Articles In This Section
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Words to Know (Sports Medicine Glossary)
This glossary provides definitions for some common sports medicine terms.
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When Kids Want to Quit a Sport
What should parents do when their child wants to quit a sport?
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Joint Aspiration (Arthrocentesis)
A joint aspiration (arthrocentesis) involves withdrawing (aspirating) a sample of fluid from a joint using a needle and syringe.
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Cervical Spine
A cervical spine MRI can help evaluate various symptoms and also help diagnose tumors, bleeding, swelling, infections, or inflammatory conditions in the vertebrae or surrounding tissues.
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Signing Kids Up for Sports
Organized sports can help kids grow in many ways. Consider your child's age, personality, and abilities to help make sports fun.
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Strength Training
With a properly designed and supervised program, strength training can be a fun way for kids to build healthy muscles, joints, and bones.
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Fitness for Kids Who Don’t Like Sports
Some kids aren't natural athletes and they may say they just don't like sports. What then?
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Fitness and Your 6- to 12-Year-Old
School-age kids need physical activity to build strength, coordination, confidence, and to lay the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle.
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Fitness and Your 3- to 5-Year-Old
Take advantage of your child's natural tendency to be active. Staying fit can help improve kids' self-esteem and decrease the risk of serious illnesses later in life.
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Fitness and Your 2- to 3-Year-Old
Kids this age are naturally active, so be sure to provide lots of opportunities for your child to practice basic skills, such as running, kicking, and throwing.
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Fitness and Your 13- to 18-Year-Old
Kids who enjoy exercise tend to stay active throughout their lives. Learn how to encourage fitness in your teen.
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Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks
When it comes to keeping your kid hydrated, there's a dizzying array of drinks to choose from. Are sports and energy drinks right for your child?
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Sports Supplements
Sports supplements are products used to enhance athletic performance. But there aren't enough long-term studies to know if they're safe for teens.
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Calcium
Milk and other calcium-rich foods help build strong, healthy bones. But most kids and teens don't get enough calcium. Here's how to make sure that yours do.
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Sports Physicals
Just as professional sports stars need medical care to keep them playing their best, so do student athletes. That's why it's important to make sure that kids and teens get a sports physical.
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Feeding Your Child Athlete
All kids need to eat balanced meals and have a healthy diet. But should that balance change for kids who play on a sports team or work out?
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What Are Tooth Preservation Kits?
Find out what the experts have to say.
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How Long Does it Take for a Broken Bone to Heal?
How long does a broken bone take to heal? Find out!
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Competitive Sports: Helping Kids Play it Cool
Sometimes the pressure to succeed on the field or in the court can be overwhelming. Learn what you can do to help your child keeps things in perspective.
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Sportsmanship
One of the most important goals of kids' sports is helping children develop a sense of good sportsmanship. Here's how to set a good example for your kids.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19): Sports & Activities
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it’s important to know how to protect active kids and young athletes.
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Safety Tips: Wrestling
In wrestling, injuries are bound to happen sometimes. To keep things as safe as possible, wrestlers should follow these tips
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Safety Tips: Football
Football is a lot of fun, but injuries are common. To keep things as safe as possible on the gridiron, players should follow these tips.
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Safety Tips: Hockey
As fun as it is, ice hockey carries a very real risk of injury. To keep your kids as safe as possible, follow these tips.
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Safety Tips: Ice Skating
Ice skating is fun but injuries are a risk. Help your kids follow these safety tips to learn how to skate safely.
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Safety Tips: Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a fast-moving, fun sport to play and watch. But injuries are bound to happen. Here's how to help players avoid them.
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Safety Tips: Skiing
Skiing is fun but also has some very real dangers. Make sure your kids follow these safety tips to learn how to stay safe on the slopes.
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Safety Tips: Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a great way to have fun and get exercise, but it has some very real dangers. These safety tips can help keep your family safe on the slopes.
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Is It OK for Kids to Sleep After a Possible Concussion?
