Understanding Pain in Young Athletes

For many young athletes, the goal to excel and be the very best in their sport often overpowers the need for rest to allow the body to heal. However, it can be challenging for young athletes to distinguish between discomfort and pain. Understanding the difference comes with experience and education.

Often in sports, young athletes are encouraged to push through their pain. Pain is our body’s warning system, alerting us when something isn’t right. Ignoring pain can result in long-term injury and can make recovery more challenging. Many sports-related injuries will heal with rest, however, in today’s ultra-competitive world, rest is often a frowned upon option.

Be an advocate for your child. Help them learn to become in-tune to their body. They must learn the difference between discomfort and pain. Discomfort is something that doesn’t feel good but doesn’t worsen with continued use. Discomfort is natural with exercise and sports as part of the process towards improvement.

Some examples of acceptable discomfort include:

• muscle soreness
• burning feeling during training
• heavy legs due to fatigue

Some examples of unacceptable pain include:

• sharp pain
• radiating pain
• shooting pain
• swelling
• pain that worsens with continued use

To excel in sports coaches will often teach children to push through their pain. While this may be fine in most cases, in the event of an actual injury, it is unwise. Have the pain vs. discomfort conversation at home. Teach kids how to approach their coaches about an injury or concern. Know when it is your responsibility to communicate with a coach about your child’s pain or discomfort levels.

Depending on the child’s maturity level, teaching them to rate their pain on a scale of 1-10 may be useful. Pain that falls in the 6 to 10 range should sound an alarm that they should get some rest. If two days rest doesn’t alleviate the pain or if the pain returns with activity, it is time to find a resolution. Consider scheduling an evaluation with a physical therapist. Physical therapists are often able to isolate the cause of the pain and develop a custom program that will get the child back in the game sooner than later.

Kids shouldn’t fear pain. Instead, they should learn to respect it as a way to better understand their body, capabilities, and limitations. If your child is experiencing pain that is lasting more than a few days, schedule an evaluation with one of our physical therapists today.