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Doctors and football injuries


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I have some family who are very injury conscience and take their kid from anything to a pain in the arm to a bruise on the leg. Every time I ask whats wrong and they tell me a sprain or bruise and out 1-2 weeks from contact.

 

I even hear about kids missing just as much for less.

 

Do doctors take it to the extreme for fear of malpractice suite or just afraid for the kid or what?

 

I practiced and played with bruises and pulled muscles and stuff.

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I think there's a little bit of everything as far as this is concerned. For instance, one of my cousins is married to a former UC football player. He has told me several times that their son will never play football and that I should never allow my sons to play, should I have any. He said the risk of catastrophic injury and the risk of injuries that will nag and trouble you for life are both too great.

 

There are also parents who are much more concerned about injuries and play it more cautious.

 

Additionally, some kids just aren't as tough as others. They tell mom and dad or doc that things really hurt, and there aren't many adults that will tell them they're wrong.

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I think there's a little bit of everything as far as this is concerned. For instance, one of my cousins is married to a former UC football player. He has told me several times that their son will never play football and that I should never allow my sons to play, should I have any. He said the risk of catastrophic injury and the risk of injuries that will nag and trouble you for life are both too great.

 

There are also parents who are much more concerned about injuries and play it more cautious.

 

Additionally, some kids just aren't as tough as others. They tell mom and dad or doc that things really hurt, and there aren't many adults that will tell them they're wrong.

 

Im not bashing DRs, I just wonder why they sit kids out for 2 weeks over a bruise or sore arm.

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I also think there's a lot to be said for modern medicine recognizing more and more of the fact that sometimes pulled muscles, ankle sprains, shoulder strains and the like can add up. There are more and more studies showing that continual injuries are undoubtedly leading to long-term issues down the road.

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Im not bashing DRs, I just wonder why they sit kids out for 2 weeks over a bruise or sore arm.

 

I didn't think you were.

 

I just think that a lot of doctors are keenly aware of the litigious nature of the culture in the United States. If they've got a teenager coming in and telling him they've got a painful bruise on their calf, then they don't really want to risk the chance that they don't diagnose something correctly and end up down the line having that teenager's parents come back and sue the crap out of him.

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I didn't think you were.

 

I just think that a lot of doctors are keenly aware of the litigious nature of the culture in the United States. If they've got a teenager coming in and telling him they've got a painful bruise on their calf, then they don't really want to risk the chance that they don't diagnose something correctly and end up down the line having that teenager's parents come back and sue the crap out of him.

 

100% agree.

 

I asked a parent one time why their kid wasnt practicing and they said he had a contusion on his arm, I knew what it was (a bruise) and I just went along and said what is that? She said blood clot and the DR wanted him to stay out a week until it healed.

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DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AGAINST DOCTORS OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY OWN KIDS AND THE PLAYERS I HAVE COACHED. Many General Practitioners and Pediatricians tend to sit kids who come in with common injuries when sports are mentioned. However, walk in and get the same injury at home (riding bikes, playing backyard sports...etc) and the diagnoses for time out or off is often "use your discretion". I think it absolutely has to do with the implications of potential law suits. That combined with a lack of sports injury knowledge and this is what ya get. I ALWAYS recommend parents take them to the doctors that our trainer suggests. When you work with athletes as a doctor for your profession, you are much more equipped to handle the cases because you see them on a daily basis and understand how it will impact that player in that sport going forward. I absolutely think it depends on the doctor, not necessarily the injury.

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Yes the recommendations are different with a general practitioner compared to a specialized sports doc.

The sports situation differs than a non sports related injury , mainly because in most cases and ideally in addition to the sports doctors there are athletic trainers who see the kids each day, can do treatment and assess the players on a daily basis.

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DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AGAINST DOCTORS OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY OWN KIDS AND THE PLAYERS I HAVE COACHED. Many General Practitioners and Pediatricians tend to sit kids who come in with common injuries when sports are mentioned. However, walk in and get the same injury at home (riding bikes, playing backyard sports...etc) and the diagnoses for time out or off is often "use your discretion". I think it absolutely has to do with the implications of potential law suits. That combined with a lack of sports injury knowledge and this is what ya get. I ALWAYS recommend parents take them to the doctors that our trainer suggests. When you work with athletes as a doctor for your profession, you are much more equipped to handle the cases because you see them on a daily basis and understand how it will impact that player in that sport going forward. I absolutely think it depends on the doctor, not necessarily the injury.

 

 

This. Alllllll of this

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You don't go to an orthopedic to diagnose a cold or the flu; don't go to a pediatrician/gen practioner to diagnose an ankle injury.

 

With many programs out there that have athletic trainers; the athletes and their parents can get right into see them through their school's AT, but even still...they'll go through the other route & will take their (ped/gen pract) word as gold.

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You don't go to an orthopedic to diagnose a cold or the flu; don't go to a pediatrician/gen practioner to diagnose an ankle injury.

 

With many programs out there that have athletic trainers; the athletes and their parents can get right into see them through their school's AT, but even still...they'll go through the other route & will take their (ped/gen pract) word as gold.

 

Yep. This is a problem I encounter regularly.

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There a section in the book for football parents by one the members here that addresses this very subject.

 

I think the chapter is titled something like 'Is he hurt or is he injured'.

 

Playing hurt is one thing. Playing injured is another. Had a kid that returned to play after a dislocated (out the front) shoulder in two weeks. Worn a brace, was hurting but wanted to get in as much as possible before season ended. After football and hockey season he then had surgery for torn labium.

 

I will say - do some extra diagnostics if one is playing with a bad foot or ankle or shoulder or arm but getting taped by the trainer for each practice and/or game. Some kids are either pain tolerant or can ignore it or just not tell the difference between a sprain and hairline or more full fracture. Sometimes orthopedic issues can be hidden when taping or braces become a routine. Get images - x-rays and if needed - MRI. Its OK to play out certain pulls, sprains, tears and fix them after season is over. But fractures are more serious and need to be ruled out.

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