Treatment and Services

Sports Medicine Program

What is the Sports Medicine Program?

The Sports Medicine Program serves children and adolescents of all ages who are hurt in sports or other active play. Our experts work together closely as a team to give your child complete care and get them back to their usual activities. We focus not only on healing current injuries but also on preventing injuries in the future and improving performance.

Sports medicine at Seattle Children’s also involves:

What’s special about Seattle Children’s Sports Medicine Program?

Expert care for every child
- Our specialists see children and adolescents at every activity level and in all types of sports, including recreational and elite national athletes, Special Olympians, children who have limb differences or need adaptive equipment and those who take a tumble on the playground.
- Whatever your child’s unique needs, we have the expertise to care for them.
- Many of our providers have been involved in competitive sports as athletes themselves and understand the challenges and demands of playing. We also care for professional and Olympic athletes.
- Your child gets quick access to care and does not need a referral to make an appointment.
Focus on injury prevention
- To help your child return to play quickly and safely, we do more than treat their current injury. We focus on preventing repeat or new injuries. Making sure your child is well prepared for their activity can prevent injury, increase performance and help avoid long recoveries from accidents and overuse.
- Often this means we fine-tune your child’s activity level and design a sports physical therapy program to help with anything that might play a role in injuries, like strength and flexibility.
- The Sports Medicine team will work with you to develop a plan that is custom-made for your child’s needs.
- Our Athletic Training Program works with athletes, coaches and parents to prevent and treat injuries at many high schools and youth sporting events in the greater Puget Sound area.
Attention to the whole child
- We know your child is more than just the part that hurts right now. We take into account your child’s age, feelings, goals, nutrition, growth and more.
- Children and adolescents are not just little adults. The best pediatric sports medicine is geared to a child’s exact stage of development. This is our approach at Seattle Children’s.
Evidence-based treatment
- Our treatment plans are based on the newest research about what will be best for patients. We partner with you to make sure the treatment plan works for your family.
- We offer both surgical and nonsurgical options, including rehabilitation and nutrition.
- When surgery is needed, we use techniques that limit the risk of injury to growing bones.

Conditions We Treat

We diagnose, treat and prevent a wide range of acute and chronic sports injuries, including:

Strains
Sprains, including ankle sprains (PDF)
Tendonitis, including Achilles tendonitis (PDF)
Growth-plate injuries
Concussions
Neck and back pain
Shoulder and arm problems – such as rotator cuff tendonitis (PDF), Little League shoulder (PDF), shoulder instability, Little League elbow, osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow and ulnar collateral ligament injury
Hip pain, including Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease and hip fractures
Knee problems – such as Osgood-Schlatter disease (PDF), patellar dislocation, patellar tendonitis (PDF), patellofemoral syndrome (PDF), Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome (PDF), iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome and osteochondritis dissecans
Torn knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, LCL and PCL injuries) and meniscal tears
Shin splints
Chronic exertional compartment syndrome
Sever’s syndrome (PDF) (Spanish)
Overuse injuries
Fractures, including stress fractures

Scheduling an Appointment With the Sports Medicine Program

Call 206-987-7678 (206-98-SPORT) to schedule an appointment at the hospital campus in Seattle, Bellevue, Federal Way, Everett or the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic Othello location. We offer evening appointments in Seattle. Your child does not need a referral.
How to schedule an appointment at Seattle Children’s.
If you already have an appointment, learn more about how to prepare.
Learn about Orthopedics and Sports Medicine resources such as useful links, videos and recommended reading for you and your family.

Telemedicine at Seattle Children’s

You may be offered a telehealth (virtual) appointment. Learn more.

Who’s on the team?

Our team of nationally recognized experts includes sports medicine doctors, adolescent medicine doctors, sports orthopedic surgeons, physician assistants, sports physical therapists, dietitians and athletic trainers.

We work together to develop a treatment plan that ensures coordinated and detailed care from the very start.

Providers in the program include: