Double jointed Elbows???

[DND]

My DD was telling me that at camp someone mentioned to her about having double jointed elbows.

I must admit I would notice when she was in handstand or arms up on beam, her arms form more of a V rather than looking straight per se.

Her coach has never brought it up so I would assume it was not a concern, but I wonder if it was noticed.

Does anyone have a child with double jointed elbows or has coached a child with such? Should there be anything that we watch out for that may make her more prone to injury?

I am most likely worried over nothing, but I would rather be safe than sorry!

 

[justanothergymmom]

My dd has 'ligamentous laxity' or loose ligaments. Her elbows appear to bend the wrong way when they are straight. She looks just as you describe when her arms are up. Also, her ankles pronate and she can bend her thumb all the way forward and her pinky backwards. We checked with her ortho (and also here on CB) and were told that she is at no greater risk for injury than someone with tight or normal ligaments.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

also called hypermobility. no such thing as double jointed.

 

[thefellowsmom]

My daughter's elbows turn out some as well so I went looking for other threads on this and found the ones below. Basically it seems building strength in the surrounding muscles is the way to go. Someone in one of the threads below said that pullups/chinups and pushups can be difficult with hypermobile elbows and that some skills will come more slowly.

The Fellows has always had great strength is some ways (ex. she was the first in her group to get her press handstand) but she can still only do about three pullups/chinups in a row and her pushups just look really weird. Could her elbows be keeping her from progressing with her pullups. These seems to be heavily emphasized at her gym (that's a good thing -- lots of conditioning) and she is pretty frustrated with it because she tries her very hardest and just doesn't seem to be making much progress.

Her doctor or coaches has never said anything about it, but I know that they get a little frustrated with her with the pullup/chinup thing even though they tell me what a hard worker she is so at least they know it isn't because she isn't trying hard.

If any coaches could share specific exercises that she could do to help with this that would be very appreciated. She has a chinup bar and mats at home and I would be willing to help her with extra strength exercises.Link Removed[/URL][/URL]

 

[UnoMas]

My younger DD has hypermobility...everywhere! You can see it big time in her elbows when she is on the bars but it has gotten better since her arm muscles have gotten stronger. It does take her longer to learn some skills...bars in particular and her feet also pronate so beam is a challenge. She has to work harder to keep "tight" form also. I did ask a doctor about it and she said there was no more reason for concern for injury than with any other child. And, she is super flexible which is nice for things like bridges and splits. It brings some challenges but so far nothing she has not been able to overcome!

 

[bogwoppit]

Hey Margg, never mnd the funky arms!!! How did she like IGC?

 

[DND]

Hey Margg, never mnd the funky arms!!! How did she like IGC?

Well on a word AWESOME!!!!

Her only gripe was that she felt she was in a group a bit lower than her level. Some girls in her group were not even doing BWOs on the high beam where she is working on her BWO/BHS. Same with floor where they did not let her work on her RO/BHS/BLO without spot and she does it consistently at her own gym.

We had covered that prior to going after you gave me your advice as she did get her kip, but she said the spotting was different than she was used to and it messed her up on her kip cast to handstand. I reminded her that she was only 7yo and then she admitted she was the youngest girl at camp that week.

She loved the activites and meeting new friends and of couse scary airie. She is already planning for next year - should her "new coach" allow it as she was moved into the group with the two head coaches starting next week when we go back. That is another story though!

For me the upside was she did really well with having no homesickness; she managed her canteen and did not even spend $25 for the entire week! I was was shocked. She did throw up one day, but I have to give the camp credit as the nurse phoned me right away. I think is was just the heat and she was back in the gym within an hour and the nurse even let me talk to her for a moment on the phone.

The highlight for her was surprising me with the most dedicated gymnast award for her group when I picked her up. That made her day and she was very excited to bring it home and show her dad as well.

 

[bogwoppit]

Margg I am so pleased for her. Great that she got her kip before she went. The assesment is quite different at IGC and I know my youngest struggled with it. BUt I am glad your DD was able to try her skills and most of all have a blast. I felt my kids were very well cared for at IGC.

I hope she has fun in her new training group. I guess she still has another year until she can do provincial comps at PNN?

 

[DND]

Margg I am so pleased for her. Great that she got her kip before she went. The assesment is quite different at IGC and I know my youngest struggled with it. BUt I am glad your DD was able to try her skills and most of all have a blast. I felt my kids were very well cared for at IGC.

I hope she has fun in her new training group. I guess she still has another year until she can do provincial comps at PNN?

I really am not to sure...she does turn 8yo in a couple of weeks, but I think it will depend on her skill levels too.

Floor is fine as she has all RE's, but beam she has not done her RO/LO dismount and then on bars she only has her giants in the mits and maybe a single giant outside the mits.

She got notified of the "switch" right on the day we were leaving so I do not really know what the plans for her are. The one head coach said that he had argued with himself what to do with her as he does not want her to burn out, but he also realized leaving her with the other PNN's her age where they are bringing up two others would not challenge her and then she may get bored and quit.

We did not have a real long conversation as I was picking her up and had to also get to the hospital to see my mother before we left town. They did move up two grils from the PNN2 group who are 10yo and really one of them was suposed to have been competing last year, but ended up pulled as they thought she was not ready yet. I know they had conversations with those parents before they gave the kids their letters of grouping for next year, but I am kind of in the dark so to speak.

I am sure they will let me know what they decide and for me as long as she is okay withit then I am good. At first she was happy and excited, then she was sad and had a few tears and lastly she wsa a bit nervoud and scared. That is where we are at now, but I am sure it is just because it is new and she is unsure of what they expect from her.

My DD's biggest issue - not just in gymanstics - is this insanely large worry about letting people down or not living up to expectations. She seems to think that everything she does should eb right or perfect. I work on countering this will her all the time and try to get her to see that you can learn from mistakes and it is okay that no one is or ever will be perfect.

I am sure she will get it - eventually!

 

[bogwoppit]

Perfectionism is not unusual in gymnasts!! She is still very young and will be fine with good coaching. It sounds like your coaches know exactly what they are doing and the PNN programme is a great path for talented little ones. SHe clearly picks up skills quite quickly and I am sure the HC wouldn't move here if he didn't think it would be a good fit.

 

[Northstar2400]

I have those funky elbows! All my joints are loose (or double jointed) as my doctor says and the only problem I have had with them is since I dislocated my elbow the hurt elbow is taking a lot longer to get back to past 180 degrees to match my right arm. My knees also are loose along with my knees, shoulders, ankles, and wrists. My friends think it's gross... I think it's normal, all of the girls at my gym have loose joints.

 

[Natasha]

My daughter has hypermobility in her elbows. Her coaches never mentioned anything, so I wasn't concerned about it until...this spring she fractured the growth plate in her wrist while working on connecting her BHS on the low beam. (One hand was slightly off and bent sideways/back.) The orthopedist mentioned when I brought her in that her elbows put her at more risk for wrist injury. She went to PT for recovery from the wrist and he recommended that she continue with the wrist exercises with a theraband for as long as she continues gymnastics. We also bought her the wrist supports for vault and tumbling (after breaking the same wrist a 2nd time this summer just playing around in the yard). She just started vaulting and tumbling again last week after no vault/tumbling for 3 months.

 

[DND]

My daughter has hypermobility in her elbows. Her coaches never mentioned anything, so I wasn't concerned about it until...this spring she fractured the growth plate in her wrist while working on connecting her BHS on the low beam. (One hand was slightly off and bent sideways/back.) The orthopedist mentioned when I brought her in that her elbows put her at more risk for wrist injury. She went to PT for recovery from the wrist and he recommended that she continue with the wrist exercises with a theraband for as long as she continues gymnastics. We also bought her the wrist supports for vault and tumbling (after breaking the same wrist a 2nd time this summer just playing around in the yard). She just started vaulting and tumbling again last week after no vault/tumbling for 3 months.

Thanks for the warning and my DD already uses tiger paws when she is doing alot of tumbling and floor.

I hope your DD is enjoying back in the gym and will stay safe!

 

[ivyagogo]

I have problems with hyperextension. There is a difference between flexibility and laxity. I have a lot of problems with my shoulders and knees now that I'm 42 and still trying to do gymnastics. Usually when my shoulder(s) hurt, I can go back to my physical therapy exercises and in a few weeks they don't hurt anymore. I never knew I also had the problem with my knees until I tore my ACL. Both my knees have been giving me problems lately and I asked my PT about it. She told me that it's just my genetic makeup and my best bet is strengthening my hamstrings and quadriceps. I have also been using kenesio tape to help stabilize my knee. Now that I know this, I think it was a contributing factor to my knee injury.