WAXAHACHIE, Texas, May 4 (UPI) -- Sports injuries in young U.S. children are prevalent in spring, usually from the overuse of their muscles and joints because many play several sports.
"Now days kids are playing two sometimes three sports at a time so their muscles and joints never get a break," says Dr. Marcus Roux, orthopedic surgeon at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie, Texas.
"Especially in a growing child, the growth plates and joints are already under a lot of stress so not allowing time for rest can result in fatigue, pain, discomfort and sometimes injury."
Roux cautions that parents should pay close attention to their child's pitch count -- if they are a baseball or softball player -- as well as how many sports they are playing in a given season.
Overuse of a child or adolescent's muscles and joints can not only be painful but lead to further complications later in life, according to Roux.
"A child or adolescent's body is not made to see that kind of stress and overuse year round," adds Roux.
