Getting Back Into the School Routine

As the school year begins, teenagers (and kids) are returning to sports teams, dance classes, and other after-school activities. While staying active is important, the increase in activity can sometimes lead to sore muscles, sprains, or lingering aches. Acupuncture offers a gentle alternative to support recovery, reduce pain, and prevent injuries so students can enjoy the school year without interruptions.

Common Sports Injuries in Teens

If your teenager is active in sports, you know how difficult is when they get injured. According to the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, teenage athletes are injured at about the same rate as professional athletes. However, because high school athletes are still growing, they are affected differently.

Some of the most common injuries are due to trauma like a sprain or strain or even a fracture (i.e. broken bones). Overuse injuries due to repetitive motion and trauma, like tendonitis and stress fractures, are also common.

Concussions occur when there is mild trauma to the brain. It doesn't matter if there is a blow to the head or not, as they can occur at any time. Although they are most common in high-impact sports such as football and hockey, anytime your teen has a blow to their head or body, it can cause trauma to the brain.

Growth plate injuries occur when a teen is injured near the ends of the long bones, where the cartilage is still developing. They are most likely to occur in football, basketball, and gymnastics.

Sometimes catastrophic injuries to the brain or spinal cord can occur. They can happen in a wide range of sports, and emergency medical care is often required.

How Acupuncture Helps

While there are many treatments available for sports injuries, acupuncture is particularly useful because it is gentle on your teen's body and also works well with other modalities.

While acupuncture balances the energy in your body (Qi), it can specifically help treat sports injuries by:

Increasing blood flow to injured areas
Relaxing tight muscles and releasing tension
Stimulating endorphin release to reduce pain
Supporting faster recovery from minor injuries
Helping to ease the pain and discomfort from concussion injuries

Acupuncture isn’t just for injuries. Many parents notice that after treatment, their kids move more comfortably during sports and play and experience an improvement in their focus, energy, and sleep.

Tips for Parents

Schedule an initial session before the sports season peaks to address any lingering soreness.
Encourage your teen to communicate about aches and discomfort as soon as they feel pain.
Combine acupuncture with at-home stretching or exercises recommended by a coach or therapist.

Find Out How Acupuncture Can Help Your Teen with Sports Injuries

This school year, consider acupuncture as part of your young athlete's toolkit for staying active and healthy. Addressing aches and pains early and supporting recovery helps prevent minor injuries from becoming major setbacks, helping them to enjoy every part of their school and sports experience.