Share Your Story: A Happy Ending

Share Your Story: A Happy Ending

by | Mar 31, 2022 | Hip Disorders

Meet Max, a patient seen by our experts in the Center for Excellence in Hip. Learn more about his journey below.

Blog written by Max’s mom, Melinda. 

Giving birth is one of the most exciting things a mother can experience. When our son, Max, was born, he weighed 10 pounds. We couldn’t wait to bring him home from the hospital, so we could begin getting to know him. When the pediatrician visited him in the hospital for his newborn exam, he identified that Max had symptoms of hip dysplasia. Developmental dysplasia of the hip occurs when a baby’s hip socket is too shallow to cover the head of the thighbone properly, and left uncorrected, he might experience pain when he tried to learn to walk.

Fortunately, our pediatrician recognized the issue and recommended we take Max to Scottish Rite for Children for treatment. The pediatrician’s office made our initial appointment, and Max had his first consultation when he was just a week old. As first-time parents, there was a lot we didn’t know about taking a baby to a doctor’s appointment. For example, we didn’t even pack a diaper bag because we thought we’d be home long before he needed a diaper change. 

My husband and I were very nervous — we knew nothing about hip dysplasia, and we were worried about the long-term consequences. Could it be fixed? Would he eventually be able to walk? The team at Scottish Rite and our pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. John Birch were fantastic. They calmed our fears and answered all of our questions. During the comprehensive evaluation, they provided a private room for us to use when Max needed to nurse. They also provided us with diapers when he needed to be changed. He was a big baby — apparently his newborn diapers and T-shirt were already too small, so they gave him a new T-shirt too. 

Max was fitted with a Pavlik harness that he wore 24 hours a day, except during bath time. We visited Scottish Rite weekly for several months. The doctors assessed his progress and adjusted his harness as he grew. The doctors and staff could not have been nicer or more supportive. After a couple of months, they determined that his hips had grown and developed properly, and he would no longer need to wear his harness. We returned to Scottish Rite regularly to gauge his progress. He started walking at 14 months, without any problems. We eventually moved to San Antonio but returned to Scottish Rite annually to make sure his hip and leg development was on track. We couldn’t have been happier with the support and guidance we received. 

Everyone loves a happy ending, so we’re happy to share ours. Max grew and grew – he played varsity basketball and baseball during high school. He recently enrolled at Williams College in Massachusetts, where he is continuing his baseball career. He’s a 6’8 left-handed pitcher, and he can’t wait to play for the Ephs. We are incredibly grateful to the team at Scottish Rite for the compassion and amazing care we received. 

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? WE WANT TO HEAR IT! SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US.

Cerebral Palsy: Defining the Common Terms

Cerebral Palsy: Defining the Common Terms

by | Mar 23, 2022 | Neurology

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition that affects posture, movement and balance associated with an injury to the developing brain. The injury is static (does not worsen) and occurs before or during infancy. Scottish Rite for Children provides a multidisciplinary approach to care for children diagnosed with CP. Below are the most common terms used when our team is talking with patients and families about the condition. 

Motor Difference

  • Hypertonia – Increased muscle tone or a tendency for muscle to be tight.
  • Hypotonia – Low muscle tone, or a tendency for muscles to be excessively relaxed.
  • Dyskinesia – Excessive muscle movements.
  • Spasticity – Muscle tightness that manifests as a catch and release when a limb is moved quickly about a joint. This type of muscle tightness is constant and consistent throughout the day.
  • Dystonia – Muscle tightness that occurs because of unintended muscle activation. This type of muscle tightness can occur when an individual is trying to move other body parts or with certain emotions.
  • Ataxia – Motor pattern that describes difficulties with balance and difficulty with performing smooth limb movements.

Anatomic Involvement

  • Diplegic cerebral palsy – This term describes a motor difference that involves both legs.
  • Hemiplegic cerebral palsy – This term describes a motor difference that involves one side of the body and including the leg and arm on the same side.
  • Quadriplegic cerebral palsy – This term describes a motor difference that involves all four limbs.
  • Triplegic cerebral palsy – This term describes a motor difference involves both legs, and one arm.

Motor Classification

  • Gross Motor Functional Classification System (GMFCS) – This is a system used by clinicians to categorize how a person with CP moves and functions in different environments. It helps clinicians come up with treatment plans and anticipate changes that can occur in the body as the individual ages.
  • GMFCS I – Individuals in this category of mobility are able to go walk around their environment with little to no help. They can go up and down stairs without holding on to a handrail.
  • GMFCS II – Individuals in this category of mobility may need more help when walking on uneven surfaces or inclines and can go up and down stairs by using a handrail.
  • GMFCS III – Individuals in this category of mobility use an assistive device to walk community distances, such as a walker or crutches. They may use a wheelchair for longer community distances
  • GMFCS IV – Individuals in this category of mobility use a wheelchair for most of their mobility. They may be able to propel manual wheelchairs without any help, and they require little to no head and trunk support when sitting.
  • GMFCS V – Individuals in this category of mobility use the wheelchair for all of their mobility. They may be able to drive a motorized wheelchair and typically need head and trunk support when sitting.

