Pediatric Sports Medicine

Our approach to pediatric sports medicine care

Your child has access to the latest nonsurgical and surgical treatments for all types of sports injuries, including ligament tears, fractures, overuse injuries and concussions. Our team partners with families, coaches and athletic trainers at your child's school to track their recovery and prevent reinjury.

Your child receives care from a comprehensive sports medicine team that may include:

• Primary care sports medicine physicians

• Athletic trainers

• Sports physical therapists

• Orthopedic surgeons

• Nutritionists

• Sports psychologists

We also offer highly specialized programs for specific sports and types of injuries.

Sports physical therapy

Sports physical therapists use the latest rehabilitation techniques, tailored to your child's age, sport and recovery goals. We provide:

• Education about injury prevention

• Care plans designed to reduce pain and improve function

• Rehabilitation care using advanced technology, such as gait and motion analysis and anti-gravity treadmills

• Return-to-sport evaluations and follow-up care

Excellence in ACL injury treatment

The UCSF Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes is one of the leading programs on the West Coast for complete ACL injury care, including:

• Prevention. We do specialized screenings to identify risk factors for ACL injuries before they occur.

• Diagnosis. Our radiologists use advanced imaging to deliver fast, accurate diagnoses.

• Treatment. We offer nonsurgical and surgical ACL treatments, including specialized procedures that protect growing bones.

• Rehabilitation. Sports physical therapists help athletes build strength, regain mobility and safely return to their sport after an ACL injury.

Dance and performing arts medicine

As one of the few hospital-affiliated pediatric dance programs in the country, we provide expert care for performing athletes throughout the Bay Area. Our team understands the unique physical demands of dance and performance sports. We care for all types of dancers, as well as gymnasts, cheerleaders, figure skaters and musical theater performers.

Our program offers:

• Evaluations and treatments for common dance injuries, such as overuse injuries and stress fractures

• Physical therapy to regain flexibility and strength after an injury

• Education on conditioning and injury prevention

• Corrective exercises to address issues affecting movement and performance

• Pointe readiness assessments for ballet dancers to help them safely advance to pointe work

Pediatric concussion care

Our concussion specialists use the latest, evidence-based guidelines to help children recover and return to daily activities. We provide baseline testing, concussion evaluations and individualized treatment. Learn more about our expertise in sports concussion care.

Motion Analysis & Sports Performance Lab

Beyond injury care, we help healthy athletes reach their performance goals by providing sport-specific evaluations and training plans. Our team assesses speed, agility and power using state-of-the-art tools in our Motion Analysis & Sports Performance Lab. We use this data to help athletes of all levels enhance their performance and prevent injuries.