Aylesbury physios giveaway guide to help cut injury rates in youngsters

A group of physiotherapists based in Aylesbury are hoping that a new digital guide will help increase awareness of common sports injuries in adolescents. The guide - which has been developed by Elite Physical Medicine (EPM) is aimed at teachers, parents and sports coaches.

It contains clinical research and more than 15 years of hands-on experience in a friendly flipbook, available free from EPM's website.

It can be found online here

The team at EPM, led by clinical director Andy McCrea, currently work across two sites in Aylesbury and Tring. A number of their practitioners are former elite athletes, including British tennis professional Emma Hurst and gymnast Gabrielle Jackson.

Their passion and advocacy for youth sports saw the team go above and beyond their clinical responsibilities several times in 2022, running (pro bono) injury prevention workshops and anatomy and physiology lessons in local schools.

Mr McCrea was inspired to create the guide after treating the friends and teammates of his 13-year-old son – young athletes who were sustaining sports injuries which often correlated with a rapid growth spurt.

He said: “We’ve been seeing a lot of knee issues, heel pain, and other overuse injuries amongst young people who are very active whilst their bodies are rapidly changing.

“As a parent, I’m always looking for indicators of when a child’s discomfort, or loss of form or function, starts affecting not only their performance but most importantly detracts from their enjoyment of their sport.

“I wanted to create something that would help other adults recognise and respond to these injuries and offer ways to avoid them or speed up recovery. Too often the message I hear is complete cessation of exercise, which is both over simplified and unhelpful.”

The guide covers common injuries in adolescents, from fractures and tendon injuries affecting the knee and foot, to what to do if your child complains of hip or back pain. The question ‘How much sport is too much for a child at this age?’ is also addressed.

Ed Croft Baker, manager of Crendon Corinthians U13s Football Club was involved in developing the concept of a guide which could be shared electronically on parent-coach WhatsApp groups and other sports community platforms.

Mr Croft Baker said: “This guide will be a huge help to hundreds of volunteers running youth sports clubs across the country, as well as supporting the work of PE teachers and academy coaches. Being able to share practical advice with athletes and their parents could significantly reduce injury rates among young players.”

The EPM team have called for more research into the risks and benefits associated with resistance training (weights) for under 18s, as well as highlighting some of the current thinking on whether early specialisation (focusing exclusively on one sport from a young age) is detrimental to young athletes.

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