Parents Gymnast Wrist

[scanlri]

I also states things a bit out of order. Flare up was after 1st meet .../

 

[Flounder]

@Flounder - how long was your daughter put on rest, and how long did it resolve the issue when she came back?

She was out for two weeks. She wore a brace and only did conditioning. At her 2 week checkup, she was given the green light, but told to take it easy. Her coaches are good about making sure she doesn't push it and I think she's more likely to speak up if it starts hurting instead of pushing through the pain (I hope!!). We were fully prepared to be told to extend to 4 weeks.

I do think those 2 weeks of conditioning were not wasted time. Who doesn't need a stronger core? Also, she could spend more time on things that she might be more likely to rush through, like her pirouettes.

Good luck to your daughter! I completely understand how it's disappointing to be told that rest is needed, but the time will fly by! I promise.

 

[profmom]

Also keep in mind that training is way more important to her long-term development as a gymnast than competing. Don't trade competing in a few meets for taking months off. Keep that long view clearly in sight. When we first got the news about DS's wrists at the end of June, I had to pull the plug on a really awesome weeklong training camp for him. Looking back now, there is no question at all in my mind that I made the right choice in canceling his registration, even though we weren't able to get a refund and the guys who did the camp got a lot out of it.

 

[Tigtimes]

DO NOT rush back with this injury. It will not get better and you risk turning inflammation into a major set back that can take her out for months. We are 1 year in with this type of injury and finally seeing the light at the end. Stress injuries are difficult rest is only cure or it will just keep reoccurring. Cut way back on repetitions coach has D do only 2 or 3 backward beam series when it flares up, enough to keep the skill but not over do. She tapes wrist on beam always as BHS seems to cause most problem. Tiger paw on floor and vault.

 

[kris]

Mine had gymnast wrist -- stress fractures in her wrists -- when she was 9 turning 10 and training level 7. She pushed through mild pain through most of the season without letting on, and we were all surprised at the fact she had fractures as the doc only sent her for x-rays to get a baseline since it had been hurting for a long time and in case the pain got worse.

She just had a flare up again at 12 which was likely the result of growing 5" in 10 months, but we took her in sooner this time and no fractures just irritated growth plates. She still took a long break and her coaches are working hard at making her use proper hand placement and technique as she starts skills again. Apparently she uses her flexibility in a way that is causing extra pressure on her wrists in some skills.

She does wear tiger paws, and has been advised to keep doing so at least until she's done growing now. Also, this season is likely a wash for her, but like has been said, her wrists have to last a lifetime so healing is more important.

 

[balletmom42]

Ice, ice, ice! Rest, rest, rest! And when she starts back have her use medical grade support tape!
There are excellent videos on line of how to apply tape to help prevent re-injury...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Question for you all:

How many of your gymnasts complain about pain in the wrist? Does she just push through it and it goes away, or does she take a break, and for how long? Does the pain come and go or does it progress until she takes a significant break.

I heard that gymnast wrist affects a large percentage of gymnasts, so I wanted to hear your stories.

common as brushing your teeth. no harm will come to them if managed properly.

 

[Yuenling]

@dunno - Can you please share how wrist pain is managed at your gym? Our current plan is complete rest for two weeks, than Tiger Paws and normal practice as long as the pain doesn't recur.

 

[Yuenling]

@dunno - Can you please share how wrist pain is managed at your gym? Our current plan is complete rest for two weeks, then Tiger Paws and normal practice as long as the pain doesn't recur.

 

[Yuenling]

I've been scrutinizing pictures of gymnasts' wrists, and I noticed that this college gymnast has a large lump on her radius. My daughter has a smaller bump in the same area right now, after a week of rest. The Xray was fine so the doctor said it is probably soft tissue.

Check this out:

Link Removed

I never noticed my daughter's wrist until last Saturday when she complained of pain. I wonder how many of you have noticed any lumps and bumps around your gymnast's wrist, especially if they have complained about wrist pain.

 

[mommyof1]

I wonder how many of you have noticed any lumps and bumps around your gymnast's wrist, especially if they have complained about wrist pain.

Has the doctor considered this possibility?

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00006

 

[profmom]

One of DD's teammates had one. It was diagnosed through MRI. She had to have it drained, because it was causing problems for her. Not fun.

 

[Yuenling]

Has the doctor considered this possibility?

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00006

Thanks, mommyof1.

Actually, she just got her MRI back and there was no fracture in the bone. Just edema around radius and growth plate, which seems to confirm it is a Harris Salter Type 1 injury. Two weeks rest is sufficient and she can return gradually, as pain allows.

I am thrilled that this is the best possible outcome of the MRI given that she had extreme swelling on her wrist by the time I noticed it, 11 days ago now.

