Your Care Instructions

Many children have small aches and pains from overuse or injury to muscles and joints.

Joint injuries often happen during sports or recreation.

An overuse injury can happen:

• When your child puts too much stress on a joint.
• When your child does an activity that stresses the joint over and over. Examples include using the computer or swinging a baseball bat.

You can take steps at home to help your child's muscles and joints get better. Your child should feel better in 1 to 2 weeks. But it can take 3 months or more to heal completely.

How can you care for your child at home?

• Your child can weight bear as tolerated on the injured joint, unless advised otherwise by a healthcare provider.
• Do not put heat (including hot packs) directly on the area for the first day or two after an injury. The heat could make swelling worse.
• Put ice or a cold pack on the sore joint for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this 3 to 4 times per day for the first 2 to 3 days or until the swelling goes down. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your child's skin.
• Wrap the injury in an elastic bandage. Do not wrap it too tightly. It could cause more swelling.
• Prop up the sore joint on a pillow when you ice it or anytime your child sits or lies down during the next 3 days. Try to keep it above the level of your child's heart. This will help reduce swelling.
• Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) for pain. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
• Do not give your child two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Too much acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be harmful.
• Encourage your child to start to move the joint gently. While the joint is still healing, your child can start to exercise using activities that don't strain or hurt the painful joint.