Dr. Kathleen Rickert is one of those rare people who find true joy in their career. She has a passion for taking care of children and enriching their lives, along with the lives of their families. She loves her work and treats her patients as if they were her own family, advocating for their best interests. Dr. Rickert believes that listening to her patients and their families is essential for providing quality care. She makes sure to address all of their concerns and needs, whether they have a simple or a complex diagnosis. She also helps them understand their condition and treatment options ..read more

Dr. John Heydemann's passion for medicine was ignited at a young age, growing up with a father who served as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. His formative experiences accompanying his father on service trips to Juárez, Mexico, to provide care for children and families only deepened his love for orthopedics, and the rest, as they say, is history. With an unwavering dedication to the well-being of children and families, Dr. Heydemann brings his best self to work each day, approaching every situation with kindness, compassion, and gratitude. Recognizing the fears that patients and their families ..read more

Let me set the scene…. It’s 9:30 pm on a Thursday night after a long week. You just got your child to bed after another night of tears that required two extensive leg massages and long-winded reassurance that this leg pain is just growing pains and they will feel better in the morning. Now, settled on the couch and finally able to take a breath, you begin asking yourself... It’s been four straight days—Is this more than just growing pains? Should we go see someone? Tomorrow is Friday, who could we even call to get in? Have I met my deductible? Did I add milk to the curbside order? I digress. A ..read more

Congratulations to Dr. Hilton Gottschalk for being awarded as a Top Doctor in Texas by TX Top Doc! About Dr. Hilton Gottschalk Dr. Gottschalk is a Board-Certified Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon and is President and CEO of Central Texas Pediatric Orthopedics. Dr. Gottschalk attended Texas A&M University, followed by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He completed residency in Orthopedic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center, along with Senior Registrar Orthopedics at Norfolk & Norwich University. He also completed a Pediatric Orthopedic and Scoliosis Fellow ..read more

Causes of Overuse Every summer brings an influx of new overuse injuries for us at Central Texas Pediatric Orthopedics (CTPO). Ankle sprains, growing pains, and back pain are all very commonly seen. Many young athletes are enrolled in a variety of summer camps: from general fun camps, to speed and agility, and also sport specific camps. While camps are a great opportunity for the young athlete to grow and develop, they can be problematic for the young athlete due to the rapid increase in the number of hours, and also the intensity. These summer camps are in addition to the normal workload of t ..read more

What is the Schroth Method? The Schroth Method is a research-based approach of conservatively treating patients with scoliosis, kyphosis or other spinal deformities. The goal of this method is to slow or stop the progression of the curve and improve posture by increasing muscle strength and endurance. The Schroth method differs from traditional physical therapy, as it addresses posture in all 3 planes of motion that the spine moves. Traditional physical therapy can typically treat 1-2 planes at the same time. With scoliosis, the bones in the spinal column rotate on one another and cause the bo ..read more

Forming connections with people and getting to impact lives in a positive way is one of the greatest privileges a person could have. When you get to do it for your job like Caitlin Lee, well it just doesn't get any better than that! Connecting with her patients and their families while playing a positive role in their journey towards healing is what she loves most about being a physical therapist. One of the most heartwarming connections in Caitlin's career came when a patient visited her years after treatment. She brought her a gift as a symbol of gratitude for helping her get back to dancin ..read more

By: Catherine Sargent, MD "As a parent it can sometimes be hard to decide when an injury needs an evaluation and when your child can walk it off. There are kids who are all over the board, there are some kids who have a mild discomfort amplified into a giant catastrophe, and there are other kids who will just play through the pain and keep going. So I think the people best able to determine which scenario they have is the parent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD2pPRM70bs What To Look For in a Sports Injury In an acute injury if something happens suddenly and they're not able to put weight on ..read more

Overcoming an injury or problem is both the hardest and most rewarding part of physical therapy, both for the patient and the physical therapist themselves. Seeing patients succeed in therapy and experiencing their joy in knowing that they have overcome this obstacle in their life and can get back to doing what they want is the best part of the job for Jimmy Simmonds. Many of the patients Jimmy works with are dealing with an injury for the first time and it can be a mentally and physically traumatic experience for them. Getting to see them smile and knowing they are getting back to being them ..read more

Congratulations to Dr. Hilton Gottschalk, Dr. Matthew Ellington, Dr. Brian Kaufman, Dr. Ryan Murdock, Dr. Catherine Sargent, and Dr. Chris Souder for being awarded Austin's Top Doctors of 2023 in Orthopedics by Austin Monthly! How Are Doctors Selected to be Austin's Top Doctors? Every year, Austin Monthly conducts a survey throughout Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties asking licensed physicians to nominate up to three doctors per area whom they would trust with the medical care of themselves or their family. From these nominations, Austin Monthly selects the top 10-15% of physicians who re ..read more