or visit www.gebauerco.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content