Walking on eggshells

Worried about your child climbing trees? Wondering if it's safe for their lower limbs in particular? Here is what you need to consider about trees, injuries and lower limbs:

1. Climbing trees can be dangerous but so are most other hobbies and everyday living.

While climbing a tree, your child could fall and hurt their lower limbs, arms or other body parts. However, it is important to remember that every activity has a degree of danger in it. Studies show that injuries from playing video games are now increasing while injuries from climbing trees are declining. In 2006, more British children were hurt falling out of bed than falling out of trees.

In most cases, the confidence and enjoyment your child receives from climbing trees far surpasses any risk. Also, as a hobby, tree climbing can be great exercise and provide much needed nature time for kids. 

In addition to being great exercise, climbing trees can be a therapeutic tool for children with disabilities, long term injuries or emotional trauma. With the right help, even a paraplegic child may be able to climb a tree. If desired, talk with your doctor about whether or not tree climbing is a suitable therapy for your child.

2. Children should not climb trees while injuries are actively healing.

Although tree climbing can work as therapy, it should not be used while your child is actively healing from an injury. For example, if your child gets hurt while climbing a tree, you should see the appropriate professional, such as a podiatrist for a lower limb injury. The doctor will give you instructions on what your child should and should not do during their recovery period. However, in most cases, your child should avoid climbing trees or doing other activities that put pressure on their limbs as they heal.

3. Children cannot climb trees too much in most cases.

If your child really loves climbing trees, he or she may want to be in the tree all the time. Do not worry. In most cases, tree climbing only becomes potentially dangerous to the body if the climber spends most of every day in the tree.

To explain, professional coconut tree climbers experience permanent changes in the morphology of their lower limbs due to climbing trees. The jury is out on whether these changes are helpful, harmful, or a bit of both. However, these changes don't occur with just a bit of casual climbing. They only occur with professional coconut tree climbers who spend six or more hours every day in the trees. Unless your child spends all day every day in the tree, you typically don't have to worry about changes to his lower limbs or other issues.