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Hello wonderful weather. Hello, more kids taking crazy chances on their skateboards and scooters. Recently I was speaking with my marketing director who told me about her 13-year-old nephew who went flying on his scooter with ramps he designed and no helmet. He ended up doing a face plant and giving himself a concussion.
Although concussions are the main concern of many parents who have kids that skateboard and scooter, foot and ankle injuries are also common, particularly in older children.
Kids aso develop repetitive use injuries when they “ride the rails” or “catch air”.
Here are some of the more common injuries according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and from patients I’ve seen in my office.
Repetitive Use Injuries With Skateboarding
- Plantar fasciitis. Constantly pushing down on the board and coming down hard on your feet can cause an inflammation of the plantar fascia and cause heel pain. Depending on their foot type your child may be more apt to develop this condition when putting excessive strain on the foot.
- Achilles tendonitis. The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body and although it is made to withstand tremendous force it frequently becomes inflamed as a result of participation in sports including skateboarding.
- Bone spurs. Bony growths formed on bone in response to pressure and stress that can cause pain when it rubs up against other bones, tendons, or nerves.
Acute Injuries
- Fractures and sprains – very common skateboarding and scooting injuries, fractures and sprains should be seen by a podiatrist as soon as possible. Meanwhile, as a parent, you can apply the RICE protocol until your child can be seen.
- Cuts and abrasions – even seemingly minor injuries should be treated right away as they could cause major problems. One podiatrist in Virginia needed to treat a patient for MRSA which is a life threatening staph infection.
- Contusions – a contusion looks like a large bruise that also swells due to inflammation. You should bring your child to see your Seattle podiatrist to rule out any extensive damage to that area.
Although it would be great if we could prevent our kids from taking risks, we know that is almost impossible given their youthful fervor. At the very least if they choose to skateboard or scooter they should wear shoes with support to mitigate some of the repetitive use injuries and a helmet to prevent a concussion.
