WAG does she need tiger paws?

[dmytv]

My dd is learning the Yurchenko vault and her coach says she needs to get the tiger paws. She really has never had any braces or wraps before so I am wondering why he is requiring them. Does anyone else use them? What is the reason he would require them?

 

[munchkin3]

DS is 13 and L8..... He has never worn them, and has wrist injury that requires arthroscopic surgery. (Mens gymnastics)
DD is new L4 and I am making her wear them during long practices so that she can prolong the life of her wrists. I know everyone's circumstances are different.

the forces on the wrist are incredible......why NOT use something that could protect her from injury?

the coaches who have kids in the sport wear them.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

In short, because it's been about 4 million years since our wrists had to carry our body weight at all (EDIT: or never, depending on your beliefs regarding human origins. I won't get into that debate here). In a Yurchenko, the wrists don't just hold the body weight; they have to sustain it through a very hard impact, twice in quick succession. And both times on a non-springy surface.

Imo, tiger paws for Yurchenkos are an excellent idea.

 

[gymmom1974]

I'm interested in this also: my DD is level 5/6 and years away from competing Yurchenko's, but they have started drills (along with more difficult tumbling)..she has been complaining more and more about her wrists hurting. We have gone to the chiropractor to have him adjust the bones in her wrist, and he has commented on the stress out in the wrists during gymnastics. I have been wondering if Tiger Paws would help prevent injuries.

 

[cbifoja]

I'm glad you asked that question because I have the same question. DD has started doing timers onto a resi. She is a 9YO L6. Should she be wearing them just during yurchenko drills? I know our coach tends to take the philosophy of unnecessary braces weaken the joints but there are also good points being made about what wrists evolved to do.

 

[amblan01]

Just for bridges and harder skills I use tiger paws. And they make the life of a difference. Trust me the coach wants her to use them for prevention. You do not want a wrist injury later. I have really weak wrists and I use them for prevention and for support. They do miracles for me. I do not use them on beam or bars obviously and for basics.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[BlairBob]

Some coaches require them for Yurchenko because of the angle the wrists hit the table at compared to Tsuk/Kaz/Handspring wrist flexion angles.

And as Geoffrey alludes to, even if we were adapted to quadrupedalism, we were not adapted to bipedalism on just the hands EVER.

 

[cbifoja]

So until these girls are taking the vault up to the table, it probably isn't necessary yet?

 

[level9mom]

Our gym does not encourage the use of most braces as they feel it encourages weakness in that area (wrists, Knees.) however, my dd has used Tiger Paws since level 7.


Every awful story begins with "we were on beam and..."

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

Our gym does not encourage the use of most braces as they feel it encourages weakness in that area (wrists, Knees.)

I had heard something similar to this - that the use of these things should be put off as long as possible. There was no definition given as to when that lag was, and I didn't ask at the time because it didn't affect my daughter. But that time will soon approach, as she is doing drills, and I expect some time this year it'll move to the table. There doesn't appear to be a requirement at our gym for the use of such protection, but some of our L7s and L8s this year started using them for both vaulting and tumbling. It seems to be very much a personal choice. Does size/weight play into this at all?

 

[level9mom]

I don't know about weights and size. I think the concern with using such things is more of a problem with younger kids using generic braces, etc. when not needed. Our level 9 and 10's often wrap their ankles just because of more demanding skills and the accumulation of stress on the body over years.


Every awful story begins with "we were on beam and..."

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Here's the thing: there isn't a point where a gymnast crosses a threshold and is suddenly doing skills that put undue strain on the body. Right from the start, we pound our bodies in ways they weren't designed to be pounded, hold our weight in ways we aren't designed to, and endure workouts our bodies weren't designed to endure.

I see no problem with braces, taping, and anything else that can potentially prevent overuse injury, EVEN IF THERE IS NO PAIN YET. As every physical therapist knows, prevention is easier than rehabilitation.

The sport is evolving. The equipment is evolving. Our bodies can't keep up on their own; if we have the tools to allow our bodies to handle the forces without getting injured, why not use them?

 

[GymmieC]

Here's the thing: there isn't a point where a gymnast crosses a threshold and is suddenly doing skills that put undue strain on the body. Right from the start, we pound our bodies in ways they weren't designed to be pounded, hold our weight in ways we aren't designed to, and endure workouts our bodies weren't designed to endure.

