Parents’ Guide to Sports Hernias in Teens
Teenagers and sports are seemingly synonymous. Sometimes, it can seem like your kids are going in an endless circle from school, to practice, and to games or competitions. But like with any athlete, preventing injury should be a number one concern, especially for teenagers. With such busy schedules, it can seem like teens often move from one commitment to another quickly, and without taking time to rest or focus on health. Even though teenagers may have a reputation for bouncing back easily, they’re not immune to sports hernia injuries.
With summer training camps and team conditioning coming up, there’s never been a better time to focus on prevention. The usual advice they’ll hear from coaches applies: eat a healthy, balanced diet, drinks lots of water, and pay attention to your health. But when it comes to sports hernias, most teenagers are in the dark. So what happens when injury does strike?
Often, teens are guilty of distorting injuries to achieve the desired outcome. Maybe the team is running a few miles at practice tomorrow, so they exaggerate the ankle sprain today. On the other hand, many athletes are so dedicated that they don’t want to let even a serious injury get in their way. Teenagers are especially susceptible to this, which can cause big problems for those who sustain sports hernia injuries.
The most common signs of sports hernias are chronic, persistent pain in the lower abdomen or groin area that comes back even after rest. Often, injured student-athletes seek the advice of coaching staff or athletic trainers. While these experts can be good resources for your everyday strain or sprain, sports hernias are one of the most complicated injuries to diagnose. If your teen is experiencing pain in the groin area that just won’t go away, no matter how much they sit on the bench, it might be time to call a sports hernia specialist.
As much as parents might like, it’s impossible to keep an eye on teen athletes 24/7, so teaching them about sports hernia prevention is key. With the weather starting to warm up and many sports kicking into high gear, there’s never been a better time to focus on helping your teenager prevent a sports hernia injury.