Back Pain in Young Athletes
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, the learners should be able to:
- Describe the different causes of back pain in young athletes
- Review the different imaging modalities to assist in diagnosis
- RIdentify treatment options for back in young athletes
Intended Audience:
This online course is designed for pediatricians, family physicians, and pediatric orthopedics.
Abstract:
In this online course, Dr. Jonathan Santana, pediatric sports medicine specialist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, provides a practical approach to evaluating and managing back pain in pediatric and adolescent athletes. He reviews the most common causes of back and neck pain, including muscle strains, spondylolysis, disc herniation, apophyseal injuries, and sports-related cervical spine conditions. The course highlights key physical examination findings, red flags that warrant urgent evaluation, appropriate use of imaging, evidence-based treatment strategies, and return-to-play recommendations to help clinicians confidently diagnose and manage young athletes with spine-related injuries.
Assessment and Earning CME Credit:
This course in English is not CME-accredited. However, it provides valuable educational content that can enhance your knowledge and skills in the subject matter. To receive CME credit for this course in Armenia, you must take the course in Armenian and complete the post-course quiz. You have three chances to achieve a passing score of 70%. Once you pass the quiz, we will send your information to the Armenian Ministry of Health for credits.
Dr. Jonathan Santana
Dr. Jonathan Santana is an attending physician and Assistant Professor of Clinical Orthopedics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He is a board-certified pediatrician with fellowship training and board certification in primary care sports medicine. Dr. Santana specializes in caring for pediatric and adolescent athletes, with clinical interests in sports-related concussions, overhead athletes, overuse injuries, and injury prevention. He earned his medical degree from Touro University Nevada, completed his pediatric residency at USC/LAC+USC Medical Center, and his Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.