I see no problem with braces, taping, and anything else that can potentially prevent overuse injury, EVEN IF THERE IS NO PAIN YET. As every physical therapist knows, prevention is easier than rehabilitation.

The sport is evolving. The equipment is evolving. Our bodies can't keep up on their own; if we have the tools to allow our bodies to handle the forces without getting injured, why not use them?

My 9yo is training level 8. She is at a new gym, and oh my their training is intense! She is working the Yurchenko vault onto a mat that is over the vault. She wants to move it to the real surface this week or so she says. She mentioned that she wanted the tiger paws, but I have been putting it off because I too thought using unneeded braces could do more harm than good. Should she be wearing them? On an aside, she is now wearing a cheetah cup because she says her right heel hurts without it. It thankfully hasn't slowed her down other wise she'd have to see the doctor. I don't want to 'bandage' her if she doesn't need it, but then again if I could prevent injury I am in for that. A buddy of hers is in a boot for an overuse toe injury. This sport is brutal!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

My 9yo is training level 8. She is at a new gym, and oh my their training is intense! She is working the Yurchenko vault onto a mat that is over the vault. She wants to move it to the real surface this week or so she says. She mentioned that she wanted the tiger paws, but I have been putting it off because I too thought using unneeded braces could do more harm than good. Should she be wearing them? On an aside, she is now wearing a cheetah cup because she says her right heel hurts without it. It thankfully hasn't slowed her down other wise she'd have to see the doctor. I don't want to 'bandage' her if she doesn't need it, but then again if I could prevent injury I am in for that. A buddy of hers is in a boot for an overuse toe injury. This sport is brutal!

When exactly a kid should start wearing tiger paws (and braces in general) is a hotly debated subject among coaches. The general consensus seems to be that kids shouldn't use them unless they have some sort of chronic pain or injury that necessitates them.

I strongly disagree with that consensus, but that puts me in the minority among coaches.

 

[gymgal]

Dd has had tiger paws since she broke her wrist in her rookie year several years ago. Initially, she used it only on the affected hand but eventually she did both because she was beginning to over compensate. I know there are varying coaches' opinions on the use of wrist guards and I had a tough time deciding whether to get them for dd but in the end, I feel, at least for her, the guards have saved her a lot of worry, pain, and stress on the hands and wrists. She doesn't wear them for beam, but as she started increasing her bhs numbers on beam a couple years ago, her wrists began hurting again. We found a thinner support that still allowed her to feel the beam (which is hard to do with tiger paws on small hands) and she had no more wrist problems.

 

[Kiwi]

I got tiger paws for my DD when her wrists started hurting. They got better but she has patches of wrist pain now and then, usually when they are doing a lot of repetitions of a tumbling skill. The coaches at our gym believe that wearing them weakens the wrists, which I totally disagree with. DD's wrists have been hurting again lately, so she is wearing them again and also doing exercises at home to stretch and strengthen her wrists.

 

[emilykatherine]

I have Cheeta braces because of tendonitist ad while they help I HATE them and I have a teammate that has tiger paws for a wrist injury she doesn't like they way they feel and they don't help her to much but everyone's diffeent

 

[ZZMom]

I'm a fan of tiger paws. My older DD had pain in her wrists right from the start. I bought her a pair and she wore them on every event except bars all the way from level 5 through level 10. They completely eliminated her pain and she didn't have another problem with her wrists.

But, I do have a question. My older daughter was nine when she started using them. Do they have tiger paws in more a seven year old size? My little daughter is getting ready to compete level three this fall. She doesn't have any problems with her wrists and pounding is pretty limited at her level. But ...

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Tiger paws and vaulting, good.

 

[munchkin3]

But, I do have a question. My older daughter was nine when she started using them. Do they have tiger paws in more a seven year old size? My little daughter is getting ready to compete level three this fall. She doesn't have any problems with her wrists and pounding is pretty limited at her level. But ...

They make them in XS which are fine for my daughter. She is new L4 and 45 lbs. smalllllllll.
I took out all the padding until she gets used to them and then will insert the foam.

Logic....with the amount of conditioning, chin ups, swinging, push ups, leg lifts, presses, etc......how can a brace made for impact weaken the wrist?

I use them for prevention. I want her to use them for floor and vault. I don't care what the coach says, because my daughters health is the most important thing.