WAG ...and the Sever's saga continues...

[twisting007bigflip]

This apophysitis crap sucks. My dd is 9 years old, level 7 artistic, usag level 9 power tumbler, and usta advanced power tumbler. She started having heel pain around Valentines Day of this year (2013). Long story short, dd has been in and out of a boot and/or hard cast ever since. They started off with heel cups in the shoes and 2 weeks of rest. Then wen we went back and it was still flared up, he casted it. Two weeks later after non weight bearing, she was pain free....for about a week, then it came back. Took her back to dr, 4wks in a boot. It's "better" but not "better" so we did ice baths 3-4 x day. She was getting massages, physical therapy, kinesio taping. Feels better for a week or Two and then it's back to the dr. Two weeks in a cast. She was a hot mess all summer because she wanted to wear flip flops but the dr said "no". And the cycle continues. Here we are almost eight months later and she is far from 100%. She hasn't vaulted since Valentines day. She isn't able to work her roundoff tuck dismount on beam, or her back handspring series - basically nothing on beam that makes a landing noise. She hasn't done a flyaway in months. Hasn't been able to do much tumbling. When she's hurting, she doesn't tumble, but when she isn't hurting she is only allowed 10 passes and that's it. The only positive that has come of this is that her bar routine ROCKS.

I really don't want to have to take gymnastics or tumbling out of the picture.

Does anyone have a kid with chronic Sever's or apophysitis? What has worked for you?

This kid lives and breathes flipping and twisting. I just make her an appointment for some kind of electro therapy that the chiropractor wants to try on her.

 

[LizzieLac]

I am so sorry to hear your DD is having so much pain. My DD had over a year of osgood-schlatters (or "ostrich bladders" as the little kids kept saying). She hardly ever vaulted and minimal tumbling. Luckily b/c she was only level 5 at the time she was able to do most beam work (but couldn't do the mount for the routine the right way) and obviously lots of bars. She iced all of the time and same restriction on flip flops and shoes with minimal support.

It is better but it still bothers her - she still wears her braces for vault and tumbling, but luckily as it started improving she was able to get her level 7 tumbling skills. But it was hard. There was a good deal of pain and even some crying.

All I can say is give it some more time, as it should improve. She's doing all of the right things. Good luck!!

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

I'm so sorry! I can't imagine how frustrating this must be for both you and her. I hope something works out so she can heal this and get back up to where she wants to be! {{{HUGS}}}

 

[B&M's mom]

Sorry to hear that it's not getting better. According to my ortho, the only cure is finishing growing. My 13 year old struggles with Sever's and similar knee pain. Unfortunately, we haven't found anything that works to get rid of the pain. I keep hoping that she'll finish growing soon but they just did a bone age x-ray and no such luck. She's years behind in her bone age. So we'll be with you struggling to deal with this. If you find any thing, please be sure to post it!

 

[twisting007bigflip]

And I forgot to mention that she's almost worse now, because not only is she having Sever's pain, but she is losing flexibility in her hamstrings and is starting to look like she's sticking her belly out, but she isn't. Her hamstrings are so tight that she is either in tears or almost in tears during stretches. She's always telling me "my hamstrings hurt"

 

[coachmolly]

I'm so sorry for you and your DD, that has to be so frustrating.
Have you taken her to an ortho that has experience working with gymnasts? I'm not really sure what else could be done because it sounds like you've tried just about everything, but sometimes an opinion from someone with a background in gymnastics can make a world of difference. Has she done any PT? It might be an avenue to explore, especially for the problems with tight muscles. In the meantime, just have her keep stretching and conditioning for when she can finally get back to full training.

 

[wallflower]

I don't know that my DD's is as bad as yours, but it's bad enough that she can barely walk sometimes (especially in the morning). Fortunately for her she has a very high pain tolerance. The Dr told us that she is not "hurting" herself by continuing to work out so it's just all about taking the pain. It's been going on for about a year? It comes and goes, but she doesn't change much. She just deals with it and keeps on plugging away. She will sometimes do only tumble trac when it's at the peak. Interestingly, beam doesn't seem to bother her too much. Maybe because she's not landing on her heels? I know I'm not too helpful, but just know it's sometimes just part of gym for some kids.

 

[twisting007bigflip]

I'm so sorry for you and your DD, that has to be so frustrating.
Have you taken her to an ortho that has experience working with gymnasts? I'm not really sure what else could be done because it sounds like you've tried just about everything, but sometimes an opinion from someone with a background in gymnastics can make a world of difference. Has she done any PT? It might be an avenue to explore, especially for the problems with tight muscles. In the meantime, just have her keep stretching and conditioning for when she can finally get back to full training.

