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Sports Medicine

From Pitch to Progress: Jarnum’s Story

In the world of sports, injuries are often seen as setbacks, hurdles that athletes must overcome to get back to doing what they love. For Jarnum, a 15-year-old elite soccer player, a left knee lateral meniscus tear threatened to impact his game. Jarnum is the youngest player in a semi-professional USL2 academy league for Swan City Soccer Club in Lakeland. He holds the distinction of being the youngest player ever to score a goal in the USL2, helping his team secure their sole victory of the season. Unfortunately, it was during his time with this team that Jarnum sustained his injury. While engaged in a defensive play, he collided with another player, resulting in the tear to his left knee. Jarnum’s mother, Authrine, recalls the moment when their journey with Nemours began. “Dr. Julia Fink could tell that it was a meniscus tear right away,” she says. “But she wanted […]

Doctor Spotlight: Sarah R. Gibson, MD

Nemours Children’s Health takes pride in spotlighting the remarkable individuals who go beyond their roles as physicians. Dr. Sarah R. Gibson, a Pediatric Sports Medicine Physician in the Department of Orthopedics at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida exemplifies this dedication not only through her expertise but also through her hobbies outside of medicine. Dr. Gibson’s journey to becoming a physician was shaped by a blend of passions and interests. “I always had an interest in medicine,” says Dr. Gibson, “Particularly human health and physiology, but I had a lot of other varied interests as well. I enjoyed playing sports and I also had an interest in sports journalism. Prior to medical school, I would spend my winters taking premed classes and my summers dabbling in sports journalism. I was on the Kentucky Derby staff, helping run the media center during Derby week, helping ABC Sports and NBC Sports with coverage of […]

Doctors’ Day Spotlight: Alvin W. Su, MD, PhD

Sports medicine and pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Alvin Su‘s journey to Nemours Children’s Health was paved with a passion for patient care. He was drawn to our hospital in Delaware and New Jersey by the collaborative spirit among the orthopedic team. “The orthopedic group at Nemours works as a team,” says Dr. Su. “We support each other very well. This is huge for patient care, and for long-term career development and physician wellness. We can take good care of our patients, and ourselves. Plus, Nemours is a true academic institution that supports scientific research, which is instrumental to future improvement of clinical care.” This effort from the orthopedics team allows surgeons like Dr. Su to prioritize what truly matters – doing the right thing for their patients. Outside his work at the hospital, Dr. Su pursues a variety of interests and hobbies. A dedicated martial artist with a black belt […]

National Women Physicians Day: Dr. Stephanie Pearce

In celebration of National Women Physicians Day, Nemours Children’s Health highlights Dr. Stephanie Pearce, the Director of Sports Medicine in Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine at Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville. Dr. Pearce’s decision to pursue a career in sports orthopedic surgery stemmed from her love for the musculoskeletal system, her enjoyment of working with her hands, and her passion for helping athletes achieve peak performance. For her, sports medicine combines these elements in a way that doesn’t feel like work – it’s a labor of love. Joining Nemours Children’s was a serendipitous journey for Dr. Pearce. Her good friend, Dr. Anna Rambo, informed her of the Director of Sports Medicine opening at Nemours. The opportunity to lead and grow a sports program, contribute to sports research, collaborate with close friends, and return to her home state of Florida made it an offer too good to resist. Working with her team […]

Nothing If Not Resilient – Kate’s Story

During her senior season of high school wresting, Kate felt something was off. When Kate’s right shoulder dislocated from her socket during a wrestling practice, pain started to occur. Kate dismissed it at first but soon, this pain became persistent during every practice and started to impact her everyday life.  Her shoulder constantly dislocated while out on the mat and it held her back from taking good shots against opponents. Kate continued to persist through the pain until she could no longer reach for something or close a car door without discomfort. “When I walked through the halls at school, I felt my shoulder being separated from the socket. It felt loose – that’s the only way I can describe it. It is a scary feeling when you know that your arm is not properly attached to your body, let alone wrestling with it,” says Kate. This injury had a […]

Little League Elbow – Michael’s Story

My name is Michael Shucoski. I’m 12 years old and am starting the 7th grade. I really love baseball and my favorite positions are pitcher and first base. This past spring, I developed a sharp pain in my elbow that would not go away. It was very irritating, and I couldn’t even throw the ball without pain.   My mom took me to Nemours Children’s Health, Deptford for treatment, where I met Dr. William Emanuele (Dr. Bill), a sports medicine specialist. After he performed tests and took x-rays, my diagnosis was medial elbow apophysitis, otherwise known as “little league elbow.” It’s an inflammation of the growth plate that occurs in young baseball players from the constant throwing motion. It’s fairly common in pitchers like myself. The treatment was a rehab program consisting of targeted strengthening and stretches as well as six weeks of rest, which meant no throwing, but for me, […]

