WAG Continued pain behind knees when stretching splits - advice?

[Sasha]

My DD(7) is the 'tight and powerful' type gymnast, with not much natural flexibility (though she has made great strides and has splits 1 direction pretty good). She's been doing gym for a year now, and will compete L3 next season.

She has been increasingly complaining about pain behind her knees when stretching. She goes 3 days a week, and also has been doing stretching at home (always after warm-up, not to the point of pain, etc). At home she puts a rolled towel or small pillow under her knees for support because it hurts too much sometimes to stretch with perfectly straight legs. In class, however, they of course make the girls stretch with straight legs, do oversplits, etc.

Anyone else faced this issue? Is 'rest' from stretching the right answer? Should I tell the coach? Is she in danger of injury, or should she push through it?

This feels 'bad' to me - stretching the 'ligaments', I think, is not helpful and perhaps harmful. But I'm looking for advice from others who may have gone through this to know what to do about it.

Thanks in advance!
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[Deleted member D3987]

is she hypo-mobile? can't get her knees to straight??

 

[BlairBob]

Try any foam or ball rolling at all in her hips and legs yet?

Sounds like gastroc insertion is bothering her.

 

[Sasha]

is she hypo-mobile? can't get her knees to straight??

Hmm, Dunno, I would say her knees (legs) can go straight, at least to my eyes. They are certainly not hyper-mobile at all, as many of her peers have legs that at least slightly over-extend if that makes sense. Her feet also don't 'point' completely straight like the aesthetic calls for in gymnastics. May or may not be related.

I have not tried any rolling with her. We have a foam roller, which I have used for PT for my own sports injuries (running - I'm tight too!). Should she roll the hamstrings? Something else?

BlairBob, I had to Google 'gastroc insertion' but that sounds like the area of concern, yes.

Should she continue stretching in class with straight legs with this pain? It doesn't hurt just standing or with straight legs on bars. It only hurts when stretching splits....

super appreciate any advice!

 

[BlairBob]

Do one leg at a time with the roller. Two just is very light.

 

[BlairBob]

Sounds like she can do more of the toe point stretches which mostly are sitting on the forefoot.

I'd take a wild guess that her muscles are under recovered between stretching sessions. Especially if they are back to back days.

 

[Sasha]

Sounds like she can do more of the toe point stretches which mostly are sitting on the forefoot.

I'd take a wild guess that her muscles are under recovered between stretching sessions. Especially if they are back to back days.

Possibly. Though it started with only 2 days a week (monday/wednesday). She has recently begun stretching more regularly at home, so perhaps I should have her back off the home stretching?

It's so hard because she was not really making any progress with only 2-3 days per week stretching in gym. She has made progress with 5-7 days/week stretching (adding the home routine), but the knee problem is worrisome to me, so I'm not sure what to advise her.

I doubt our insurance covers any 'real' sports medicine doctors - a regular clinician will likely just say 'rest' for lack of anything more informed to tell us, I fear.

Is this common with gymnasts? Or is it unusual to have this continued knee problem and I should really have it evaluated?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

PNF should be tried.

 

[stxrdusty]

Is it more of a stretching feeling or a pain feeling? Does is go from the calf up behind her knee or is it just behind her knee? If its just stretching and coming from her calf up, then I have the same thing. Its due to tight tendons and muscles. Calf stretches, quad stretches, and rolling both areas with a foam roller to loosen the tight muscles is all that I know of that works to some degree. Other than that its just something you have to live with I believe. You can't change you're musculature.

I hope you figure out what's going on.

 

[Seeker]

I do think that PNF or myofascial release from a good PT or massage therapist could help a lot. I have had similar issues with hip and hamstring and it worked wonders. I can manage on my own now since I know what to do.

Good luck!