Actually, her doctor used to coach gymnastics. He and his wife owned a gym out of state from here, and before that his wife coached compulsories at the gym that Shannon Miller worked out in. The Dr and dd have a "connection" and she adores him. I think she reminds him of when his girls were gymnasts.
Anyway, yes. It's awesome to have a dr familiar with the gymnastics world. Other doctors in the very same practice have been not as helpful to dd as him - they jut don't "get it" like he does

 

[twisting007bigflip]

Our doctor also originally said that dd could could continue as long as she can tolerate pain, but after an MRI changed his mind and said when she's flared up not do any landings at all. He said that since this is chronic, her growth plates can become weakened by the pounding on an inflamed apophysis and she can have abnormal fragmentation or possibly even an avulsion (where the growth plate pops off and they have to go in and secure it with hardware) we don't want anything to do with that!


I'm hoping that maybe this new appointment for the electro something treatment will be helpful. She is getting so frustrated having to be in pain.

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

My dd has Severs and achilles tendonitis. She is Xcel Silver/Gold. She had during comp season and again now. But, she went and is going through a big growth spurt. Hopefully, ours will end soon.

 

[Uglybetty]

I suffered from chronic heel pain for about 2 years as a result of running. It truly is the worst thing. There were periods when walking was very difficult....I used to hobble like an old woman especially after resting it for long periods e.g. In bed, sitting in a theatre. I was advised to stop running but that didn't work. In the end the thing that helped the most was adjusting my footwear day to day. I used to wear very flat shoes all the time (converse etc). After a while I noticed it was worse if I wore those kind of shoes so I started wearing Birkenstocks, trainers or shoes with a slight heel. It started to get better and I'm pretty much pain free mostly now. I still get it a bit if I wear fat shoes but just go back to trainers for a few days and I'm fine. Have you seen a podiatrist?

 

[gymnastflip]

One of the things that really helped my severs was being fitted with a night cast(a hard cast with Velcro straps)It was positioned to stretch my Achilles While i was sleeping, but allowed the muscle to be worked during the day. It was no running or impact for a month, but the cast still helps when I get flareups. Ask her doctor, maybe he will give her one

 

[htimcj]

I can't imagine how frustrating this must be. I hope it resolves itself soon.

 

[LizzieLac]

Oh yes, and PT. Physical Therapy really did help my DD with osgood shlatters.

 

[coachmolly]

So glad you have a doc that understands gymnastics, but a bummer that a second opinion probably wouldn't lead to some kind of magic cure for your DD. I would still look into PT, if nothing else it could help with the tight hamstrings.

 

[alsmom]

My 12 to DS is a football player. He has Severs which is now affecting his Achilles...stretching twice a day, heel cups and pt have helped a lot!!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

This apophysitis crap sucks. My dd is 9 years old, level 7 artistic, usag level 9 power tumbler, and usta advanced power tumbler. She started having heel pain around Valentines Day of this year (2013). Long story short, dd has been in and out of a boot and/or hard cast ever since. They started off with heel cups in the shoes and 2 weeks of rest. Then wen we went back and it was still flared up, he casted it. Two weeks later after non weight bearing, she was pain free....for about a week, then it came back. Took her back to dr, 4wks in a boot. It's "better" but not "better" so we did ice baths 3-4 x day. She was getting massages, physical therapy, kinesio taping. Feels better for a week or Two and then it's back to the dr. Two weeks in a cast. She was a hot mess all summer because she wanted to wear flip flops but the dr said "no". And the cycle continues. Here we are almost eight months later and she is far from 100%. She hasn't vaulted since Valentines day. She isn't able to work her roundoff tuck dismount on beam, or her back handspring series - basically nothing on beam that makes a landing noise. She hasn't done a flyaway in months. Hasn't been able to do much tumbling. When she's hurting, she doesn't tumble, but when she isn't hurting she is only allowed 10 passes and that's it. The only positive that has come of this is that her bar routine ROCKS.

I really don't want to have to take gymnastics or tumbling out of the picture.

Does anyone have a kid with chronic Sever's or apophysitis? What has worked for you?

This kid lives and breathes flipping and twisting. I just make her an appointment for some kind of electro therapy that the chiropractor wants to try on her.

i have no idea what that means above. doing flyaways has nothing to do with Severs. but i see that she tumbles in USAG and USTA and does artistic and you are her mom who is the coach. (??) maybe...just maybe...there is something here that you are not seeing.

it's pretty common knowledge that Severs comes and goes continuing thru the end of their growth cycle. for a girl, it's shortly thereafter their menstrual cycles begin. and all the modalities of treatment that you have listed above do nothing for this problem. this includes advil, aspirin, motrin, tylenol and anything else you can think of.

calcaneal apophysitis is what it is. that part of the body has the most deficient blood supply, more than any other part of the body. short of amputating the foot, or slicing the achilles tendon, there is nothing you can do for it except rest when it kills.

trampoline helps. stretching the achilles helps. but none of that other stuff works. this problem is mostly a 10-14 year old age group issue. your daughter is 9. you have made it sound like she, for the most part, has physically shut down except on bars where apparently she now "rocks" but hasn't done a flyaway in months.

so then, and forgive me for being anal and literal, but i don't think you are 'seeing' the same thing that i am reading in what you posted.