Related Neurologic Findings

  • Periventricular Leukomalacia – This is a pattern that is seen on brain imaging that indicates scarring around the ventricles (the area of the brain that hold spinal fluid). It is usually associated with injury to the vessels around the ventricles in premature infants and affects both sides of the brain.
  • Hydrocephalus – This is a finding on imaging that indicates that the ventricles are enlarged.
  • Porencephaly – This is a pattern on brain imaging that indicates a local injury to a specific area of the brain. It usually affects only one side of the brain.

Related Orthopedic Diagnoses

  • Contracture – This describes a limitation in range of motion at a joint. There are multiple factors that contribute to contractures.
  • Hip migration – Tendency for the femur bone to become uncovered by the hip bone. This can occur in individuals with weakness or increased tone.
  • Neuromuscular scoliosis – A curvature of the spine that is related to weak or spastic muscles.
Dallas Morning News: How the warm smell of popcorn extends the welcome at Dallas’ Scottish Rite for Children

Dallas Morning News: How the warm smell of popcorn extends the welcome at Dallas’ Scottish Rite for Children

by | Mar 6, 2022 | Centennial, Press Coverage

Scottish Rite for Children is known for being a bright, child-friendly place that does not look, feel or smell like a hospital. Across Scottish Rite’s three locations in North Texas, every detail is designed specifically for children. 

Colorful hallways are kept free of medical equipment and filled instead with the smell of buttery popcorn – volunteers pop 6,000 pounds per year. This signature popcorn scent is symbolic of the Scottish Rite mission of giving children back their childhood. The Dallas Morning News took a look inside this one-of-a-kind place that is made specifically for kids. 

Read the full article.

In Strong Hands: Meet the Strength and Conditioning Coaches at Scottish Rite for Children

In Strong Hands: Meet the Strength and Conditioning Coaches at Scottish Rite for Children

by | Mar 4, 2022 | Sports Medicine

Meet the coaches of our Bridge Program. This program is designed to improve movement quality, strength, speed, and other measures in young athletes to simultaneously boost performance while reducing the risk of injury.

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists® (CSCS®) are professionals with special training and expertise. Standards set by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA®) are designed to ensure that these coaches have the proper training and skills to promote safe participation in these activities.

As the Bridge Program coordinator, Matt Schiotz, M.S., CSCS, brings experience as an elite-level sports performance coach with more than 20 years of experience coaching diverse groups of athletes. Schiotz’s coaching journey began with the Kansas City Chiefs before moving to the head strength and conditioning coach role at the University of Southern California. He then returned to the NFL as a strength and conditioning coach for more than a decade.

Schiotz’s most recent coaching role was at Baylor Scott and White Sports Performance Center at The Star in Frisco, where he was also the Director of Performance. He has also worked as a performance coach, providing virtual training sessions using app-based programming and data analysis. Schiotz received his Master of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of Kansas.

“I am very excited to join the team at Scottish Rite,” Schiotz says. “I believe the continuum from physical therapy to performance training is a model balancing safety and maximum outcomes. Though I have worked with athletes of all ages, my true passion is working with young athletes to help them achieve their sport and performance goals. Seeing them return to a sport or activity they love is my reward, especially as a parent myself. Combined with an athlete’s hard work, I am confident that lessons learned in this program will help each participant optimally develop and be set up for a future of athletic success.”

Justin Haser, M.S., CSCS, is an elite-level sports performance coach with experience working with athletes across all sports. Haser began his coaching career at Ohio University before moving on to the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked with the football team.

Before joining the team at Scottish Rite, he was a sports performance coach at Baylor Scott and White Sports Performance Center at The Star in Frisco. He has coached athletes of all backgrounds, from 8-year-olds to professionals in the NFL and NBA. He led the Return to Play Program, designed to serve athletes as they transitioned out of therapy and back to a full return to their sport.

“I am excited to keep things rolling here at Scottish Rite,” Haser says. “I believe the transition period between finishing physical therapy and returning full time to sport can often be overlooked. Having gone through this process twice myself, I know firsthand the challenges an athlete will face. I played Division I football for Ohio University. During my career, I had a shoulder injury that required two surgeries, the second of which ultimately ended my athletic career. After my career ended, I spoke with my strength coach at the time and explained the situation. He invited me to assist in the weight room for my final year and a half prior to my graduation. Ultimately, this experience showed me what I wanted to do professionally and launched my coaching career. I am looking forward to helping these young athletes by providing guidance and support on their journey back to their field of play!”

Scottish Rite for Children in Frisco is offering training classes for young athletes. Sessions begin the first week of each month. Contact our Therapy Services team at 469-515-7150 or bridgeprogram@tsrh.org to learn more.