Parents Spondylitis

[Millerleslie27]

So... we found out Halloween morning. This has been the hardest thing she has ever gone through. Her back doesn’t hurt but the X-ray’s definitely show a stress fracture or pars defect. We caught it very early and it’s only on one side. She’s now in a brace and has been out of the gym for almost a month. I need to send her back!! She’s reading, cooking, and playing the saxophone but she’s completely lost her spunk. (I catch her crying all the time) Is there anything she can do while she’s there?? The Dr wants her to sit on the couch and do nothing!! Help!

 

[John]

So sorry. Best suggestion is to attend practice and listen to corrections and feel part of the team. The doctor says stay home then ask the doctor for alternatives.

 

[profmom]

There are definitely parents around here who've managed kids recovering from spondylolysis and even spondylolisthesis, but this is a new one on me. We learned the hard way that for most significant gym injuries, it's important to be working with an orthopedist who understands gymnasts or at least understands athletes. Old school docs sometimes shut kids down completely for months at a time when it may not be the best recovery strategy. Are you working with an orthopedist you trust?

That being said, the "brace for several weeks and do nothing" is not an uncommon prescription for spondylolysis. And plenty of kids have gone through that and come back.

 

[Millerleslie27]

There are definitely parents around here who've managed kids recovering from spondylolysis and even spondylolisthesis, but this is a new one on me. We learned the hard way that for most significant gym injuries, it's important to be working with an orthopedist who understands gymnasts or at least understands athletes. Old school docs sometimes shut kids down completely for months at a time when it may not be the best recovery strategy. Are you working with an orthopedist you trust?

That being said, the "brace for several weeks and do nothing" is not an uncommon prescription for spondylolysis. And plenty of kids have gone through that and come back.

We are currently going to a back surgeon that my mother in law recommended. She’s a director of medical staff, I trust her judgment. Sending her back just listen to corrections is better than no gym at all. Thank you!

 

[IreneKa]

We are currently going to a back surgeon that my mother in law recommended. She’s a director of medical staff, I trust her judgment. Sending her back just listen to corrections is better than no gym at all. Thank you!

Is she doing any physical therapy?

 

[Millerleslie27]

Is she doing any physical therapy?

I wish!! The Dr also said no physical therapy at the moment. She gets a CT scan in two weeks, then she will possibly be cleared for PT.

 

[profmom]

Hmm. A bit odd to order a CT scan if she's already been diagnosed with a stress fracture. Any idea what that's about?

 

[NutterButter]

Sending her back just listen to corrections is better than no gym at all. Thank you!

My DD had spondy. Being in the gym more than once or twice a week was harder on my DD than not going at all. Although she loved being back in the gym and seeing her teammates, she was so bored and watching everyone else practice made her even more sad and antsy. She eventually settled into a routine of going once or twice a week which was enough to make her super excited to go to practice and feel the teammate love but not so sad.

I'm sorry this happened to your DD. It's a frustrating injury with a long comeback. The whole "two steps forward, one step backwards" applies (my DD is still going through this 10 months post-diagnosis).

Piggybacking on what @profmom said re:CT scan. My DD had a follow up with the ortho 4 weeks post diagnosis. The ortho did not order further imaging because not enough time had passed since the injury and new images would still show damage even though she was healed. My DD was pain free at that point and the doc said she would order another MRI if DD experienced more pain.

 

[Millerleslie27]

Hmm. A bit odd to order a CT scan if she's already been diagnosed with a stress fracture. Any idea what that's about?

I guess to see how it’s healing...

 

[gymmutti]

DD recovered from spondy (stress reaction on both sides of L5). Because it was caught early - there was a chance it would heal as bone so we did the brace and completely out of the gym. Follow whatever your doctor says and do not try to come back earlier than what he/she says. I've seen spondy take out several kids who tried coming back too early or do too much too early. Once she starts PT, she'll likely need to re-learn how to use her muscles and do skills - otherwise, she'll end up doing the same thing that caused the spondy in the first place.

