All Articles by Lindsey Barton Straus, JD

Fighting Obesity in Children and Teens: Resistance Training May Help More Than Aerobic Exercise, Experts Say

Low intensity, long-duration aerobic exercise is typically prescribed for youth who are overweight or obese, but has a number of drawbacks compared to resistance training, says an international consensus of experts in a new international position statement.

Resistance Training For Children and Teens: Compelling Evidence of Benefits, Expert Group Says

Thinking about starting your child or teen in a resistance training program, but wondering whether it is a good idea? Not only is there no cause for concern, but, according to a new international consensus statement (Loyd RS, et al 2014), resistance training for children and adolescents has two major benefits: improved athletic performance and a positive effect on overall health.

NATA's Concussion Position Statement

The National Athletic Trainers' Association has released a new position statement on the management of sport concussion. The statement is an update to the NATA's original 2004 concussion guidelines and addresses education, prevention, documentation and legal aspects, evaluation and return-to-play considerations. In particular, the authors amended the return-to-play guidelines and now recommend no return on the day the athlete is concussed.

Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms Reported By Children And Teens May Be Exaggerated Or Feigned, Study Finds

Some children and adolescents who have continue to report symptoms weeks and months after suffering a concussion may be exaggerating or feigning symptoms in order to get out of schoolwork or sports or for other reasons unrelated to their injury, says a new study in the journal Pediatrics.

Study Finds Few Doctors, Schools, and States Use National Preparticipation Physical Evaluation Form

The medical community is largely unaware of national sports preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE) guidelines and only 11% of athletes at US high schools are guaranteed to receive a PPE fully consistent with the national standard, finds a 2014 study. The findings come despite efforts to standardize the screening process, and nearly unanimous public support for screening by a qualified health care professional before participation in a consistent manner across the country.

Overuse Injuries and Burnout in Youth Sports: What We Know And What We Don't

While much is known about the causes and risk factors associated with overuse injuries and burnout, more research is needed, concludes a new position statement on overuse injuries and burnout.

Is It Time To Put The "Ice" in RICE On Ice?

A new book challenges the decades-old use of ice in the treatment of sports injuries, with some now claiming it has no therapeutic value in sports medicine. On the other side are those who still swear by icing a sports injury to reduce acute-injury bleeding, relieve post-injury soreness, and for relieving pain. So, is it time to remove the "I" from the first-aid acronym RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation)? We checked with MomsTEAM's expert physical therapist to find out.

Concussion Education: Athletes and Parents Still Not Getting Nearly Enough

There is good news and bad news in a first-of-its-kind study about implementation of the nation's first youth sports concussion safety legislation. The good news is that nearly all football and soccer coaches at public high schools in Washington State have completed the required concussion education, are generally knowledgeable about concussions, and are comfortable in deciding when to refer players for additional evaluation for a suspected concussion. The bad news is that concussion education of athletes and parents was much less extensive.

Concussions Lead To Microscopic Structural Changes In The Brain, Three New Studies Say

Concussions result in microscopic white matter and inflammatory changes to the brain, say three new studies published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. The studies add to a growing body of research suggesting that concussion can no longer be thought of as a transient injury resulting in a temporary disruption of brain function, but results in structural and electrophysiological changes which persist long after the injury occurs.

Study's Finding That Newer Helmet Reduced Concussion Risk Validates STAR Helmet Rating System, Says Duma

A 2014 study has found that the risk of sustaining a concussion for players wearing a helmet with a newer design was 46.1% lower than for players wearing a helmet with a 20-year-old design. To find out more about the study and its implications, MomsTEAM's Senior Health and Safety Editor Lindsay Barton conducted an interview via email with one of the lead authors, Stefan Duma, PhD, head of the Virginia Tech - Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering. Here is what she reported.