When young athletes get hurt, the best option for care is often an orthopaedic doctor specializing in sports-related injuries. Knowing what you and your child should expect from a sports medicine evaluation is essential. The 2017 criminal conviction of a USA Gymnastics team doctor who used his position to abuse children and teens for decades raised concerns among parents and athletes regarding the safety of injured adolescent athletes.
Sports Medicine Experts Can Be Essential to Injury Recovery
Parents might question the value and appropriateness of a sports medicine visit. Still, Duke Health orthopaedic surgeon and associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, Jocelyn Wittstein, MD, said qualified, dedicated sports medicine experts could be essential to injury recovery and top performance. Wittstein should know. Wittstein was a high school and collegiate gymnast, a mom who has raised several adolescent athletes, and an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. She has a particular interest in working with young gymnasts.