Parents DD has lower back pain only while doing back walkovers on the beam

[Kiwi]

I keep thinking it's the way she's doing them that could be causing the stress on her lower back or possibly that she tenses up more doing them because she's more nervous doing them on the beam?

They are more difficult on beam because hands need to be together, requiring more shoulder flexibility. On floor hands can be placed wider.

 

[gymmom8772]

My DD had her appointment with the ortho/sports medicine doctor about her back today. Based on the X-ray and the fact the her pain was on either side of her lower back and not in the middle, the Dr feels it's muscular and not a stress fracture. She wants her to rest it for 2 weeks. She is allowed to go to practice but isn't allowed to do any type of bending, tumbling or hard landings. She can only do conditioning and some bars. My daughter was devastated but I tried to explain to her that it could be a lot worse and 2 weeks will go by quickly. We already set up a follow up appointment in two weeks from now. If it doesn't improve, they will do some further investigation.

 

[iwannacoach]

My DD had her appointment with the ortho/sports medicine doctor about her back today. Based on the X-ray and the fact the her pain was on either side of her lower back and not in the middle, the Dr feels it's muscular and not a stress fracture. She wants her to rest it for 2 weeks. She is allowed to go to practice but isn't allowed to do any type of bending, tumbling or hard landings. She can only do conditioning and some bars. My daughter was devastated but I tried to explain to her that it could be a lot worse and 2 weeks will go by quickly. We already set up a follow up appointment in two weeks from now. If it doesn't improve, they will do some further investigation.

Meanwhile, ask her coach if your dd is doing them the way the coach wants them to be done. Often, if not always, you'll see kids using their interpretation of the skill and adding the coaches correction to their version of the skill. Then resulting "Frankenskill" may be an improvement over what they had a year earlier, but not be what the coach has asked for. In that context there's a chance she's doing the skill with the wrong tempo, rhythm, and balance... or loss of balance to get the skill moving.

 

[Clover]

Glad that so far it looks to not be too serious. Keep us updated. In the meantime, do ask about competing BHS rather than BWO. Around here we saw about half the L5s competing BHS last season, so it is not uncommon.

 

[Lisbeth]

It is a good start. See how she feels after the 2 week rest.
Just to let u know, though, my daughter only had pain on one side, not in the middle, and her MRI showed bilateral stress fractures. You can only know for sure with the MRI or bone scan.

 

[gymmom8772]

Hopefully it will go away after she rests it for 2 weeks. The Dr said she would need to order a bone scan after that. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[Lisbeth]

Good luck - fingers crossed here too that she will feel no pain after the 2 weeks rest

 

[sce]

I'm glad you took her in and it seems to be not serious. Hopefully some rest will help. As well, hopefully the coach can look at what she's doing with the skill on beam to avoid pain in the future..

"Frankenskill"

I love this.

 

[gymmom8772]

Maybe she is doing a Frankenskill (love that term!) and they could fix it or she could do a BHS instead. Hopefully after 2 weeks she'll feel better!

 

[mpkbt]

Wasn't a back extension roll an alternate skill for the back walk over? Or was that forever ago?

 

[my4buffaloes]

With the new routines the BHS is the alternative skill at level 5.

 

[curlygirls]

Actually, both BHS step-out and Backward roll to at least 3/4 handstand are alternatives to the back walkover on beam in the new level 5 routine.

 

[gymmom8772]

Yes I read that. It's something to think about as an alternative if the BWO is putting too much strain on her back. Tonight I gave her a back massage and the 2 areas on either side of her back that she said were giving her problems when she does the BWO on beam felt tight and knotted up. Especially the one side she said was worse was even more knotted up. That makes me feel sorta relieved and hopeful that it is most likely muscular! Keeping my fingers crossed!!!

 

[gymmom8772]

More unfortunate developments with my daughter. She decided to be "honest" with me last week and told me that she was having pain also in her lower back. She was afraid to say anything because a teammate who had a stress fracture, had it in the same place and she was afraid of the same thing and not being able to go to gym. I took her back to the orthopedic Dr last week and he suspects it may be a stress fracture, spondylolysis. She is getting a bone scan done tomorrow. I am dreading it all! Hoping so much that it's not but I have a terrible feeling it is.

 

[Seeker]

Well, at least you'll know what you're dealing with. Whatever it is, it needs to be dealt with fully so she is safe long term. Back pain is nothing to mess with, especially in young kids. Hope it goes well tomorrow.

 

[Lisbeth]

Hoping for the best for your daughter. The timing of my dd's diagnosis was 3 months before competition season began (late Oct)- not ideal. Keep us posted on the bone scan results.
Sending positive thoughts your way.

 

[gymmom8772]

Thanks Lisbeth and Seeker. We are only 4 months away from her meet season, so if she does have a stress fracture then by the time she is able to compete, it will have to be a repeat. Lisbeth, how long did it take your daughter to get back fully in the gym?

 

[Lisbeth]

She had her MRI Nov. 6th and we found out the results the next day. She was on complete rest from gym class and gymnastics (did absolutely nothing but observe) for 12 weeks. Her dr. was very conservative in his treatment plan with her. He said she was the youngest patient he had with the condition. She started PT twice a week the beginning of January and was slowly permitted to do some activities at gym starting in late Jan/early Feb (no leaps, no splits or anything that arches her back) as long as she was pain free. She continued PT for another 2 weeks going 1 day/week.
Her first meet she could possibly compete was in early Feb. and she was able to do 3 out of 4 events (no floor).
She did the same for the next meet as it was only 5 days after the first. Her 3rd meet she competed in early March she was able to do all 4 events.
She lost a lot of her strength and muscle tone during the 3 months off.
She has finally now started to make up some ground. She limits BWOs to 5 or less at practice if she does them at all.
So far, so good. She is not having any back pain and we have stressed the importance of her telling us or her coach if she experiences any.
The recovery time did go by faster than I thought it would, but it was difficult for her to sit on the the sidelines and watch. She was a great cheerleader for her fellow teammates though

 

[gymmom8772]

In retrospect, when do you think her injury possibly started before her diagnoses? In my head I'm thinking best and worst case scenarios. I'm just dreading the possibly of months of rest for my daughter and no gym. She is going to go stir crazy! It will not be a fun summer for anyone in my house!

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Crossing my fingers for you and your dd!!