When a child gets hurt while playing sports, it can be scary for the child and the parents. It's comforting to know that pediatric orthopedic doctors have received specialized training to handle injuries in young patients. Here, we'll talk about why kids who get hurt while playing sports need to see a pediatric orthopedic doctor and what it takes to become a qualified pediatric orthopedic doctor.
Pediatric orthopedics is a branch of medicine that focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating injuries to children's joints, muscles, and bones. A pediatric orthopedic doctor is a type of doctor who works with children from birth to adolescence to prevent and treat orthopedic diseases and injuries.
Pediatric orthopedic surgeons, also called pediatric orthopedists, can do surgery if other treatments, like braces, limbs, casts, etc., haven't worked.
Because they are still growing, their muscles, joints, and bones are not the same as those of adults. That's why regular orthopedists don't take care of them. Instead, pediatricians usually send them to a pediatric orthopedic doctor when kids have problems with their bones, muscles, or joints.
Children's bodies are constantly changing and growing, so it is easy for parents to think that minor problems are big ones. Before making an appointment at a children's ortho clinic, you should talk to your child's doctor.
A pediatric orthopedic physician is a doctor who knows how to find and treat injuries and illnesses that affect the bones and muscles. This includes the bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. This specialist can treat conditions like cerebral palsy, clubfoot, and scoliosis.
Pediatric orthopedic doctors help their patients in different ways by using different treatments. Some of these options for treatment are surgery, medicine, physical therapy, braces, or other devices to help. When making the treatment plan, they consider what each child needs.
A pediatric orthopedic doctor is the right person to see if your kid has hurt or harmed their muscles, bones, or joints. These doctors and nurses can help your child feel better and move around.
It's important to know that pediatric orthopaedists are trained to talk to children and teens about medical problems. Children have different physical problems than adults, and they deal with them differently.
An orthopedic surgeon is trained to spot and treat many congenital disabilities that affect a child's bones and joints. This is done as little as possible to disrupt the child's life. Before surgery, there are sometimes age, weight, and bone length requirements that must be met. However, the sooner your child's condition is fixed, the more likely they will grow and develop at the same rate as their peers.
Orthopedic surgeons for children often treat children with these types of congenital conditions:
A pediatric orthopedic surgeon knows that kids can't always say what they want to as well as adults can. They might not use the exact words to describe pain or even be able to tell you where it hurts. An orthopedic surgeon with the proper training and experience knows how to put kids at ease so they can talk about what hurts. It is sometimes left to the healthcare provider to explain tests and prepare the child for what to expect when the parents or other family members are too distraught to do so. On the other hand, orthopedic surgeons also know how to answer parents' questions. They will ensure the parent knows what happened to their child and can decide how to care for and treat them.
The first thing you should remember when taking your child to a pediatric orthopedist for the first time is to bring all of their medical records. This will help the doctor determine what's wrong and how to treat it. You should also get proof of your health insurance, just in case the doctor needs it. Then, you and your child will have to try to explain the symptoms and the medical history during the first visit. Make sure your child wears loose, comfortable clothes to this appointment so they can move around freely while the diagnosis is being made.
Then, the pediatric orthopedist will talk to the child to figure out what's wrong and make a treatment plan. Some physical exams and imaging tests like an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI may also be done depending on the illness and symptoms.
After making a diagnosis, the pediatric orthopedist will come up with and talk about a treatment plan based on how bad the symptoms are. If the symptoms are not too bad, the doctor may first suggest a cast, braces, or physical therapy. But if the results aren't good enough, they might try surgery instead.
Most kids are scared to go to the doctor. Because of this, you'll notice that pediatric orthopedists work very differently from other orthopedists. Pediatric orthopedic doctors' offices or clinics are set up to make children feel more at ease during the consultation and diagnosis.