Summer is a time in which students are prone to injuries. From sports to just running around, you never know what injury comes next. Kids will be kids, but when they get hurt, it’s important they get to a specialist as soon as possible, to ensure it’s not serious. Most doctors will take a X-Ray of the affected area and then evaluate. If your bone isn’t broken, you might have a sprained joint.

“I fell forward onto a boat and sprained my ankle this summer,” says Kendall, a student at Blackhawk Middle School. Sprained ankles often require crutches for a few days. They are one of the most common type of joint injury. “I was just skipping around to my language arts class, fell and sprained my ankle,” states Madi, an eighth grader at Blackhawk.

Students have also sprained their wrists and fingers. “I fell forward playing tag and sprained my finger into my palm,” says Regina, also a student at Blackhawk. Sprained fingers can also be called “jammed” fingers. Most sprained joints heal in a week or two, depending on how severe the injury is. In most causes, doctors will give you a splint and set up a reevaluation appointment to make sure it’s healing properly.  If you play sports, you should ask your doctor when you should return, depending on the sport and the injury.

Just remember, sprained joints are nothing to mess around with. Making sure you get the right treatment is important to make sure you heal properly. Also getting to the doctor as soon as you know it’s serious is also important in the healing process. Remember, doctors are specially trained to recognize and treat your injury!