 

[NutterButter]

What @gymmutti says! If you can find a PT who has specific experience working with gymnasts that would be ideal. My DD had to learn how to use her muscles properly and then re-learn specific skills so that the correct muscles were engaged. The PT managed her comeback over several months. Each week (or more) she added more skills that DD could do and helped her manage overall training (for example, if she tumbled one day, she would not vault that day or the next day). The PT was a former gymnast so she could talk and explain things in DDs language.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

I second everything @NutterButter and @gymmutti said. Obviously get your doctor's approval, but going to the gym (even if it is just for an hour or two a day to do some super light conditioning and upper body training) is important for the mental aspect of coming back from an injury like this. My DD was in this situation exactly one year ago and having doctors and PT's who "get" gymnastics is key. My DD took a very conservative approach for her L5 stress reaction wearing a hard brace for 12 weeks, following up in a soft brace, doing extensive PT, massage and NOT RUSHING BACK into things, but she definitely didn't do "nothing" after the first 4 weeks in the brace. Her doc felt like once the first "phase" of the brace was done, DD could start moving around more as long as there was zero pain. She figured as long as she had the hard brace on, she would not be extending and therefore stressing the back.

It is one year later, and DD has completely recovered. She only trains 20 hours a week instead of the 30+ she had been doing and it took FOREVER for her to regain her core strength, but the back is healed without a shadow of a doubt. She is careful not to do too many front aerials and back handspring series on beam and she will absolutely never do a bridge stretch again. However, she has regained ALL of her Level 10 skills plus a few new ones! The hardest part for her was not waiting and watching, but starting over again once she was cleared to begin "real" practice. Getting skills back seemed like an insurmountable obstacle, but it DID happen!

@Millerleslie27 I write this in the hope that it will encourage you. When my DD was where yours is now, it helped her to read back injury "success" stories on ChalkBucket. It is a long road, but your DD can do it! If I could give you one piece of advice it would be DON'T. RUSH. IT.

 

[Millerleslie27]

DD recovered from spondy (stress reaction on both sides of L5). Because it was caught early - there was a chance it would heal as bone so we did the brace and completely out of the gym. Follow whatever your doctor says and do not try to come back earlier than what he/she says. I've seen spondy take out several kids who tried coming back too early or do too much too early. Once she starts PT, she'll likely need to re-learn how to use her muscles and do skills - otherwise, she'll end up doing the same thing that caused the spondy in the first place.

I think we are going to have her “work” the front desk for an hour 3 days a week. She really needs to be there a little bit.

 

[flipping_girls]

So... we found out Halloween morning. This has been the hardest thing she has ever gone through. Her back doesn’t hurt but the X-ray’s definitely show a stress fracture or pars defect. We caught it very early and it’s only on one side. She’s now in a brace and has been out of the gym for almost a month. I need to send her back!! She’s reading, cooking, and playing the saxophone but she’s completely lost her spunk. (I catch her crying all the time) Is there anything she can do while she’s there?? The Dr wants her to sit on the couch and do nothing!! Help!

I am so sorry that she is dealing with this injury. We also dealt with a bi lateral pars defect last year in our oldest. She was in a brace and unable to lift more than the milk carton for 12 weeks. (the brace was more of a reminder of her prescribed limitations, to both herself and those around her, than to support the injury). There were waves of emotions that came at the oddest times, and threatened to take her down. The only advice I can offer is hang in there and stay the course! We followed the advice to do nothing to a T and a year later my daughter does not have any pain in her back, nor any signs of a lingering issue on her imaging.

She resorted to crafting and invited friends over to join her for projects. We did service projects to help her focus on others. (This had such an impact on her views on life.) We also held board game/card nights for her and her friends to help her have an outlet for her competitiveness. During her time out of gym, she did ask her coaches if there was anything at the gym she could do to help out. She ended up being able to count conditioning numbers and time stretching for her teammates, and it gave her a chance "Be" a part of the team.

I wish your daughter the best of luck in her recovery. Hang in there!

 

[flipping_girls]

I am so sorry that she is dealing with this injury. We also dealt with a bi lateral pars defect last year in our oldest. She was in a brace and unable to lift more than the milk carton for 12 weeks. (the brace was more of a reminder of her prescribed limitations, to both herself and those around her, than to support the injury). There were waves of emotions that came at the oddest times, and threatened to take her down. The only advice I can offer is hang in there and stay the course! We followed the advice to do nothing to a T and a year later my daughter does not have any pain in her back, nor any signs of a lingering issue on her imaging.

