Cook Children’s Female Athlete program was designed with a comprehensive approach to keep female athletes healthy and at the top of their game. Located at the Cook Children’s Multi-Specialty Clinic in Hurst, it focuses on nutrition, mental health and injury prevention and treatment in preteen and teenage athletes.

Krystle Farmer, M.D., sports medicine physician, dreamed of this clinic which has now become a reality for female athletes.

“We see a lot of female athletes who have specific needs,” Dr. Farmer said.

Injury Prevention

The clinic, which opened this summer, sees many athletes who train intensely year-round, or those who participate in sports with a major focus on weight and caloric intake, such as dancers or female wrestlers.

“The red flags we look for are stress fractures, menstrual dysfunction, and recurrent overuse injuries, all of which can be a sign of energy deficiency in athletes,” Dr. Farmer said.

Referrals can be made to other members of the team including a gynecologist, orthopedic surgeon, endocrinologist, psychiatrist or physical therapist.

The clinical evaluation assesses any acute or chronic musculoskeletal concerns. If needed, a mechanical evaluation can be set up separately at the therapy center to assess throwing mechanics, squat form, muscle imbalance and/or pelvic alignment.

X-rays are available in the office when necessary and the clinic’s athletic trainer, Micaela Lozano, DAT, LAT, ATC, ROT, OPE-C, can provide home exercise teaching and personalized programs during the visit.

Nutrition

Frankie Kindy, Registered Dietitian with Cook Children’s Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, provides individualized nutrition counseling. Nutrition is essential for an athlete to be able to perform their best, but unfortunately under fueling is not uncommon in this population. 

Frankie uses information about the athlete’s sport of choice, current nutrition, level of activity, sleep, and more to give personalized recommendations for how each athlete can optimize their nutrition. Each patient receives a document after the visit with their personal goals and recommendations.

“Sometimes I see higher level athletes who have never had access to sports nutrition training,” Frankie said. “It is important for them to get this information, because athletes have very specific needs. I help these athletes tweak their diets to increase their energy, reduce risk of injury, promote recovery, and overall improve performance.”

A major focus of the program is prevention. Dr. Farmer orders bone density testing as well as labs (vitamin levels, inflammatory markers, and/or hormone levels) when indicated. The John and Tracy Sellers Sports Complex at Walsh Ranch is also developing preventative programs, including an ACL Prevention Rehabilitation Program.

“Our goal is to look at the whole athlete, including mind and body, so that we can get to the root cause of any problems and start preventive care so that our athletes perform at their peak levels,” Dr. Farmer said.