Parents Spondylolysis - and a huge thank you to the Chalkbucket Community

[PinPin]

Our daughter (12) started complaining about back pain (more like a twinge to be precise) when doing punch fronts last week. Thanks to Chalkbucket and what I have read here about back issues we took her to the doctor on Tuesday. The radiologist noted that she has spondylolysis on the left side of L5/S1.

We attended the spinal clinic today (we were referred by our medical aid) where we were told that there are no fractures or pars defects yet, but there are changes in L5. If not treated this will become a compression fracture (in effect then also spondylolistheses). It cannot be reversed, but the process can be halted.

A huge thank you therefore to this community - without it, we might have waited a bit longer before going to the doctor and who knows how far it would have progressed.

As an aside, according to the tests run by the clinic our DD has very strong back muscles and use them more than the other core muscles (abs, obliques etc) in the gym and in daily tasks. Her rehabilitation will therefore concentrate on correcting this.

 

[Em09]

It is great that your daughter has been helped by Chalkbucket. Will she be okay? Can she continue gymnastics? Score one for Chalkie!

 

[PinPin]

It is great that your daughter has been helped by Chalkbucket. Will she be okay? Can she continue gymnastics? Score one for Chalkie!

She will be doing a six week rehabilitation course which will include 2 sessions a week with a biokineticist and physiotherapist and loads of home exercise on the other days. She has also been cleared to do gymnastics, avoiding impact and hyperextension for now and concentrating on engaging her abdominal muscles as much as possible. The doctor was a gymnast (what are the odds, especially in South Africa?!) and explained in detail to us why she is allowed to carry on with gymnastics while in rehab.
Her coaches are also awesome with injured kids and follow doctors' orders to the letter.

 

[PeanutsMom]

That is exactly where my daughter's slip is..she has a grade 1+ slip between L5 and S1. She goes July 20th for her 6th month recheck and new images to see if there has been anymore slip. She has been doing a LOT of core PT because like your daughter, her back muscles are super strong, but she needs to balance it (She wants a 6 pack anyway, so its a win win). She was unfortunate, however, that the par between L4 and L5 is a complete break and will never heal as we never caught it before it was too big a gap to close. She will get scar tissue back, but never a full bone. She is cleared for all 4 events as long as there is no pain. I ask her continually how her back/hip feels (her pain was all in her right hip), but so far she says it is fine. I can see the pain on her face, so she isn't lying. Good luck to your daughter. I am glad you caught it early.

 

[PinPin]

That is exactly where my daughter's slip is..she has a grade 1+ slip between L5 and S1. She goes July 20th for her 6th month recheck and new images to see if there has been anymore slip. She has been doing a LOT of core PT because like your daughter, her back muscles are super strong, but she needs to balance it (She wants a 6 pack anyway, so its a win win). She was unfortunate, however, that the par between L4 and L5 is a complete break and will never heal as we never caught it before it was too big a gap to close. She will get scar tissue back, but never a full bone. She is cleared for all 4 events as long as there is no pain. I ask her continually how her back/hip feels (her pain was all in her right hip), but so far she says it is fine. I can see the pain on her face, so she isn't lying. Good luck to your daughter. I am glad you caught it early.

Thank you, and good luck to your daughter as well! It is always nice to hear from other parents and gymnasts in the same boat.