Sever's disease, also known as apophysitis of the os calcis is a condition seen most often in gymnasts. Let's breakdown the terms first. Apophysitis refers to a tuberosity (bony bump) that is stressed when an attaching tendon pulls on it repetitively.

Many young sports athletes are tripped up by their own skeletal system. Traumatic and overuse injuries affecting the physes (growth plates) can result in various injuries. The main reason is an immature skeletal system. The growth plates provide sites of injury that don't occur in older, fully mature teens and adults.

With posterior element overuse syndrome, too much spinal extension and rotation cause damage to the area where the muscles and tendons connect in the low back. The ligaments, spinal joints, and joint capsules at the level of the repetitive trauma are damaged.

The affected individual develops low back pain because the position of the low back is one of too much lordotic curve. The patient looks like there is a swayback position of the spine.

Back pain (in adults) is so common, eight out of 10 people will experience it at least once (and often more than once) in their lifetime. Most of the time, no one even knows what's causing it -- the condition is said to be idiopathic. It's nothing serious and treatment isn't even needed. The patient is told to stay as active as possible. Recovery occurs in seven to 10 days. But back pain in children is something else altogether.

Back pain in adults is so common, eight out of 10 people will experience it at least once (and often more than once) in their lifetime. Most of the time, no one even knows what's causing it -- the condition is said to be idiopathic. It's nothing serious and treatment isn't even needed. The patient is told to stay as active as possible. Recovery occurs in seven to 10 days. But back pain in children is something else altogether.

Many young sports athletes are tripped up by their own skeletal system. Traumatic and overuse injuries affecting the physes (growth plates) can result in permanent deformity. Undiagnosed, untreated, and neglected injuries to the physes can put an end to a budding career. These are the findings of a study from the Cincinnati Sports Medicine Research Foundation in Ohio.

Clubfoot is a congenital condition that affects newborn infants. The medical term for clubfoot is Congenital Talipes Equinovarus. This condition has been described in medical literature since the ancient Egyptians.

Clubfoot is a congenital (present at birth) deformity that causes the feet to point down and turn inwards. Left untreated, this condition prevents normal foot and ankle motion needed for walking and running. The Ponseti method developed by Dr. I. Ponseti 50 years ago has become the standard of care for clubfoot deformity. It is used around the world.

Many experts have encouraged players to wait at least six months before returning to full sports activity after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery. But there's some new evidence that waiting that long may not be necessary.

When it comes to the nonoperative (Ponseti) treatment of clubfoot in children, does it matter if a physical therapist manages care versus the orthopedic surgeon?