QUESTION: My son is a wide receiver on his high school football team, a great player, and very important to the game plan of his coach.
I always fear that if he were to be injured, he would get back in the game too soon, and really damage his chances of a future career.
Can you advise me as to the right type of treatment he should be getting on the field, and what I can do to protect him?
ANSWER: It's not an easy question to answer specifically, and it's not an easy game your son is involved in.
It's a contact sport, and the violent forces that go into that contact make the likelihood of injury very high. According to the National Athletic Trainer's Association, 37% of all high school football players suffered an injury that required the player to stay out of action for the rest of the day in which the injury occurred.
The best "ounce of prevention" for such injuries is a sound, well designed training program that provides exercises to develop muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance as well as speed, flexibility, power, agility, coordination and balance.
Your next defenses lies with knowledgeable officials who apply the rules, particularly those concerned with player safety, strictly to the letter.
Good coaching is a must, and most high school coaches are sensitive to the future aspirations of their players and consider those factors first even in the heat of a hotly contested game.
On the field, first aid relies on four major principles.
Any injured player must be removed from the game for examination and the necessary treatment of the injury. Appropriate first aid for almost all injuries includes rest (splinting if a fracture is suspected), application of cold packs or ice to the injured area, and rest for the injured part and player.
Ice helps reduce the amount of swelling and helps control pain.
A cold pack or ice pack should be wrapped in a towel, applied to the injury for twenty minutes, removed for ten minutes, and then the cycle is repeated.
All injured extremities should be elevated to reduce swelling and the accompanying discomfort.
Any suspected fractures should be x-rayed and then treated.
In a game that is close, particularly where your son may be an important factor, even a father can be swayed by events.
There should be one individual on the field who, hopefully, is maintaining an objective perspective.
It is the school physician who may be in the best position to assure that your son is treated correctly, and it is from this nonbiased professional that you can obtain the best counsel if an unfortunate injury does occur.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
