Football Injuries

Overview

According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance Survey (NEISS), an estimated 466,492 people were treated for football related injuries in 2012.  Football is the leading cause for disastrous sports injuries among male high school and college athletes.  Children as young as 5 are playing in full contact leagues and wearing pads. 
 

Common Injuries

Overuse injuries can occur from heavy training and conditioning. However, traumatic injuries are most common in football because it is a high contact sport.  High-speed hits with other players and the ground can lead to concussions, fractures, and sprained or torn ligaments.   
 
The injuries can involve the:
 
Head:  Concussions are very common in football.  Even with a helmet, players can be injured from a direct hit to the head or from sudden jerking motions during a hit.  You do not have to pass out to have a concussion.   A child with a concussion may have a headache, confusion, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, or blurry vision.  Any player with signs of a concussion needs to be immediately removed from play, checked by a medical professional, and cleared before return to play.
 
Shoulder: Shoulder dislocations and separations are common in football.  A shoulder separation is actually a sprain of the joint near your collarbone, known as the AC (acromioclavicular) joint.  In growing children and young teenagers, a fracture at the growth plate of the end of the clavicle is more common than an AC separation.  Tears along the tissue of the shoulder socket and unstable shoulders (partial dislocation) can also happen, especially in linemen. 
 
Knee: Especially among young children, football is a leading cause for serious knee injuries.  Common knee ligament injuries include the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and MCL (medial collateral ligament).  These injuries often happen after a tackle. Knee injuries can affect not only ligaments, but also the meniscus and cartilage in the joint. This can lead to early arthritis. The growth plate is weaker than tendons and ligaments, and younger children may get fractures around the knee instead of a ligament tear.  Although many NFL football players wear custom knee braces, braces have not been shown to decrease knee injuries. Many athletes feel that they cannot perform as well in the brace.
 
Heat Injuries: Because football practice often starts at the end of summer, heat injuries can occur.  They can range from heat exhaustion to heat stroke, which can result in death.  Proper hydration is important to avoid serious injury! Players and coaches should be taught to look for signs of heat exhaustion and speak up to prevent heat injury.