Archive for Joanne Barker
Going for gold starts with breakfast: Nutrition advice for athletes
As they speed-climb 49-foot walls or spring across narrow balance beams, athletes rely on nutrition to provide the energy they need to achieve their dreams. As the world turns its attention to the summer Olympics, sports dietitian Laura Moretti Reece offers all athletes this simple nutrition advice: 1. Eat enough. Food is fuel, says Reece ... Read More about Going for gold starts with breakfast: Nutrition advice for athletes
Tagged: female athletes, sports medicine
From injury to backflips: A path to recovery for gymnasts
Gymnasts can create the illusion that gravity doesn’t exist. As they spring from one acrobatic skill into the next, they leave spectators little time to consider the strain they’re putting on their wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Nonetheless, a single back handspring exerts force equal to two to four times an athlete’s weight on their upper ... Read More about From injury to backflips: A path to recovery for gymnasts
Are cochlear implants an option for my child?
By providing access to sound, cochlear implants have made it possible for children with severe to profound hearing loss to communicate through speech. The devices transmit signals from external processors to the brain via units implanted underneath the skin and small wires connected to the inner ear. “Cochlear implants can be life changing for a ... Read More about Are cochlear implants an option for my child?
Tagged: hearing, otolaryngology
Nurse-led innovations: A virtual-nursing pilot helps nurses thrive
It was night shift on the 9E Inpatient Medical Unit and Marisol Hernandez, BSN, RN, CPN, was helping another nurse review her patient assignments. With about 85 percent of their patients admitted from the emergency department (ED), nurses on the unit at Boston Children’s Hospital often don’t know how many patients will be admitted during ... Read More about Nurse-led innovations: A virtual-nursing pilot helps nurses thrive
Tagged: nursing
Jumping higher, spinning faster: Max’s figure skating story
Thousands of fans around the globe have watched it, but very few people can do it. The quadruple Salchow, also known as the quad, requires that a skater launch themself into the air, spin four times, and land on one leg — ideally without falling or wobbling. The best figure skaters make skills like the ... Read More about Jumping higher, spinning faster: Max’s figure skating story
Lucas receives gene therapy for DMD and finds his super muscles
Lucas Toro has a lot in common with Gekko, the cartoon character from PJ Masks. They’re both “little guys” whose strength surprises people. And they both use their muscles for good. Getting strong is a new feeling for Lucas — one he’s using to blaze new trails for other kids. In September 2023, he became ... Read More about Lucas receives gene therapy for DMD and finds his super muscles
Tagged: gene therapy, muscular dystrophy, neurology
‘The reason I became a nurse’: Maeve’s memories of laryngeal cleft repair
Being a gastroenterology nurse is more than a profession for Maeve Lee. When she cares for patients with feeding tubes, she’s also paying it forward. More than two decades ago, Maeve experienced many of the same challenges her patients face today. Medical mystery At first, Maeve seemed like a perfectly healthy newborn, but then she ... Read More about ‘The reason I became a nurse’: Maeve’s memories of laryngeal cleft repair
Tagged: g tube, gastroenterology, laryngeal cleft, nursing
‘Empowered to be there for Teagan’: New parents learn about hearing loss
Teagan O’Brien is a bright, spunky 4-year-old who loves reading, dancing, and playing outdoors. Her parents, Kim and Donnie, are firefighters who throw themselves into any new situation. Since they adopted Teagan three-and-a-half years ago, they’ve thrown themselves into supporting her with help from her team at Boston Children’s Hospital. Teagan was already a patient ... Read More about ‘Empowered to be there for Teagan’: New parents learn about hearing loss
Questions to ask about your child’s orthopedic care
Maybe your child has an orthopedic injury and needs surgery, or maybe they need to be treated with a different method. Either way, asking questions can help you understand their doctor’s recommendations and how to prepare for whatever comes next. “Families often find themselves unprepared for their child’s mobility limitations as they heal from surgery ... Read More about Questions to ask about your child’s orthopedic care
Tagged: orthopedics, sports medicine
Engineered cartilage could turn the tide for patients with osteoarthritis
About one in seven adults live with degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis (OA). In recent years, as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and other joint injuries have become more common among adolescent athletes, a growing number of 20- and 30-somethings have joined the ranks of aging baby boomers living with chronic OA pain. ... Read More about Engineered cartilage could turn the tide for patients with osteoarthritis
Tagged: acl, orthopedics, research, sports medicine