Sports medicine expert shares advice to protect student athletes from injuries

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The Friday night lights are right around the corner, as student athletes prepare for fall sports!

However, it is all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

Whether teens are playing on the school football or soccer teams, Chief of Sports Medicine at UAB Dr. Amit Momaya said knee and shoulder injuries are common this time of year.

He shared that student athletes need a proper conditioning phase to ease into activity.

For football players, this could be weightlifting.

He said that stretching is vital, as this can prevent injuries that stem from muscle tightness.

There are programs out there that focus on activating the core and landing techniques to prevent ACL injuries.

While he said stretching at home or before a game is great, there are signs student athletes need to visit a professional.

“If a student or a parent notices there having constant pain after practice, they no longer want to go to practice, they’ve had medical symptoms such as clicking and locking, perhaps they have swelling in the knee, or an acute injury where they feel a pop, those are all signs you should probably see a board certified sports medicine physician to further evaluate that with imaging, and exam, to make sure we’re not doing further damage to the knee,” Momaya said.

The expert said sometimes the solution is as easy as physical therapy, or even rest, but it depends on the condition.

There are also more invasive treatment options that a sports medicine professional can walk families through.

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