The bridge to a brighter future

The bridge to a brighter future

When Erin Pitts faced spinal surgery as a teen, she never imagined it would impact her life in other ways. Diagnosed with scoliosis at a young age, initially the care plan for the Jacksonville, Fla., resident was to pursue a non-surgical approach to correct the curves in her spine using a back brace. When her complex scoliosis proved resistant to treatment, however, surgery became the best option for long-term results. The experience ended up changing not only her health, but also her career trajectory. Pitts first learned of her condition in the sixth grade, when she began experiencing intense lower back pain. As her condition gradually began limiting her daily activities, her mom made an appointment with her pediatrician. He referred her to Nemours for an orthopedic assessment, where she became a patient of Eric Loveless, MD, department chair of orthopedics at Nemours and a board-certified pediatric surgeon who performs […]

8 Common Running Injuries

8 Common Running Injuries

Running is a sport that can be done all year long. For many young athletes, running is their after school sport of choice. Runners can compete in the fall, winter and spring in cross country, run indoor/outdoor track, and train in the summer. Whether a student is running throughout the year or during a specific season, all are prone to running-specific injuries. Shin Splints One of the most common injuries for runners are shin splints, caused by inflammation in the tissues, tendons, and bones in the shin (tibia). This overuse injury can be due to new or increased training. Pain along the tibia is associated with shin splints, as well as sharp or dull and throbbing pain and mild swelling. The pain can last both during and after running, and the area hurts to touch. People with flat feet or worn-out or improper footwear are more prone to shin splints. […]

Osgood-Schlatter Disease, Powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Kids’ Knee Pain: Is It Osgood-Schlatter Disease?

I remember when my son was 12 years old, he would wake up in the middle of the night crying and complaining of knee pain. He had started to run track in middle school, and he started to get a little bump just below his knee cap at the top of his shin bone. Our pediatrician called it “growing pains” and said it would go away. He recommended that he do some stretches and ice after track practice. Eventually it did resolve once track season was over, and he didn’t have any problems after that. What I found out later is that this wasn’t growing pains at all – it was a common sports injury known as “Osgood-Schlatter disease.” What is Osgood-Schlatter disease? Although it sounds scary because of the word “disease,” Osgood-Schlatter is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescents. It’s an overuse injury that […]

Boccia: A Game for All Abilities, by Brie Sheppard, PT, DPT, Promise, Powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Boccia: A Game for All Abilities

The 2016 Rio Paralympics just came to a close, and the USA is celebrating its most successful Paralympic performance in recent history. A whopping 289 American Paralympic athletes brought home a total of 115 medals, and the USA finished fourth in the medal count. Independent of standings, results, and rankings, the Paralympics and Team USA never fail to remind us of what the body is truly capable of and what impossibilities the spirit can overcome. It’s this motivation and inspiration that was the driving force behind the creation of our Paralympic Boccia program in 2014, with Nemours becoming an official U.S. Paralympic Sports Club in 2015. What Is Boccia? Boccia is a game, similar to backyard Bocce, created especially for the Paralympics in 1984. The object of the game is to score points by propelling your team’s balls closest to the target ball on a long, narrow, indoor playing court. In Boccia, all […]

Youth Soccer: What's the Goal, , by Jessica Laniak, PT, DPT, OCS, Powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Youth Soccer: What’s the Goal?

This fall, young athletes will line up on soccer fields with new cleats, uniforms, teammates, and coaches. But for many, fall isn’t the beginning of a season — it’s merely the continuation of playing youth soccer year-round. The sports epidemic of specializing in one sport too early (under the age of 12), has been widely publicized. However, these days it’s more than likely that you and your young athlete spent most of your summer at travel soccer tournaments, team camps, and soccer preseason. I know, I’ve been there with you. I’m a mother of four boys and a travel youth soccer coach for my 10-year-old. And I very often grapple with my reality of raising a soccer family and my professional responsibility as a pediatric sports medicine physical therapist. When I integrate my current daily life with my former life, as a collegiate soccer player, I totally understand the perspective of the […]

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