Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tears, labral tears, Bankart lesions, SLAP lesions and dislocations, can keep your child or young athlete from the activities they love. At CHKD, our team of expert pediatric sports medicine physicians and surgeons heals shoulder injuries using a variety of surgical and nonsurgical techniques, including minimally invasive shoulder tear repairs, medications and physical therapy.
Shoulder injuries are common in activities that involve
overhead motion, such as baseball, swimming, tennis or volleyball. Because they
are still growing, children and teens, especially athletes, require more
specialized care than adults. CHKD has the region’s only sports medicine
program staffed entirely by pediatric providers and dedicated solely to young
athletes.
If your child needs physical therapy, CHKD’s sports medicine
physical therapists will create a personalized plan for your child, based on
your child’s physical maturity, fitness level and favorite sports.
Symptoms of a shoulder injury include:
- Your child experiences shoulder pain.
- Your child heard a pop when the injury occurred, meaning it could be a tear of a ligament or cartilage.
- Your child can’t fully move their shoulder in all directions.
- Your child cannot lift objects.
- Your child’s shoulder locks, pops or grinds.
Children experiencing any of these shoulder injury symptoms should see a doctor.
Find a CHKD sports medicine specialist or surgeon to help your child or call (757) 668-7529 (PLAY) for an appointment.