Sports safety

As parents, we want to encourage our kids to be healthy and fit. Youth sports offer many benefits, not only for physical fitness but also for the development of social skills and learning about teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership.

Welia Health’s Sports Medicine team will work with your children and teens for all types of sports-related injuries and issues, whether they occur on or off the playing field. From acute injuries such as sprains and broken bones to pain resulting from overuse, the Welia Health Sports Medicine specialists are experts in accurately diagnosing the problem and providing the most suitable treatment.

Concussion management

Our team has experience and expertise in concussion management. Each child with a concussion undergoes a comprehensive assessment, including memory testing, cognitive function, balance, and a vestibular assessment (commonly known as VOMS). Computerized testing with ImPACT is also offered. The information gained from the comprehensive assessment is used to create an individualized treatment plan to get your child feeling better and back to their activity safely

Giving a perspective—youth sports injury statistics

As with any physical activity, the potential for injury is very real among youth participants. There are nearly 30 million children and adolescents that participate in youth sports within the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a number that is on the rise.

See common youth sports injuries.

Did you know that?

  • High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries and 500,000 doctor visits, and 30,000 hospitalizations each year.
  • More than 3.5 million kids under the age of 14 receive some sort of medical treatment for sports injuries each year.
  • Children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40 percent of all sports-related injuries treated in hospitals. On average, that rate and severity of injury increase with a child’s age.
  • 62 percent of organized sports-related injuries occur during practice.
  • 1/3 of parents do not have their children take the same safety precautions at practice that they would during a game.
  • Overuse injuries are responsible for nearly 1/2 of all sports injuries to middle and high school kids.

Source: www.stopsportsinjuries.org

Keeping student athletes safe

In addition to treating young athletes, our Sports Medicine specialists work with local coaches and high school athletic departments to prevent injuries.

  • Concussion screening and ImPACT ® (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), an advanced, scientifically validated computerized concussion management system.
  • Safe School Certification — policies and procedures to keep athletes safe. Mora, Hinckley-Finlayson, Ogilvie and Pine City schools are Safe School Certified.
  • The Minnesota State High School League provides all its member schools and their students with a free Concussion Insurance Program.
  • Support for area high schools at sporting events to assess, diagnose, treat, and manage athlete injuries
  • Mora and Hinckley-Finlayson high school have been named Safe Sports Schools (SSS) by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) for the high quality of injury prevention offered through Welia Health and its Sports Medicine team. Welia athletic trainers also work alongside Mora, Hinckley, Pine City, Ogilvie, East Central, and Rush City high school sports teams.

To learn more, call Rehabilitation Services at 320.225.3356.

Welia Health’s rehabilitation team offers a wide range of services from sports medicine and athletic training, physical and occupational therapy, specialty care for cardiovascular and respiratory patients, pediatric therapy, hand therapy, speech-language pathology, wound care, and sleep medicine.