Playing sports can be fun, but they can also be dangerous if you are not careful. You can help prevent injuries by
- Getting a physical to make sure you are healthy before you start playing your sport
- Wearing the right shoes, gear and equipment
- Drinking lots of water
- Warming up and stretching
If you have already hurt yourself playing a sport, make sure you recover completely before you start up again. If possible, protect the injured part of your body with padding, a brace or special equipment. When you do start playing again, start slowly.
- Preventing Sports Related Injuries(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/sports_health/hic_preventing_sports-related_injuries.aspx
- Treating and Preventing Facial Injury(American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) - http://www.aaoms.org/facial_injury.php
- Fall Sports Peak Time for Lower Leg Damage(09/27/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69797.html
- Golf Course Insecticides Pose Little Danger to Players(08/13/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68113.html
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Bike Safety Tips(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/sports/692.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/physical/sports/692.printerview.html
- Football(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00113
- Golf Swing: Get It in Shape(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/golf/HO00075/METHOD=print
- Hockey(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00114
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Indoor Racquet Sports: Preventing Injuries(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/sports/146.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/physical/sports/146.printerview.html
- Off-Road Motorcycling and ATV Safety(American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://www.sportsmed.org/secure/reveal/admin/uploads/documents/ST%20Motorcycle%20and%20ATV%2008.pdf
- Playing It Safe on the Baseball Field(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00134
- Playing it Safe on the Tennis Court(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00133
- Prevent Golf Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00137
- Prevent Inline Skating Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00138
- Prevent Scooter-Related Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00343
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Running: Preventing Overuse Injuries(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/sports/147.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/physical/sports/147.printerview.html
- Skateboarding Safety(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00273
- Special Focus on Paintball and Eye Safety(American Academy of Ophthalmology) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZD5TRRSKC&sub_cat=32
- Target Safety on Your Next Hunting Trip(American College of Emergency Physicians) - http://www3.acep.org/patients.aspx?id=26084
- Tips for a Safe Running Program(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00132
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Tips for Snowboarders(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/sports/334.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/physical/sports/334.printerview.html
- Tips to Prevent Basketball Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00177
- Tips to Prevent Gymnastics Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00184
- Tips to Prevent Horseback Riding Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00058
- Tips to Prevent Soccer Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00187
- Tips to Prevent Swimming Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00116
- Tips to Prevent Volleyball Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00183
- Tips to Prevent Yoga Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00063
- Woods and Camping Safety for the Whole Family(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/woods.html
- Athletic Shoes(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00318
- Bicycle Helmet Do's and Don'ts(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/bicycle-helmet/HQ00324/METHOD=print
- Helmet Use(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00425
- Helmet Use in Snow Sports(American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://www.sportsmed.org/secure/reveal/admin/uploads/documents/ST%20Helmet%20Use%20in%20Snow%2008.pdf
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Mouthguards(American Dental Association) - http://www.ada.org/public/topics/mouthguards_faq.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.ada.org/public/espanol/patient/mouthgard_important.pdf
- Movable Soccer Goals Can Fall Over on Children(Consumer Product Safety Commission) - http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5118.html
- Recommended Sports Eye Protectors(Prevent Blindness America) - http://www.preventblindness.org/safety/recommended.html
- Tips for Buying Sports Eye Protectors(Prevent Blindness America) - http://www.preventblindness.org/safety/tips.html
- Trampoline Safety(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ28NY2R7C&sub_cat=104
- Further Adventures of Kidd Safety: Interactive Games(Consumer Product Safety Commission) - http://www.cpsc.gov/kids/kidsafety/
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Recreation
(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Recreation%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Trends in pediatric and adult bicycling deaths before and after... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18762532&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Comments on Depreitere et al. Lateral head impacts and protection... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18695486&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The effect of objectively measured crime on walking in minority... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18677884&tool=MedlinePlus
- Sports Safety -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(safety[mh]+OR+protective+devices[mh])+AND+(sports+equipment[mh]+OR+sports[mh]+OR+athletic+injuries[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - http://www.aaos.org/
- American College of Sports Medicine - http://www.acsm.org/
- ACSM Fit Society Page(American College of Sports Medicine) - http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=ACSM_Fit_Society_Page
- Bicycle Helmet Use Laws(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) - Links to PDF - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/TSFLaws/PDFs/810886.pdf
- Bike Safety(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/bike_safety.html
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Childhood Sports Injuries and Their Prevention: A Guide for Parents with Ideas for Kids(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sports_Injuries/child_sports_injuries.asp
- Don't Let Your Kids Get Hurt "Heeling"(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://www6.aaos.org/news/Pemr/press_release.cfm?PRNumber=594
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Five Ways to Avoid Sports Injuries(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/sport_safety.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/sport_safety_esp.html
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For Parents, Teachers and Coaches(National Eye Institute) - Links to PDF - http://www.nei.nih.gov/sports/index.asp
- Guide to Safety for Young Athletes(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00307
- Recreational Activities and Childhood Injuries(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00042
- Safe Winter Sports: Sledding, Skiing, Snowboarding, Skating(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/winter_sports.html
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Sports Physicals(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/exercise/safety/sports_physicals.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/sports_physicals_esp.html
- Bike Safety(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/bike_safety.html
- Keeping Your Cool in the Cold and Snow(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/winter_safety.html
- Sports and Exercise Safety(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/exercise/sport_safety.html
- Sports Physicals(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/exercise/sports/sports_physicals.html
- Sports Fitness - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sportsfitness.html
- Sports Injuries - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sportsinjuries.html
- Water Safety (Recreational) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/watersafetyrecreational.html
- Fitness and Exercise - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/fitnessandexercise.html
- Safety Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/safetyissues.html
Sports Safety - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/sportssafety.html