How can I help prevent injuries in my kid while he/she learns to play Hockey?

When you think about winter in Canada, what do you think of?

HOCKEY!!!!! eh?

What better way to enjoy our winter season than to play hockey, go skiing, snowboarding or skating with friends.

As physiotherapists and chiropractors we know all about how to help our patients recover from injuries from winter sports. From sprained ankles and wrists to back and neck pain… We have seen thousands of winter sports injuries. First we focus on treating the pain they are feeling and then we focus on teaching patients how to prevent future injuries.

Hockey is one of the most popular sports and is also the national winter sport of Canada. But it can also be a dangerous sport to play. We treat many young kids learning to play hockey. For most of them -good training on and off the ice keeps them strong and playing well. However, there are times when we see players in the office who need rehab therapy. A few months ago I had a young 14 year old hockey player who was injured during one of his games. Good news is his team won first place. Bad news is he was cross checked by another player and landed on the ice and then a few players landed on top of him. OUCH!!!

At first the focus of his treatment was to bring down his pain and then we focussed on restoring his full range of movement. THEN things started to get fun. We began to give him specific hockey drills. Unfortunately we do not have an ice rink inside the clinic but we practiced inside our gym and he then went on the ice to repeat himself. We know that the best way to recover from a sports injury is……

……to play the sport!

Rehab therapy to return to sport involves short sport specific drills with correct use of core muscles. Then increasing the duration, intensity and frequency of the drills on the ice until return to play is possible. For our young hockey player – he was able to slowly but surely increase his strength and agility back to his pre- injury level.

In this blog we are going to talk about why injuries are common in hockey. We will talk about the most common hockey injuries. And most importantly as promised we will share with you our favorite strategies to help your child prevent hockey injuries. You can only play your best if you are physically at your best!!!

Facts about Hockey Injuries

• Ice hockey is the leading cause of sports related injuries reported to emergency department in Canada
• Players with a history of an injury are at increased risk for future injuries
• Minor hockey players are most likely to be injured in the upper extremity which is 23-25%  followed by trunk 13-32%, head 7-30%  and lower extremity injuries 21-27%.
• At the junior level, lower extremity injuries are most common 25-34%, followed by upper extremities 10-35%, head 14-28%, and spine/trunk 6-15%. 
• Men’s professional hockey players are most likely to be injured in the head 17%, thigh 14% and knee 13%.
• Male hockey players experience more fractures than female hockey players whereas female hockey players sustain more soft tissue injuries, sprains, strains compared to male hockey players.

1. Why are injuries common in Hockey?

• the blades of your skates must be kept sharp to play well – there is always a risk of injuries from contact with the blades
• the ice is a hard surface that is not very forgiving to your bones and muscles should you fall
• the ices is also slippery and makes it challenging to get up from a fall – sometimes leading to another fall
• the puck is made of solid material and if it hits your body you may surfer from: a concussion, fracture, muscle bruise
• the boards are meant to protect the people watching in the stands but when a player hits them at high speeds then can also cause fractures, bruises and whiplash to your neck
• while paying contact between players can also lead to injuries to ankles, upper extremities

2. Most common hockey injuries

Most common injuries encountered in hockey are:

• Concussion/head injuries
• Tooth injuries
• Wrist fractures
• Shoulder injuries/dislocations
• Knee injuries/MCL strains
• Groin/hamstring pull
• Hip Impingement
• Lower back strain
• Ankle injuries
• Spinal cord injuries         

3. How to prevent ice hockey injuries?

A) Equipment: 

As a hockey player you would require equipment that protects you from injuries. Investing in good quality equipment is helpful in the long run. Here are few things that you should keep in mind:

• ALWAYS BUY A NEW HELMET AND CAGE – make sure it fits properly to provide protection to your child’s head
• ALL EQUIPMENT SHOULD FIT SNUG AND COMFORTABLE – if its too small it will restrict movement and lead to injuries – if it is too big it will slide around and lead to injuries 
• SKATES MUST BE CORRECTLY SIZED – buy skates that provide good support – fit well – this does not mean you have to buy expensive skates just well fitting ones
• Good quality gloves which fit well to protect as well as have ease of movement. 
• MOUTH GUARDS must be worn by ALL players

Buy equipment from a speciality sports store where the salespeople are trained to know how the choose the correct fitting equipment to your child.

B. Warm up and cool down: 

Research has shown that warming up and cooling down reduces the risk of injury. 

• Warm up should get the heart rate up to increase blood flow to the muscles and prepare the body for strenuous activity. Warm up consists of 5 to 10 minutes of cardio jumping jacks, marches, spot jogging and dynamic stretches. 
• Cool down is often neglected post game as players have busy schedules. Cool down involves slowly and gently stretching muscles to decrease muscle soreness post game.

C. Nutrition and Hydration

• Young athletes (under the age of 12) generally do not need sports drinks and will benefit most from plenty of water for hydration.
• energy drinks that contain stimulants like caffeine and can affect a player’s performance and health
• Most protein shakes provide an excellent source of high quality protein and fluids to rehydrate and rebuild muscle tissue, but they often miss out on carbs.
• Both protein AND carbohydrates are important after a hockey game or practice.
• excellent recovery snack options include things like: Greek yogurt, fruit, and granola; a bowl of oatmeal topped with nuts & seeds & milk; a sandwich or wrap with lean meat and veggies; or a homemade trail mix with nuts, seeds, dry cereal, and dried fruit.

 D. Proper Training:

Good physical fitness and guided training for the sport helps the player to prevent injuries. 

• Mastering basic skating skills like skating forwards, backwards is important in the training process.
• Education to coaches, athletes regarding injuries is beneficial. Coaches must be aware of possible injuries and also have knowledge of first aid to address minor injuries. 
• Sometimes overtraining or training improperly can also increase your chances of injury. Proper and hockey specific exercise training programs on and off ice that can help condition your body and prevent injuries. 
• Make sure that you are not only training during the season but also training in the off season to make your body stronger and flexible.

Know when to see your Chiropractor or Physiotherapist for treatment of injuries

Here are some examples of when you should take your child for an examination by a healthcare professional:

• If your child is unable to move his arm/leg/shoulder in its normal full ranges of movement 
• if your child is unable to put full weight on the area of injury
• if there is a head injury with or without loss of consciousness
• if the pain is increasing
• if there is significant swelling and warmth to the area of injury

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How can I protect my child from injuries?
Answer: Limiting the number of teams your child is playing in one season as they are at risk for overuse injuries. Playing other sports and taking frequent breaks is important for injury prevention and skill development.

Question: How helpful is equipment in preventing injuries?
Answer:When players wear protective equipment like helmet, padded gear, mouth guard, groin protection and proper fitting ice skates it can protect them from a lot of injuries. Equipment should properly fit so it doesn’t limit movement.

Question: Can physiotherapy help with hockey injuries?
Answer: Physiotherapy can help in the recovery of many conditions, even concussion. If you have had injury, connecting with a physiotherapist is a good idea to help accelerate healing.