ST. LOUIS – With spring sports underway, knowing where to go for common sports injuries is important.
“If your child really hasn’t been active leading up into the spring season, we really want to ease into activities,” Katie Smith, SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Sports Medicine manager, said. “So, one of the big reasons we see acute injuries is of kids are going too quick, too fast, and so they kind of go from 0 to 100. So, we really want to ease into that activity.”
Smith says children should make sure to be properly warmed up and always wear protective gear such as helmets or shin guards, but also it’s important for kids to stay hydrated.
The pediatric sports medicine team at Cardinal Glennon offers a multidisciplinary clinic of specialists to support young athletes and young children.
“We kind of have three big buckets that we talk to families about, about seeking our services. One being our emergency department. The second being one of our pediatric urgent cares, which we have a south county and north county location, or our specialty services location that are throughout the St. Louis era in our specialty clinics,” Smith said.
For minor cuts and scrapes or simple x-rays, heading to one of the urgent cares is encouraged. For a major break, head to the ER.
For more information about the pediatric sports medicine program at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, click here.
The SSM Health Medical Minute airs Wednesdays on News 11 at 7 p.m. and FOX 2 News at 9 p.m.
