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Sports physical – Don’t rush this important process for your young and growing athlete

Sports physical – Don’t rush this important process for your young and growing athlete

by | Aug 11, 2017 | Research & Innovation

Although schools and sports organizations often require this step annually, it’s one that is often ignored until the last minute. Sports Medicine Physician Shane Miller, M.D., shares his thoughts on the pre-participation evaluation (PPE) here and in an article online.   To get the most out of this experience, follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and schedule an appointment with the child’s primary care provider at least six weeks before the season. Discuss these topics as a family, take notes and prepare questions for the provider:

  • Family and child medical and heart-related history and cardiac health
  • Muscle, joint, or bone pain or injuries and pain
  • Eating habits and any desires to gain or lose weight
  • Menstrual cycle frequency and any concerns
  • Use or contemplation of using supplements
  • Changes in sleep, mood, or interest in sports or friends

Read the full article on The Athlete’s Parent. There you will find other articles from our sports medicine experts on topics like heat illness, coping with disappointment and ACL injuries in growing athletes. For information about injury prevention and pediatric sports medicine topics like these, please visit our website at Scottish Rite.

Our Sports Medicine Team in the Community

Our Sports Medicine Team in the Community

by | May 22, 2017 | Sports Medicine

Our pediatric sports medicine team is committed to making sure young athletes have the right care in the right place at the right time. In order for that to happen, we invite the community to educational events throughout the year. For example, we offer splinting workshops in physician offices led by our Fracture Clinic team, athletic trainer education at local high schools, and coaches and parent meetings for sports organizations.

We recently held our second annual Sports Medicine for Young Athletes: An Update for Pediatric Providers event in Frisco. More than 80 providers in the community joined us for a day of pediatric sports medicine topics.

We were pleased to have Benjamin D. Levine, M.D., faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He has done extensive research and training in the area of cardiovascular health for young athletes, and he has a particular interest in evaluating the use of the echocardiogram (ECG) for pre-participation screening for young athletes.

We know that many parents look to their pediatrician for advice when it comes to the health and safety of their young athletes. We are committed to keeping the most current information in pediatric sports medicine available to local providers through events like this and we plan to continue annually.

For information about injury prevention and pediatric sports medicine, please visit our Sports Medicine page.

Mental Conditioning for Young Athletes – An Interview With Our Psychologist

Mental Conditioning for Young Athletes – An Interview With Our Psychologist

by | May 9, 2017 | Sports Medicine

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we asked psychologist, Erica Force, Ph.D., C.C.-A.A.S.P., to tell us about how to improve a young athlete’s mental health with mental conditioning.

What is mental conditioning?

This is a type of training where an athlete becomes familiar with his or her mental skills and ability to improve or optimize those skills. The goal is to improve performance in sport by improving mental skills such as focusing, confidence and intensity.

Who needs mental conditioning?

Since our mental skills are critical in sports whether we are just starting or are competing at high levels, all athletes would benefit from mental conditioning.

What are some examples of mental conditioning exercises for teams?

Teamwork activities don’t have to be sport-specific. A team may learn to work better together with team-building activities where the focus is on solving a problem or completing a task without talking. These activities can help a team increase communication and cohesion.

What do you recommend for individuals?

Reciting positive phrases like “I’ve got this” during training and performance can help build confidence. Many professional athletes prepare for competition using their imagination to visualize their success in an activity; this is called mental imagery.

How often should these types of exercises be performed?

Teams can benefit from making time to practice mental skills on a regular basis. Many coaches make time at the beginning of the season and continue to encourage practice on a monthly or weekly basis. Individual athletes can adopt positive mental habits into daily activities. Mental conditioning can improve performance just like physical conditioning and practicing technical skills. Thus, mental skills are equally important to practice!

What advice do you have for parents of young athletes?

Most parents know that positive mental skills have the potential to improve performance; what they don’t realize is that the contrary is also true. When a child has a poor attitude or is faced with a stressful social situation, their sports performance can decline. Creating open dialogue and helping your child develop his or her mental toughness can help a child perform in sports and recover from setbacks and injuries more quickly.

Learn more about injury prevention and pediatric sports medicine.

Get to Know Our Staff: Tabetha Rowe, Registered Nurse, Sports Medicine

Get to Know Our Staff: Tabetha Rowe, Registered Nurse, Sports Medicine

by | Mar 17, 2017 | Spotlight

Tabetha is a registered nurse who has been working with young athletes for the past five years. She’s currently working at our North Campus in Plano. Get to know more about her in our Staff Spotlight below.

What’s your favorite part of your job?
My sports medicine coworkers. We have an environment of trust, support and respect. We are always having a good time.

What’s your favorite thing about the hospital?
The opportunity to equally care for all kids, regardless of their financial situation.

What skills do you need for your job?
Time management, good sense of humor, patience, ability to stay calm when things get busy, multitasking, problem-solving.

What was your first job? What path did you take to get here?
Sales at The Buckle in Memphis, Tennessee. My first nursing job was in Ventura, California, in pediatrics at a community hospital.

What is your favorite…

  • Team building activity: When the North Campus staff joined a softball league last spring.
  • Hospital event: The Annual Brandon Carrell Conference 

What’s your favorite…

  • Place to travel: anywhere with sand, water and a view.
  • Type of food: dessert, preferably gelato, ice cream or frozen yogurt

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Teleportation to eliminate my commute.

What is your favorite sport to watch? Do you have a favorite team?
College football – Michigan Wolverines, Go Blue!

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Marine biologist, I love animals.

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
A trip to Alaska that included ziplining, flying in small planes over glaciers, and visiting the Arctic Circle.

It’s Like a Science Fair for Health Care Professionals

It’s Like a Science Fair for Health Care Professionals

by | Mar 1, 2017 | Sports Medicine

Every year, kids try their hand at developing and conducting scientific research for the science fair. From growing mold to creating electrical circuits, they define their hypothesis, develop testing methods, perform the experiment, and then thoughtfully consider the results.

At Scottish Rite Hospital, we follow the same steps of the scientific method and continually share our results with our peers. Sometimes, we are even eligible for awards when we present our studies at conferences, just like at a local science fair. Our doctors and researchers travel both locally and internationally to present their research findings with the goal of spreading knowledge regarding specific pediatric orthopedic topics.

Recently, our pediatric sports medicine team presented a poster explaining the study and results from a review of sports-related concussion patients at the Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (TACSM) Annual Conference in Waco, Texas. This conference is designed to allow young researchers to showcase their work, receive feedback, and learn from experienced sports medicine researchers during lectures and educational events. The poster was considered as a finalist for the event’s “Doctoral Research Poster Award.” Aaron Zynda, research coordinator on the team, says, “It was an honor to be recognized with other researchers in the field of sports medicine and have the opportunity to present.”

The team previously presented preliminary results of this study at the American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Conference in the fall, but this time they focused on results for soccer players. The findings suggest that the soccer players are consistent with the larger group. Thirty-seven percent answered yes when asked if they continued to play or returned to play on the same day as their injury. An interesting trend was that in this small group, the girls were more likely to continue or return to play. This behavior puts the athlete at risk of having worse symptoms and a longer recovery.

Co-author Shane M. Miller, M.D., says, “The most important component of clinical research is to find out how to apply the results to the athletes that are under our care and others in the community and across the nation.” He’s on his way to Indianapolis to share the results of the larger study at the Youth Sports Safety Summit next week.

Learn more about our work in research, prevention, and clinical care for sports-related concussions.