KID'S WHEELED SHOES & INJURIES

Have you ever almost been run over by a child rolling along seemingly out of
control on shoes with wheels?

The popularity of these shoes and the safety hazards they have been known to cause has lead some shopping mall proprietors to outlaw them in their stores. Some 4 million pairs of these “wheeled shoes” have been sold, so that puts a lot of kids out
there who could either injure themselves or others.

Recently, the American Chiropractic Association took a look at these shoes in
terms of how they can actually cause problems for children. The most obvious cause
of injury would be falls suffered while on the skating shoes. Injuries to the head,
wrist, elbow and ankle are the most common. With the wheels in the back of the
shoes, skaters are forced to lean back to make them perform properly and can easily
lose their balance.

Problems can also occur for children in a less obvious manner, and this has to do
with the way they are forced to walk on the “shoes with wheels” when they are not
rolling along. According to Dr. Steven Conway, a member of the American
Chiropractic Association, “When wearing the shoes on a surface that isn’t skatable,
children must walk on their toes. This altered gait forces their posture into unnatural positions, and if worn regularly for walking, this could potentially cause strain on growing bodies, especially in the foot, ankle and lower back.”

Some tips for safe use of the “wheeled shoes” would include: wearing safety
equipment like helmets, wrist guards, elbow and knee pads. Shoes should be worn
for recreation only with wheels removed when using them as sneakers. Of course,
children should be aware of their surroundings and pedestrians when skating.
Should an injury occur or painful situations develop from skating, parents would
be wise to take their child to a chiropractor for an evaluation of their neuromuscular skeletal system. Children may actually suffer some of the pains experienced by higher level athletes when they skate. A visit to a chiropractor may go a long way to help their young bodies develop properly.

Source: The American Chiropractic Association March 2007
http://www.amerchiro.org/press_css.cfm?CID=2266

Dr. Jeff Albright


In Historic Castle Rock & Denver's Prestigious Cherry Creek
www.rockymtnwellness.com
Call now for your consultation at 303-322-5015!