WAG Am I getting on the crazy train?

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Gymbee06

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Hi all a bit random and please talk me down if needed but I feel although the NHS is brilliant at providing free care to everyone I'm wondering if taking my dd to a physio even though it don't see any problems with her I feel as though prevention is better than a cure and want to avoid injuries and find any weakness that can be helped with specific exercises than her get an injury or weakness down the line and have to beg for a referral to a specialist from my gp then wait months for that to come through.
It just seems in the u.s that you guys are always at the ortho or physio with your gymmies with issues that just wouldn't get seen to over here I'm more than willing to pay privately for this of course but was just wondering if I'm being nuts please tell me if I am lol
I was also going to do the same with a dietician just to ensure she's getting the right stuff in the right amount again even though she's classed as underweight and small for her age the doctor wasn't concerned and I'm not either but I would much rather ensure she's the healthiest she can be than wait by no means is she going to the Olympics but I want her to be able to continue to be active when she's done with gym and not plagued by injuries or problems that could have been avoided thanks all
 
No I don't think you are nuts about seeing a physio. Your child's coach might be able to point you towards areas that might become problematic in the future. They would know if she has really tight hamstrings, flat feet, hyper extending elbows, weak ankles etc. (you might know these things already too). Looking after these 'weaknesses' now (I prefer individualities lol) could prevent her having issues with plain old PE at school, let alone gym or any other intense sport. If you can afford it, good for you. Depending on those individualities you might find other health / therapies more appropriate like podiatry, sports massage, Reiki, Yoga therapy, etc. there are loads and different things work for different people. Building a relationship with someone who knows and understands your / your child's body is worthwhile.

Dietician wise again why not as long as you don't focus just on her eating. I would make it a family thing. Family good eating makes good habits and good habits make good decisions later. I don't know anything about dieticians - are they some that specialise in sports?
 
Thank you so much for your reply I don't want to focus in her eating but I always thought she was a terrible eater I'm very much 3 meals a day hit she's just never been that always eating but hardly ever what I would call "a meal" a recent thread gave me information on her body type and I'm less worried now her diet is pretty much all healthy stuff but it's limited and she doesn't like much for example no potato or cooked any which way virtual no pasta no rice she will eat bread lol chicken on a Sunday lunch but not on sandwiches or in pasta lots of cheese and yogurts cereal and egg yolks no whites loads of fruit and veg I just don't know if she's getting every she's needs as she barely touches any meat except for the bit on a cooked dinner I'm glad I'm not crazy for even thinking this although I think if I mentioned it to her coaches I would be looked at like a cgm
 
Right, ((rolls up sleeves))

I always thought, weeell its just a bit of gym, why fuss. But as Pink has done more hours her "weaknesses" have caused her issues.

She started having knee trouble, went to the doc, she referred to the Ped Physio but told us the wait was 6 weeks, paid to go to the local Physio (who used to work for the NZ RFU and has a gym mum on staff)

£80 later (3 sessions) we had a diagnosis - she rolls her feet in on landing effectively landing "knock Kneed" causing stress in her knee ligaments and pain. Left with foot pads for training and exercises to strengthen her hamstrings and glutes which were weaker than her thighs and contributing to the problem. Well worth it.

Her new coach has a MS in sports science and she noticed her imbalance and has been addressing it in conditioning. She says she also has tight Hip Flexors and so Stretches her too.

As for eating, she was very fussy as small child, but I have steadily added stuff into her diet. eg she wouldn't eat cooked veg, so for bolognaise I started processing the veg, then chopping it really finely, then bigger etc.

She wasn't keen on egg white so we have scrambled egg, or egg mayonnaise etc. But I gradually have widened her diet.

So yes, go for it, prevention is better than cure
 
Thank you so much for your reply I just didn't know if I was drifting over to the dark of cgm I've not heard anyone at our gym mention doing anything like what I'm thinking at thought I was taking it too seriously but also maybe it's because our healthcare is free to many here in the u.s they are over cautious whereas I don't think we are cautious enough
 
I was also against any supplements, but have been putting an electrolyte tablet in her water bottle ( she now drinks two bottles, one has a tablet) for training since she upped her hours
 
I would also say go for it. However not all physiotherapists and sports therapist are equal so I'd try and get a recommendation, from a coach at the gym if possible.

It might also be worth checking to see whether any of the coaches have a background in sports therapy / massage / physiology as they are more likely to incorporate this into the sessions.
 
I always through the CGM thing was about how you behave in the gym and at meets...

I don't think it's crazy to look after your child's body. After all, they are going to have to use it long after they leave the sport of gymnastics and most likely want to use it to run, jump, have babies and who knows what else.

Our club does a physio screen at the beginning of each year. Personally, I find this a waste of money as these physios know nothing about gymnastics and point out imbalances and issues but don't seem to do much else. I gather the coach uses this information to design his programs though.

For my daughter, we always go to the best providers we can find for an elite gymnast in our area. Now that she trains 27 hours a week and is doing big skills, we think the reasons and costs are justified. So we've found a really good sports physio who has looked after the national team in the past. We go to a sport physician when she has an injury or suspected injury, so we don't get the "she needs to rest for 6 weeks" treatment. I only take her to the family gp when she has a regular issue like a cold that might need antibiotics.

I've found a podiatrist who is an ex rhythmic gymnast who was very excited to get her hands on an artistic gymnast. Orthotics have proven very helpful in managing lots of imbalances and helped her correct issues caused by injury, like a broken toe. She doesn't overly like seeing her as she always gets new exercises to do, but getting the orthotics to do some of the work is really good.

As for dieticians, we had someone come and talk to all the parents and girls at our gym a couple of years ago. I found that really helpful, and it set us off on a good track eating wise. My daughter hearing that she needs to have dairy within 20 minutes of training and drink two bottles of water each session made a big difference. I've also learned a lot from the Gymnast Care podcasts - Link Removed
 
About the dietician, our gym had one come in and talk to the girls and their parents. It was more of an information class rather than a diet class. The dietician gave pointers on grams of protein (and such) they need to sustain them through the 4 hour practices. Talk to the gym and see if something like that is a possibility. It was extremely helpful! Good luck!
 

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