Parents How long after foot fracture?

[GymLife]

I'm not looking to push her or heal faster.

DD fractured the growth plate in her foot almost 7 weeks ago and sprained the top of the foot ligiments 4 weeks in a cast/crutches and she is on week 3 of a walking boot. She adhered to the strict no mobility rule.
Ortho gave her a clear to take off boot and do some exercises and light gym tumbling last week.

Yesterday we had our follow up. Ortho had DD do some quick exercise and asked about pain. DD had pain when jumping up and down on the office floor.
Ortho ordered another MRI.

My thing is, DD ran around all weekend without her boot at the pool. She was jumping around for hours. She even spent time in a bounce house (which I learned about after). She's been doing 5-10 backhandsprings a day every day this week and has said she went from feeling a little pain to it being okay.

So we are definitely headed in for the MRI next week but I worry that she is milking it. It should be sore or slightly uncomfortable from not using it right? I mean there should be some amount of pain.

Again, I would rather her rest it and not deal with foot issues, but ortho just said continue the recovery exercises and he will see us next week after the MRI. He just wants to make sure.

 

[LGnyc]

My daughter had almost this exact same injury a year ago - stress fracture in growth plate in bone on the outside of the foot, 7 ligament sprains along the top of the foot and around the ankle, and multiple bone bruises. She was in a hard cast for a few weeks, then a boot, then a brace. The whole thing took about three months til she could start back in realistically. I know you know this, but every child and every injury heals differently. You just have to take her cues and follow what the dr and PTs say. But yes, I would not disregard anxiety as a factor. When a gymnast is hurt as badly as yours was, she may be hesitant about going back all in because of fear of reinjury. I do believe the mind has to heal along with the foot.

 

[kayjaybe]

While I agree to listen to the doctor, it is also important to ask the doctor questions for clarification on things like "light tumbling." When dd broke 2 fingers last year, at some point, the doctor released her to "light tumbling." She was a level 8 at the time. So she started doing cartwheels, roundoffs and back handsprings.

When we went for the final release, he said you can do everything, including stuff like back handsprings. We said "she's been doing that for a couple of weeks." To him, light tumbling was things like forward rolls.

So it is possible she re-injured it doing "light tumbling." Also, I think the kids put different pressure on their bodies when tumbling. So while it might not have hurt while running around the pool, it could definitely hurt while doing gymnastics activities.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

When my daughter was cleared for light tumbling she started back with sneakers and no hard surfaces. So she started on tramp and tumble track, pit.

Moved to floor with sneakers. And finally without the sneaker. I think it was about 3 weeks. Her injury was not as severe.

Her PA talked to her about constant pain vs I worked out and it goes away pain along with the pain scale. So a 1 or 2, expected as she was off for about a month. More than that that didn't resolve, cut back and come back in.

 

[MAmom]

When my son had a broken bone in his foot at the gym last fall, he had a boot for 6 weeks. His coaches were more strict in what they wanted him NOT to do than his Dr. They said no weight on it ever, and hop more than use crutches for example.

After getting the boot off (he was at the gym 12 hours a week conditioning every practice during the time he had the boot), his coaches still would not allow him to use his foot for an extra week. Then he used it limited for another week. After that he was allowed to do everything except vault,where he would have had to run on his toes at top speed.

He was allowed to do vault three weeks later, one week before his first competition and at that competition he scored a perfect 10 for vault. So I guess my advice would be to listen to the Dr but also see what the coaches suggest. They may have more practical advice than the drs.

 

[GymLife]

Thank you for your replies. He left our appt realizing he didn't give us any answers as far as what she's allowed to do.
He said he wanted her using her foot in regular tennis shoes at the gym. He felt she should be okay with light tumbling (cartwheel, walkovers) . No pounding. She can start work on trampoline slowly this coming week and stay there until after the MRI.