Dr. Brittany Boisvert Explains How Young Athletes Can Prevent Sports Injuries

Orthopedic Surgeon Shares Sports Injury Prevention Advice

By-Hank Stolz
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Worcester, MA- Saint Vincent Hospital orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brittany Boisvert calls into the Talk of the Commonwealth on the Radio Worcester Network and speaks with Hank about preventing sports injuries in young athletes. As both an orthopedic surgeon and the mother of four boys, three of whom play school sports, Dr. Boisvert offers a unique perspective on keeping student athletes healthy, safe and active throughout the season.

One of the changes that is happening in High School sports is kids specializing in one sport instead of being two, three or four sport athletes. “If you specialize in baseball, you need to find a season where you’re taking three months off, especially those younger ages. They should have three months where they’re not throwing a baseball.” Playing a different sport in the off-season is the single best way to prevent overuse injuries says Boisvert and she tells us that academic research supports that multi-sport athletes stay in sports longer and have fewer injuries and that early specialization also correlates with burnout and early dropout from sports entirely.

ACL Injury Prevention is huge for H.S. athletes. The doctor recommends a completely free program, “FIFA actually has a program called FIFA 11…it outlines the exercises to do…it has to do with agility and some jumping exercises and things to really train those muscles so that in that split second when they make that pivot and that cut move, the muscles are ready and so that the ligament doesn’t take the brunt of it.” Boisvert also talks about the importance of stretching, “Stretching is a huge part of it to keep the muscles and the soft tissues, the tendons and things nice and limber so that they aren’t getting too stiff and creating an increased risk of those injuries.” and she says hydration is so important, and not to be fooled just because it may not be blazing hot out, “Sometimes that focus isn’t quite there when it’s not as hot out. That doesn’t mean that kids aren’t still requiring the same amount of hydration.” If your kids are going to practice right after school, pack them a snack, “If they don’t get sent with something else to have after school, now they’re going to be asked to go and do a two hour practice with not a lot in reserves in terms of nutrition and things.”