Prolotherapy Prevents Surgery in Child Athletic Injuries
Dr. Noel Peterson
Nick developed severe pain in his knees and could no longer train with his high school team. Mary was very competitive in volleyball but developed severe pain in her foot that surgery had only worsened. Eric had been run down in a baseball game and had chronic ankle pain. David sprained his ankle in rugby and limped when he tried to run. What do these and many other high school athletes have in common? All are highly competitive athletes who risked being permanently disabled at a young age. And thanks to prolotherapy, all had complete resolution of their pain without surgery or expensive physical therapy.
With the increased intensity and demands of childhood athletics these days, orthopedists at leading medical centers are seeing soaring rates of childhood injuries to knees and other joints. Knee tears occur in younger and younger children, and as many as eight times more girls than boys are suffering tears to their knee ligaments.
Doctors have also learned that contact injuries are not the most common cause of knee injuries. It turns out ACL and meniscus tears occur more often from twisting and jumping. A child can be running and step in a hole, twisting a leg. Other times, a young athlete can tear an ACL or meniscus by coming down from a rebound in basketball or when accelerating and decelerating in a game. It seems that the best athletes are constantly at risk because of the intensity of training and play. Children as young as 9 are having ACL tears”.
Parents often give in to their child’s attitude of being “indestructible”, or worse, encourage their child to play through the pain, increasing the risk of further injury and the development of joint arthritis.
With the increased intensity and demands of childhood athletics these days, orthopedists at leading medical centers are seeing soaring rates of childhood injuries to knees and other joints. Knee tears occur in younger and younger children, and as many as eight times more girls than boys are suffering tears to their knee ligaments.
Doctors have also learned that contact injuries are not the most common cause of knee injuries. It turns out ACL and meniscus tears occur more often from twisting and jumping. A child can be running and step in a hole, twisting a leg. Other times, a young athlete can tear an ACL or meniscus by coming down from a rebound in basketball or when accelerating and decelerating in a game. It seems that the best athletes are constantly at risk because of the intensity of training and play. Children as young as 9 are having ACL tears”.
Parents often give in to their child’s attitude of being “indestructible”, or worse, encourage their child to play through the pain, increasing the risk of further injury and the development of joint arthritis.
What can be done? Listen to your child and do not let them play through the pain and risk permanent injury and a lifetime of joint arthritis. Instead, bring your young athlete in for prolotherapy. Over the years I have treated many child athletes with prolotherapy, and have found that children are especially responsive to the natural growth and repair effects of prolotherapy.