 

[twisting007bigflip]

i have no idea what that means above. doing flyaways has nothing to do with Severs. but i see that she tumbles in USAG and USTA and does artistic and you are her mom who is the coach. (??) maybe...just maybe...there is something here that you are not seeing.

it's pretty common knowledge that Severs comes and goes continuing thru the end of their growth cycle. for a girl, it's shortly thereafter their menstrual cycles begin. and all the modalities of treatment that you have listed above do nothing for this problem. this includes advil, aspirin, motrin, tylenol and anything else you can think of.

calcaneal apophysitis is what it is. that part of the body has the most deficient blood supply, more than any other part of the body. short of amputating the foot, or slicing the achilles tendon, there is nothing you can do for it except rest when it kills.

trampoline helps. stretching the achilles helps. but none of that other stuff works. this problem is mostly a 10-14 year old age group issue. your daughter is 9. you have made it sound like she, for the most part, has physically shut down except on bars where apparently she now "rocks" but hasn't done a flyaway in months.

so then, and forgive me for being anal and literal, but i don't think you are 'seeing' the same thing that i am reading in what you posted.

Ok? I hope that response wasn't your way of suggesting that i'm an idiot crazy gym mom/coach...Yes, I am her mom, and a coach. I coached my daughter when she was a compulsory kid. Not coaching her now in optionals.

As far a "she rocks on bars" but "hasn't done a flyaway in months"...when her heel pain started, she was terrified to do giants, and couldn't get her timing on the free hip handstand. Since she's been working mostly bars in an effort to keep from aggravating her heels with landings on beam floor vault and tumbling, she now has her level 7 routine - which, looks really good if I do say so myself. So, yes. To me (her mom, not coach) that "rocks" She went from no giant and no free hip handstand, to being able to do both in a reasonably short time. And no flyaway? Is it not true that landings are a good way to aggravate severs when it's hurting? If landings won't exacerbate her pain, then she's been wasting a lot of time not working them, am I right? I'm not worried about the flyaway. She's been doing flyaway a for 2 years. I'm sure it's not "lost"...

I wouldn't classify her workouts as having "shut down" on everything except bars. It's when her heel kills that she doesn't do landings. When she's hurting too bad to keep going, she does what she can to stay in the gym. Lots of trampoline work included and conditioning, stretching and bars, dance through a on floor and choreography on beam + turns, walkovers, handstands...anything without pounding her feet.

And if there's something I'm not seeing, I'm not the only one not seeing it. The chiropractor isn't seeing it, her PT isn't seeing it, the dr, her coaches...

Guess I should just make her sit her butt on the couch until she starts her period. ??

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Ok? I hope that response wasn't your way of suggesting that i'm an idiot crazy gym mom/coach...Yes, I am her mom, and a coach. I coached my daughter when she was a compulsory kid. Not coaching her now in optionals.

As far a "she rocks on bars" but "hasn't done a flyaway in months"...when her heel pain started, she was terrified to do giants, and couldn't get her timing on the free hip handstand. Since she's been working mostly bars in an effort to keep from aggravating her heels with landings on beam floor vault and tumbling, she now has her level 7 routine - which, looks really good if I do say so myself. So, yes. To me (her mom, not coach) that "rocks" She went from no giant and no free hip handstand, to being able to do both in a reasonably short time. And no flyaway? Is it not true that landings are a good way to aggravate severs when it's hurting? If landings won't exacerbate her pain, then she's been wasting a lot of time not working them, am I right? I'm not worried about the flyaway. She's been doing flyaway a for 2 years. I'm sure it's not "lost"...

I wouldn't classify her workouts as having "shut down" on everything except bars. It's when her heel kills that she doesn't do landings. When she's hurting too bad to keep going, she does what she can to stay in the gym. Lots of trampoline work included and conditioning, stretching and bars, dance through a on floor and choreography on beam + turns, walkovers, handstands...anything without pounding her feet.

And if there's something I'm not seeing, I'm not the only one not seeing it. The chiropractor isn't seeing it, her PT isn't seeing it, the dr, her coaches...

Guess I should just make her sit her butt on the couch until she starts her period. ??

lol. no to the couch thing. and i'm not suggesting you're a crazy gym mom coach.

flyaways can be trained in to resi and loose foam. if you don't have them then that would be a problem cause that would mean landing on hard mats. if she suggests that it "hurts" to do flyaways on resi or loose foam...then maybe think about why that is. it's how everyone else does it and doing so does not cause pain or any kind of damage.

i was also suggesting that you see that maybe she was doing too much up until this problem started. overuse is usually and consistently the problem when Severs rears it's ugly head. repetitions must be monitored all the time. if not, Severs pays a visit.

 

[twisting007bigflip]

We don't have a resi or loose foam pit. We have a sting mat and two eight inchers, one of which is usually being used for vault landings and the other on for level 3 on top of their vault. When she tumbles, it's on a rod floor. When she hurts, there's no tumbling. When she doesn't hurt, they limit her to 10 passes (5 of each), usually takes about 20 minutes...do you suppose that is too many?