Are You Prepared for Spring Sports Injuries?

Nearly 30 million children and teens play in an organized sport in the U.S. which leads nearly 3.5 million of those young athletes to injury each year. Student sports injuries account for almost one-third of all injuries incurred in childhood. Typically, the most common related injuries are sprains and strains with some sports, such as contact sports, reporting higher numbers of injury. Think of the difference in risk a student athlete faces playing a sport like lacrosse or soccer versus a limited contact sport like baseball to a no contact sport like swimming or track and field.

Participating in any organized sport carries some risk of injury. March Madness is a term that immediately makes most people think about basketball. But with spring sports on the horizon for middle school, high school and college students, this term can mean something entirely different for emergency rooms, primary care practices and urgent care facilities. Fortify your supply chain and partner with a distributor that ensures your healthcare facility is properly stocked to handle any and all spring sports related injuries.

Play Ball
High school athletes that specialize in a specific sport are 70 percent more likely to suffer an injury than those who play multiple sports. Soccer is typically reported as the most-specialized spring sport with ankle and knee muscle or ligament sprains being the most commonly reported injuries, accounting for nearly 60 percent.

During the spring season as student athletes head back to the baseball diamond, soccer field or the track, emergency rooms and urgent care facilities tend to see an uptick in ankle, arm, finger, knee, shoulder and wrist injuries. Distributors help make the sports seasons easier by making sure you are well equipped to provide reliable service to address these issues using a diverse selection of easily accessible, quality products.

Product Selection
A wide selection of durable medical equipment (DME) products helps keep everyone happy. Three important things are essential from a distributor - varied product selection, easily accessible products and quick turn around on receiving DME items. With imminent twisted ankles and knee, finger, wrist and shoulder injuries, it’s important that urgent care facilities are fully stocked with DME items including:

• Arm slings
• Ankle braces
• Wrist splints
• Cam walkers/boots
• Thumb spica splints
• Knee and shoulder immobilizers

Some of the products above can be used in multiple ways to treat a variety of injuries. For example, arm slings can be used for anything from a finger injury all the way up to an arm or shoulder injury.

Account Management
The success of a healthcare distributor is due in large part to the account managers or sales representatives that serve their customers. Be sure your distributor offers a wide selection of DME products from reputable brands and supplier partners. Account managers can champion the whole process making your job treating injured patients faster and easier.

Concordance Healthcare Solutions is committed to ensuring our customers are properly stocked to handle any and all issues that arise from spring sports related injuries.