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Sports Medicine

After Concussion: Monitor Sleep and Limit Daytime Naps for Faster Recovery
 After Concussion: Monitor Sleep and Limit Daytime Naps for Faster Recovery 1024 540 Laura Dattner
By: Laura Dattner

A new study reinforces the importance of sleep for concussion recovery and supports recommendations for quality nighttime sleep with limited naps. Researchers have found that when it comes to concussion recovery, sleep matters. In a study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that limiting daytime sleep and getting…

Meet Prof Eileen Africa: Fulbright Scholar and Sports Medicine Expert
 Meet Prof Eileen Africa: Fulbright Scholar and Sports Medicine Expert 1024 683 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

Prof Eileen Africa, an associate professor in the Division of Movement Science and Exercise Therapy in the Department of Exercise, Sport, and Lifestyle Medicine at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and a Fulbright scholar, recently visited Nationwide Children’s to work with Dr. James MacDonald and the Sports Medicine Team conducting research about the effectiveness of…

Adolescents With Concussion May Benefit from More Cognitive Activity as Early as the First Week After Injury
 Adolescents With Concussion May Benefit from More Cognitive Activity as Early as the First Week After Injury 1024 575 Laura Dattner
By: Laura Dattner

A new study shows limiting screen time and returning to school early following a concussion may hasten recovery timelines. In a study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers with the Center for Injury Research and Policy, Division of Sports Medicine, Center for Biobehavioral Health, and Division of Emergency Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital evaluated…

Ask A Specialist: What Running Distances Are Safe for Children?
 Ask A Specialist: What Running Distances Are Safe for Children? 1024 895 Gabriella Gonzales, MD and James MacDonald, MD, MPH
By: Gabriella Gonzales, MD and James MacDonald, MD, MPH

Sports Medicine experts offer advice for pediatricians about what age it is appropriate for children to run and train for races such as the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon. Running is a great activity! It requires very little equipment and can be done individually or with a team. Running can be beneficial for children…

Creatine Supplements and the Youth Athlete
 Creatine Supplements and the Youth Athlete 945 825 Natalie Wilson
By: Natalie Wilson

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found there is insufficient evidence that creatine supplementation is effective for consistently improving athletic performance in adolescents. They also identified a gap in knowledge of the long-term effects of creatine supplementation in this population. Creatine is naturally found in skeletal muscle and acts as an energy source during muscle activation.…

Using 3D Motion Capture Technology to Improve Outcomes
 Using 3D Motion Capture Technology to Improve Outcomes 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD

  Kirsten Tulchin-Francis, PhD Kirsten Tulchin-Francis, PhD, joined Nationwide Children’s in March 2022 as director of orthopedic research and director of the Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement. In a Q&A, she discusses how she uses motion capture technology to improve outcomes for pediatric patients. What is your area of expertise? I have…

Making Exercise Part of Your Treatment Plan: Play Strong for Children With ASD
 Making Exercise Part of Your Treatment Plan: Play Strong for Children With ASD 150 150 Deborah L. Ungerleider, MD, FAAP
By: Deborah L. Ungerleider, MD, FAAP

How can clinicians use exercise in their treatment of behavioral and mental health disorders? Experts share lessons learned from the Play Strong program.   It is well-known in the medical world that exercise is good for the mind and body, both for children and adults. However, although health care providers may recommend that exercise be…

4-Year Study Finds No Correlation Between Head Impacts and Cognitive Outcomes in Youth Tackle Football Players
 4-Year Study Finds No Correlation Between Head Impacts and Cognitive Outcomes in Youth Tackle Football Players 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck
By: Lauren Dembeck

In the longest study of its kind, researchers studied individual players through 4 seasons of youth tackle football and found no correlation between the number or severity of head impacts and cognitive and behavioral outcomes.  When children are considering playing contact sports, parents/guardians and medical providers must weigh the risks and benefits. One of the…

No More Sitting in the Dark?
 No More Sitting in the Dark? 1024 728 Laura Dattner
By: Laura Dattner

A new study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy, Sports Medicine and Emergency Medicine is the first to document objectively self-paced physical and cognitive activity post-concussion among youth. The results suggest they may be able to engage in physical and cognitive activity as soon as tolerated post-concussion. Clinical guidelines for managing concussion in…

Combining Multiple Surgical Procedures Helps Children With Patellar Instability Return to Normal Activities
 Combining Multiple Surgical Procedures Helps Children With Patellar Instability Return to Normal Activities 1024 575 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
By: JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

A four-in-one surgical procedure demonstrates effectiveness in treating pediatric lateral patellar instability and helping children return to their normal pre-surgical activities. Lateral patellar instability in the skeletally immature knee is a complex orthopedic condition with myriad treatment challenges. Classified as obligatory, fixed (congenital) or traumatic, pediatric knee instability can have painful consequences in late adolescence…

Exercise as Medicine: What Does This Really Mean?
 Exercise as Medicine: What Does This Really Mean? 1024 575 Alyssa Schafer
By: Alyssa Schafer

A child’s lack of exercise can contribute to numerous health issues. “Currently, physical inactivity is ranked as the number four cause of death. 5.5% of deaths are due to physical inactivity which is totally preventable and treatable,” says James MacDonald, MD, MPH, a physician for Nationwide Children’s Sports Medicine. The question at large is how much do…

Study Finds No Correlation Between Brain Function and Head Impacts After Two Seasons of Youth Tackle Football
 Study Finds No Correlation Between Brain Function and Head Impacts After Two Seasons of Youth Tackle Football 150 150 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

In a prospective study of children playing tackle football, researchers find minimal changes in neurocognitive outcomes – and any changes were not correlated to number or severity of head impacts. Many parents, potential players and medical providers are increasingly wary of youth contact sports participation. The concern over the potential short- and long-term effects of…

Cumulative Subconcussive Impacts in a Single Season of Youth Football Not Associated With Declines in Neurocognitive Measures
 Cumulative Subconcussive Impacts in a Single Season of Youth Football Not Associated With Declines in Neurocognitive Measures 1024 575 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

In an investigation of head impact burden and change in neurocognitive function during a season of youth football, researchers find that sub-concussive impacts are not correlated with worsening performance in neurocognitive function. Each year, more than 3 million children in primary and high school play tackle football in the United States. Growing concern about the…

Evaluating and Treating Pediatric Lower Back Pain in the Primary Care Setting
 Evaluating and Treating Pediatric Lower Back Pain in the Primary Care Setting 150 150 Jeb Phillips
By: Jeb Phillips

While pediatric training often focuses on etiology, recent studies have found that most cases of lower back pain in school-aged children have no definitive diagnosis and are benign and self-limiting. Primary care pediatricians are often taught that lower back pain in school-aged children has a definitive cause. As a recent review published in JAMA Pediatrics highlights, studies conducted over…

Nine Factors for Predicting the Duration of Post-Concussion Symptoms
 Nine Factors for Predicting the Duration of Post-Concussion Symptoms 150 150 Jeb Phillips
By: Jeb Phillips

Concussion recovery is poorly understood, but new research suggests that some factors are predictive of recovery time. Several factors, including continued physical activity following a concussion, worsening symptoms from the time of injury to the time a patient seeks care, and a previous history of headaches, help predict which children are likely to have a…