Find out what the experts have to say.
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How Can Parents Help Prevent Concussions?
Concussions are serious injuries. Here's how to help protect kids and teens from them.
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First Aid: Strains and Sprains
Here's what to do if you think your child has pulled or torn a muscle, ligament, or tendon.
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First Aid: Teeth Injuries
If your child loses a baby tooth, there's no need to replace it. But if a permanent tooth is dislodged, it's a dental emergency. Here's what to do.
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First Aid: Dislocations
A dislocation happens when two connected bones are separated. These injuries require emergency medical care to avoid further damage.
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First Aid: Head Injuries
Learn about the different types of head injuries, and find out what to do if your child is seriously injuried.
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Head Injuries
Head injuries can be external or internal. Learn more about both kinds, how to prevent them, and what to do if your child is injured.
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A to Z: Head Injury
Learn more about head injuries (head trauma).
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About Body Basics
Remember the biology class you had in high school? Well, maybe you don't or maybe now that you have a child, your interest in how the body works has grown.
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Growing Pains
Growing pains are leg pains and soreness that happen to kids at night, usually when they're 3 to 12 years old.
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Torticollis
Torticollis is a common condition that causes a stiff neck or neck pain that makes it hard for kids to turn their heads.
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Sever’s Disease
Sever's disease, a common heel injury in kids, is due to inflammation (swelling) of the growth plate in the heel. While painful, it's only temporary and has no long-term effects.
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Repetitive Stress Injuries in Sports
Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) happen when movements are repeated over and over, damaging a bone, tendon, or joint.
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Shin Splints
Shin splints are pain on the inner part of the shinbone, often from running or another high-impact activity. They get better with rest.
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Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner’s Knee)
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (or runner's knee) is the most common overuse injury among runners, but it can also happen to other athletes who do activities that require a lot of knee bending.
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Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescents. It's really not a disease, but an overuse injury.
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Panner’s Disease
Panner's disease is a painful bone condition linked to overuse of the elbow. Kids with Panner's disease need to avoid all activities that cause pain so the bone can heal.
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Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injuries
MCL injuries can happen in active and athletic kids, when excessive pressure is put on the knee joint, resulting in a torn ligament.
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Little League Elbow
Little League elbow is an overuse injury to the elbow caused by repetitive throwing. Most cases happen in pitchers, but any young athlete who throws a lot can get the condition.
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Knee Injuries
Knee injuries are common among young athletes. Learn about causes, treatments, and prevention.
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Growth Plate Fractures
Injuries to growth plates, which produce new bone tissue and determine the final length and shape of bones in adulthood, must be treated so that bones heal properly.
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Broken Collarbone (Clavicle Fracture)
Learn about broken collarbones (or clavicle fractures), a common sports injury in kids.
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Broken Bones
Many kids will have a broken bone at some point. Here's what to expect.
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Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears
ACL injuries can happen in active and athletic kids when excessive pressure is put on the knee joint, resulting in a torn ligament.
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Jumper’s Knee
Jumper's knee is an overuse injury that happens when frequent jumping, running, and changing direction damages the patellar tendon.
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Ear Injuries
Ear injuries not only can affect a child's hearing, but sense of balance too. That's because our ears also help keep us steady on our feet.
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Preventing Eye Injuries
Eye injuries in kids can lead to serious vision problems, even blindness. Wearing protective eyewear can prevent most eye injuries.
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When Can Kids Return to Sports After a Concussion?
After a concussion, athletes often ask how soon they can start playing again. Usually, they can return to sports when all symptoms are gone and a health care provider gives the OK.
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When Can Kids Go Back to School After a Concussion?
Within a few days of a concussion, most students are ready return to school. Here's how parents can help.
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Concussions
Concussions are serious injuries that can be even more serious if kids don't get the time and rest needed to heal them completely.
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Exercise-Induced Asthma
Many kids with asthma have symptoms when they exercise. But with careful management, they usually can do anything their peers can do.