If your child wants to play soccer in college, you need to know how they could get injured. Knowing these things can help them take measures to try to keep these injuries from happening. Of course, you cannot control everything, but these suggestions will lower their chances of getting hurt.
Overuse is the common cause of Patellar tendinitis. This means your child constantly uses this tendon as they play and practice soccer. With tendinitis, the tendons in your child's knee become tender, and will make it difficult to move their knee. There is one tendon right above your child's knee, and one on the right side. These tendons connect the muscles of the knee to your child's knee bone. Every time your child kicks a soccer ball, they use these tendons.
If your child has shin splints, they will have soreness in their calf. The soreness occurs below your child's knee either on the front inside or the outside part of the knee. This condition is common for people that run a lot, which is common in soccer. This may start out as a dull pain that your child may not take a lot of notice of. They may think it is due to playing the game and practicing. Over time, however, the pain will increase to a point that it is much more noticeable. The pain could become so bad that your child would not be able to play soccer or practice at all until they receive treatment for this injury.
Overuse of the knee can cause a stress fracture. Stress fractures are small cracks in your child's knee bone. This problem can happen quicker if your child increases the amount of time they play and practice soccer. For example, they may be put on the soccer field more often than sitting on the bench during games, or their practices may be increased. If your child has a stress fracture, they will likely hurt in one localized spot. The pain may become better when they rest their knee, but come back when they start using it again. Over time, they may feel the pain all the time.
If your child's pain continues, they should see an orthopedist or physical therapist, such as Staten Island Physical Therapy PC, for treatment immediately. Besides giving your child treatment for their problem, the doctor will likely suggest physical therapy to help strengthen the knee muscles to prevent more injuries in the future.