Summertime is outdoor fun for young people, but it is also a time when teenagers are prone to reckless behavior on dirt bikes, in cars and in swimming pools. Poor judgment can result in brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, according to one safety expert.
The common consensus is that prevention is better than treating and rehabilitating a serious brain or spinal cord injury. Staff members at the Shepherd Center rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta often teach kids about the dangers of diving into a lake or swimming pool. They discuss the importance of safety helmets when biking and skateboarding. There is a correct way to tackle in football to avoid injury, and they work with high school teams in teaching proper form and technique.
One spinal cord injury physical therapist says that kids should not dive into pools and lakes no matter how deep the water is. She recommends that kids jump, instead of dive to avoid severe head, neck and back injuries. There are about 430 diving injuries every year, according to one study. Most diving injuries result in spinal cord injuries because it is easy to misjudge the depth of any body of water.
I never learned how to dive, and I am thankful for that all these years later. Hitting the concrete bottom of a swimming pool headfirst is one of the most painful things I can imagine.
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