She resorted to crafting and invited friends over to join her for projects. We did service projects to help her focus on others. (This had such an impact on her views on life.) We also held board game/card nights for her and her friends to help her have an outlet for her competitiveness. During her time out of gym, she did ask her coaches if there was anything at the gym she could do to help out. She ended up being able to count conditioning numbers and time stretching for her teammates, and it gave her a chance "Be" a part of the team.

I wish your daughter the best of luck in her recovery. Hang in there!

Note: she was pain free WAY BEFORE the year mark! we just happen to be a year out now.

 

[Mrsboots87]

My daughter older has spina bifeda occulta, pars defect to both sides of her L5 and grade 1 spodylolithesis to her L4/L5. She had back pain a few years ago but was cleared by her neurologist and pediatrician for gym. They said that the core and back strengthening from the sport should actually help to keep things in place, but that she is at higher risk for low back injuries if she falls terrible. She also struggles with her back bends and they aren’t as pretty due to this. After the fracture is healed, hopefully she can have a similar outcome as my daughter. The pats defect is what causes the slip disk for us and may for yours as well, just have to keep a close eye on how they walk, how their back curves, and any back leg pain to decide if it is still ok for yours to participate. Hope she heals quickly!

 

[Mrsboots87]

Also, pars defect vs spondylolisis is very different. Is the CT to confirm which? The pars defect can’t be “healed” as it’s usually congenital and a chuck of bone is just not there. So there would be no need for back braces and sitting around.

 

[Millerleslie27]

My daughter older has spina bifeda occulta, pars defect to both sides of her L5 and grade 1 spodylolithesis to her L4/L5. She had back pain a few years ago but was cleared by her neurologist and pediatrician for gym. They said that the core and back strengthening from the sport should actually help to keep things in place, but that she is at higher risk for low back injuries if she falls terrible. She also struggles with her back bends and they aren’t as pretty due to this. After the fracture is healed, hopefully she can have a similar outcome as my daughter. The pats defect is what causes the slip disk for us and may for yours as well, just have to keep a close eye on how they walk, how their back curves, and any back leg pain to decide if it is still ok for yours to participate. Hope she heals quickly!

She has a stress fracture in L5 on one side and it’s still active. She dose not have s slipped disk at the moment. She’s in a hard brace, and only doing breathing exercises. We start the bone stimulator tonight (So expensive! Thankfully we have a friend that went through this a few years ago so we are borrowing it)She did an MRI that didn’t show anything so I think that’s why he wants the CT. The regular X-ray definitely shows a fracture. I’ve been bringing her to the gym with Christmas treats to hand out to her friends (this really seems to be helping with staying positive!). Thank you for all the support! I feel like I have right now are these success stories !

 

[Mrsboots87]

She has a stress fracture in L5 on one side and it’s still active. She dose not have s slipped disk at the moment. She’s in a hard brace, and only doing breathing exercises. We start the bone stimulator tonight (So expensive! Thankfully we have a friend that went through this a few years ago so we are borrowing it)She did an MRI that didn’t show anything so I think that’s why he wants the CT. The regular X-ray definitely shows a fracture. I’ve been bringing her to the gym with Christmas treats to hand out to her friends (this really seems to be helping with staying positive!). Thank you for all the support! I feel like I have right now are these success stories !

Ok. This makes more sense. I thought I was reading that they were unsure if it’s a true fracture or a pars defect. True fracture is of course much more serious and would require some rest. I would get another opinion though on how strict that rest needs to be. Like can she still do some conditioning or is it complete no activity. No activity at all for an extended period of time seems off unless it’s a large fracture or causing pain.

Lumbar spine injuries are so tough since they are the largest of the body support vertebrae. My slip disk comment was about my daughter but me previous post could have used some better separation to be more clear. Ugh. I hope yours is ok to get back to gym soon so she doesn’t miss too much.

 

[skschlag]

OK. Now it makes more sense So she has Spondylolysis, correct spondylitis is a form of arthritis.

I am glad they are being aggressive with the treatment! As much as it is not fun for her, it will enable her to have a faster return. and a healthy return!!! Working at the front desk seems like a great way to get her in the gym, and hopefully help her mental recovery!