Sports health
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The diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can only be made pathologically, and there is no concordance of defined clinical criteria for premorbid diagnosis. The absence of established criteria and the insufficient imaging findings to detect this disease in a living athlete are of growing concern. ⋯ Further study is necessary to correlate the clinical and imaging findings of repetitive head injuries with the pathologic diagnosis of CTE.
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Concussion guidelines recommend physical and cognitive rest until all postconcussion symptoms resolve, in part because of potential health risks, including catastrophic injury related to a second impact. However, when postconcussion symptoms persist for weeks or months, these risks are poorly characterized. ⋯ When postconcussion symptoms persist, the perceived health risks, management practices, and access to multidisciplinary care vary among physicians.
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Many coaches, parents, and children believe that the best way to develop elite athletes is for them to participate in only 1 sport from an early age and to play it year-round. However, emerging evidence to the contrary indicates that efforts to specialize in 1 sport may reduce opportunities for all children to participate in a diverse year-round sports season and can lead to lost development of lifetime sports skills. Early sports specialization may also reduce motor skill development and ongoing participation in games and sports as a lifestyle choice. The purpose of this review is to employ the current literature to provide evidence-based alternative strategies that may help to optimize opportunities for all aspiring young athletes to maximize their health, fitness, and sports performance. ⋯ B.
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Health professionals who care for pregnant women should discuss potential health benefits and harms of exercise. Although most pregnant women do not meet minimal exercise recommendations, there are a growing number of physically active women who wish to continue training throughout pregnancy. ⋯ Research thus far has been unable to consistently demonstrate proposed benefits of exercise in pregnancy, such as preventing gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or perinatal depression. However, moderate- and high-intensity exercise in normal pregnancies is safe for the developing fetus and clearly has several important benefits. Thus, exercise should be encouraged according to the woman's preconception physical activity level.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of ultrasound-guided aspiration, fenestration, and injection as a treatment in patients with symptomatic popliteal cysts. ⋯ UGAFI is a safe and effective option as the sole treatment modality for symptomatic popliteal cysts.