Injuries are oftentimes an inevitable part of sport, and it’s easy to assume that your athlete will receive and take the medications they need, in the right dose, for the right amount of time. But unfortunately, there are numerous accounts of high school superstars and promising young athletes whose lives have been lost or threatened after a prescription pain medication for a sports injury spiraled into addiction.
There are also plenty of accounts and statistics that indicate opioid medications in particular are over-prescribed in the United States, which means that young athletes may have improper access to opioid medications.
“Parents often have both prescription and over-the-counter pain medications at home and may be tempted to give them to their children after an injury,” explains Dr. Gary Green. “Prescription medications should never be shared and need to be legally prescribed by a physician for a specific patient. Old medications, especially narcotics, should be disposed of properly once an indication has passed.”
While there are risks associated with pain management, parents have to be prepared to help their young athletes with pain after a sports injury. Keep reading to learn more about the best practices for over-the-counter, prescription, and opioid pain medications.
Like with all medications, parents should carefully read the label of over the counter medications and remember that adult doses are not appropriate for kids. Parents should consult with a physician before giving kids who are 6 and under any pain relievers. Various factors, such as body weight, age, and height, will factor into the appropriate medication and dose.
Dr. Green also notes, “Parents should also be careful not to mask pain by giving medications in the mistaken impression that it will allow children to return to their sport more quickly. It is natural for athletes of all ages and levels to want to get back to their sport, but masking pain can lead to increasing severity of an injury and delay recovery. Parents need to listen to their child athletes and be mindful to not allow over-enthusiastic coaches to push return to play.”
In 2017, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released a comprehensive guidance document on pain management for athletes, which established the following as best practices for pharmacological pain management for athletes.
When developing a pain management strategy, parents should also be aware that physicians should do the following before prescribing opioid medications.
Dr. Green additionally points out, “In my practice, I have also seen young athletes who use pain or an injury in order not to play. Kids can use an injury as a ticket out of sport that they no longer enjoy or want to play and don’t have the skills to discuss it with their parents or coaches. It can be a red flag when the complaints of pain seem out of proportion to the injury. That is often a good opportunity to talk to the child to see if there are underlying, non-medical issues that may be preventing recovery.”
Dr. Gary Green is board-certified in sports medicine and clinical professor in the UCLA Division of Sports Medicine. He is the medical director for Major League Baseball and has a practice in Pacific Palisades, California. He also serves on the Scientific Board of the Partnership for Clean Competition.
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