Athletic Trainers From Throughout Southern California to Gather at Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children’s Sports Medicine Conference April 13

Young athletes present unique challenges to athletic trainers due to the repetitive and high strain they put on their bodies during what is often a year-round schedule of sporting activities in Southern California. To help further educate these trainers with the latest knowledge on how to properly identify and treat the common injuries they see in young athletes, Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children will host its annual Sports Medicine Conference at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica on Saturday, April 13.

“With an increasing number of children of all ages participating in sporting activities, awareness of how to prevent and care for injuries in young athletes has never been greater,” said Richard Bowen, M.D., director of the Center for Sports Medicine at OIC. “This conference has been specially designed to equip certified athletic trainers who work with young athletes with the innovative assessment, evaluation and rehabilitation solutions they need when confronted with pediatric orthopaedic sports-related conditions.”

As part of the conference, Dr. Bowen, who in addition to his role at OIC is also clinical professor of the department of orthopaedic surgery at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, will present a lecture on shoulder pathologies in sports. His presentation will be preceded by a series of labs conducted by healthcare professionals dedicated to sports injuries. These labs will cover such important topics as assessment and care for sports-related concussions, joint dysfunction, joint mobilization, mobilization of the cervical thoracic spine and cupping for athletic injuries. Rounding out the day will be a lecture entitled “Return to Sports Post-Injury: How Much is All in Your Head?” that will be given by Doug Polster, Ph.D., clinical instructor, UCLA Department of Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Sports Neuropsychologist, UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT program.

OIC’s Center for Sports Medicine is a state-of-the-art facility staffed by a multidisciplinary team, including sports medicine physicians, pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, athletic trainers and physical therapists, all focused on helping young athletes return to their sports activities as quickly and safely as possible. The center currently treats nearly 300 children each month—an 18 percent increase in cases over the prior year.

“Failure to address a sports injury properly and promptly can lead to lifelong problems, which is why our team specializes in treating a broad range of today’s athletic injuries before they damage tomorrow’s opportunities,” said Dr. Bowen. “At the center our highest priority is getting young athletes back in the game—and not just next season but for the long haul. Our treatment approach goes beyond just healing broken bones or helping kids get through physical therapy but is also focused on making sure young athletes understand what it will take to return to their activity and helping them prevent injury or re-injury in the future.”

The Sports Medicine Conference will be held April 13 from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at UCLA Medical Center at 1250 – 16th Street in Santa Monica. Certified athletic trainers can earn up to six Category A CEUs for attending. Registration is $40 per person and includes continental breakfast and lunch. The deadline to register is April 7, and online registration can be completed at https://luskinoic.org/oic-annual-sports-medicine-conference-april-18-2020/. For questions contact Summer Runestad at srunestad@mednet.ucla.edu or call 213-910-3526.