Do they spend more time recovery from injury than participating in their chosen sport?

It may be time to check how much exercise is safe for your child.

The current guidelines for children in sport between the ages of 5 and 17 years of age is as follows;

• Your child participates in no more than the number of hours of activity each week as per their age. For example, an 11 year old child is safe to participate in up to 11 hours of their chosen sport.
• Your child should engage in sport at a maximum of 5 days per week with at least 1 day off from organised physical activity.
• Young athletes should have at least 2-3 months off per year from their particular sport. This allows time to heal injuries, refresh the mind and work on strength and conditioning.

Lack of recovery and overtraining at a young age can have a big impact on physical development. Overtraining has been proven to stunt growth for some young athletes. It can also create stress on bone structures that may be permanent if not allowed enough time to recover from training.

To work out your child’s workload, add up the amount of exercise in their chosen sport that they do each week. Don’t include recreational games and activities that are not specific to their chosen sport. As an example: Sarah is 12 years old. She participates in gymnastics on Mon (2 hours), Tue (1.5 hours), Wed 2 hours), Fri (2 hours) and Sat (4 hours). She also plays netball for school sport and swims in the family pool on weekends. Sarah’s total sporting hours for gymnastics is 11.5 hours a week. At 12 years old, Sarah should be able to manage this load.

If the added up amount of sport your child does in a week exceeds their age and they are not physically managing, book an appointment to discover how they can better manage their sport workload.

The post How much exercise is safe for a child? appeared first on Artistic Sports Physiotherapy.

Heat packs are a hot topic for winter. Why are heat packs a  go-to for aching, tight and cold muscles?

Heat packs help your muscles in several beneficial ways:

1. Increased Blood Flow: Heat helps dilate blood vessels and improve circulation in the affected area. This delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, promoting healing and reducing stiffness.

2. Muscle Relaxation: Heat helps to relax tense and tight muscles by increasing their temperature. This can alleviate pain and reduce muscle spasms. It can also help relieve menstrual cramping.

3. Pain Relief: The warmth from a heat pack can provide relief from discomfort and pain by stimulating sensory receptors in the skin. This can help diminish the perception of pain.

4. Improved Flexibility: By relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow, heat can help improve flexibility and range of motion. This is useful for those recovering from injuries or dealing with chronic muscle tension.

5. Reduction of Muscle Stiffness: Applying heat can help reduce stiffness in muscles and joints, making it easier to move and stretch.

6. Increased Metabolic Rate: Heat can accelerate the metabolic processes in the muscle tissue. This aids in the removal of metabolic waste products like lactic acid, thereby reducing muscle soreness.

Heat packs are a convenient winter necessity that are portable, and easy to use, The heat packs sold on this site are Australian made and contain lupin, a wheat product that holds heat and smells better than traditional wheat packs. The heat packs for your joints also come with a Velcro strap that can attach the heat pack to your body so there is no need for a balancing act when trying to apply the heat.

Overall, heat therapy is a simple yet effective way to manage muscle pain, promote relaxation, and enhance recovery.

If you would like to explore the products of heat packs on this site, visit https://artisticsportsphysio.com.au/shop/. This is a discontinued line and once products are sold out, they can not be reordered.

The post Heat packs are a hot topic for winter appeared first on Artistic Sports Physiotherapy.

These self-checks to test for a broken ankle will help you determine the difference between an ankle sprain and a fracture. Go through these 5 questions below before rushing off to the emergency department.

If you answer ‘yes’ to question 1 and at least 2 others, then it is recommended you seek an x-ray.

1. Are you unable to put weight on your injured leg and walk 4 steps?
2. Is it tender to touch the tip of the outside ankle bone or up to 6cm above it?
3. Is it tender to touch the tip of the inside ankle bone or up to 6cm above it?
4. Is the 5th toe bone tender?
5. Is the highest point of the midfoot tender (navicular bone)?

If you can walk on it and there are a few spots of tenderness, try resting it up and wearing a compression bandage to help control swelling. Icing regularly in the first 3 days is a good option. Generally, you can ice an area until it gets cold (for an ankle about 15-20min), and then take the ice off until the skin heats up again. 

If you are concerned or find after three days there is minimal improvement, seek out your physiotherapist for diagnosis and advice. Book online here for an appointment https://artistic-sports-physio.au1.cliniko.com/bookings#service. 

Don’t worry if it’s swollen and sore. This is your body’s normal response to injury.

Check out https://artisticsportsphysio.com.au/product/ankle-heat-pack-with-strap/ for an easy wrap ankle heat/cool pack.

The post Self-checks for a broken ankle. appeared first on Artistic Sports Physiotherapy.