MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Whether it's swimming, running, or even trying out a new sport, being outside can be one of the most fun things during the summer.
However, depending on the sport you play, you may be more likely to find yourself in the emergency room this summer. New data from injury attorney Bader Scott found football and basketball equipment to be the biggest cause of ER visits.
Scott said football was responsible for 265,747 ER visits over a 12 month period, with children 5 to 14 years-old making up more than half of those visits. He said basketball equipment led the number of ER visits with 313,924, with people between the ages of 15 to 24 being the leading group for those injuries.
“Summer is just the time when kids and people are more active,” said Dr. John Hyden, Campbell Clinic Primary Care Sports Medicine Specialist. “You do tend to see an uptick in the type of injuries you see.”
According to Dr. Hyden, most of the injuries are seen in the upper extremities, like the wrists after a child falls down.
“There are some areas where the bones aren’t as developed, so they’re more prone to the types of injuries,” said Hyden.
Luckily, preventing injuries to muscle or tendons can be simple, and mostly revolve around playing a sport correctly including:
- Warming up
- Stretching before you exercise
- Wearing correct footwear
“If you’re not that experienced with a sport, you need to find someone that is, and make sure that you’re doing it appropriately,” said Hyden. "Whether that's how you're working out or training pre-season or even in-season."