Our highly trained pediatric specialists work together to develop a customized treatment plan for your child

Just as many sports are team-based activities, the pediatricians and specialists at Hurley Medical Center work with an entire team of medical and fitness professionals to evaluate your child’s injuries and the unique factors (age, gender, level of fitness) that may have contributed to the injury and will determine the success of treatment.

Our highly trained sports medicine team includes board certified orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, physiatrists, nurses, physician assistants, rehabilitation specialists and various medical support personnel. We work with each pediatric patient (and his or her pediatrician) on an individual basis to develop a treatment plan designed specifically for that patient. Blending clinical expertise with a compassionate, patient- and family-centered treatment philosophy, we have created a program known for excellence of care.

Functional capacity testing and physical evaluations

At the core of our evaluation methods is functional capacity testing. During your child's one-on-one examination with the pediatrician, he/she will be tested for strength, flexibility, endurance, ability, posture standing still, repetitive movements and other motions. If your child has been injured, these tests will give us important information about the level and nature of the injury. If your child has not experienced an injury but wishes to prevent possible problems, these tests will give us a sense of his/her baseline fitness and long-term goals, and will enable us to provide recommendations for improving performance while minimizing risk.

Your child's pediatrician will also conduct a thorough physical exam in order to assess his/her general health and ability to get maximum benefit from treatment.

Imaging and other diagnostic and testing tools

Once your child's physical examination is complete, your pediatrician may recommend x-rays, an MRI or a CT scan to further determine the exact location, nature and severity of the injury. Some of these images can be captured at our Bristol Road (in Flint) and Court Street (in Lapeer) outpatient clinics. For more advanced imaging, we may refer your child to Hurley Medical Center’s Radiology Department.

We may also conduct other tests, using blood draws, urine samples and other methods, to determine whether or not an infection is present and to ensure that your child is not suffering from a related or unrelated illness that may complicate treatment or recovery. At Hurley Medical Center, we are committed to treating the entire person and recognize that injuries may point to other problems (such as diabetes) that can benefit from additional treatment from Hurley’s trained specialists.