Now the next concern -- and this is a good concern to have -- is how to have her come back gradually and safely with her first meet on 1/30. She is a level 8 gymnast and has done minimum conditioning and working out the past 9 days. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[my4buffaloes]

My dd pushed through until she fractured the growth plates in both wrists. Ended up being 4 months of no-handed gymnastics. Our dr was very conservative in her treatment.

 

[Yuenling]

Update: After two weeks of rest, my DD tried to do a round-off BHS on the floor, and it hurt, so she decided not to push through it. Looks like a slow gradual comeback and more missed meets. =(

For those of you whose gymnasts have returned from resting their wrists, did they experience some residual pain that they gently pushed through, and was it ok? Also, what events/skills did they try first?

 

[Tigtimes]

Yes on pain. Did she get tiger paw? D uses only one has helped tremendously As for pushing through only she will know difference between pain and ache. If pain more rest. Again we are one year in still,days where it aches and can push through, days when she knows to quit skills for that day and then stretches of time with no pain at all. But there have also been girls at gym have had it rested for 4 weeks and it never returned again. Ice therapy when pain as well

 

[Aussie_coach]

It is a good idea for gyms to have a prevention prom in place for wrist pain for all levels. Gymnastics puts more pressure on the wrists than most sports. Wrist strengthening as the part of their normal training program will play a huge role in reducing the number of gymnasts with wrist pain.

Smart coaching also includes timing events and skills so that kids are not on their hands constantly.

Poor technique on skills can also be a problem for wrists. You see it a lot in junior gymnasts who are making their back handsprings too short, it adds a lot more pressure on the wrists. Evaluation of skills to ensure they are being done correctly may help.

Watch the way she tumbles, gymnasts who have a tendency to run their hands out when tumbling are far more likely to experience pain.

The other at risk group are those with very flexible and playable joints. These gymnasts will need additional conditioning.

 

[Yuenling]

Yes on pain. Did she get tiger paw? D uses only one has helped tremendously As for pushing through only she will know difference between pain and ache. If pain more rest. Again we are one year in still,days where it aches and can push through, days when she knows to quit skills for that day and then stretches of time with no pain at all. But there have also been girls at gym have had it rested for 4 weeks and it never returned again. Ice therapy when pain as well

She got Tiger Paws in August when she first told me her wrist hurt. I didn't think anything of it and she said the pain went away. If I had only looked at her wrist then... She had a flare up of pain three weeks ago and apparently pushed through it. By the time I saw it, it was so scary looking I forced her to stop. I am so sad that I didn't catch it till a week before her first meet.

She wears Tiger Paws now. I just wonder how much rest is enough before she can start doing all her events again.

 

[catova]

Update: After two weeks of rest, my DD tried to do a round-off BHS on the floor, and it hurt, so she decided not to push through it. Looks like a slow gradual comeback and more missed meets. =(

For those of you whose gymnasts have returned from resting their wrists, did they experience some residual pain that they gently pushed through, and was it ok? Also, what events/skills did they try first?

If I could do anything different, I would not have let DD work through 'residual pain' and would have had her rest longer. DD experienced some residual pain after coming back from wrist growth plate fracture (She had a cast for a month, all good on a follow up xray, etc. and doc said she was good to go!). She did PT for 10 weeks after cast for strengthening and coaches really had her go slow for the first several weeks...and she really eased into bars and vault the most (affected wrist is on the arm she uses for pivot and also the first to push off to flip the vault). It took about 3 months to be back to doing everything she could pre-injury, at which time she still had a little residual pain from time to time...not awful, but it was still there, particularly after a hard practice. BUT- at 4 months post-injury, she reinjured that wrist at practice- she did nothing traumatic, just 'landed funny' and the pain was as bad as the first injury. Got an MRI which showed no growth plate fracture but definite swelling. Sought opinion of second ortho who had experience with gymnasts...and he advised another 4 weeks zero impact on the wrist. He said he would have told me 4 MONTHS NO IMPACT given DD's age (12.5, a time of rapid growth - she grew 3 inches in the past 6 months), the training schedule/skills, etc. had he seen her after the initial fracture! Just said he had seen too many similar cases where the athlete tried managed through the wrist pain indefinitely, but they never really got back to fully effective usage in the gym (compensating affected form/performance, and chronic pain resulted). He really wanted her pain free as the test for reducing risk of re-injury. I took his advice. My DD was very upset, but I did not give her a choice. She came back after a month and though she felt a little weakness, she was (and remains) pain free. DD is still playing catch up so she may not compete this season. But she is ok with missing a season if it means she's dodged a career ending chronic injury. I now know of more than one gymnast who retired because they couldn't get wrist pain issues resolved and they became debilitating. Best of luck to you!

 

[Yuenling]

If I could do anything different, I would not have let DD work through 'residual pain' and would have had her rest longer. DD experienced some residual pain after coming back from wrist growth plate fracture (She had a cast for a month, all good on a follow up xray, etc. and doc said she was good to go!). She did PT for 10 weeks after cast for strengthening and coaches really had her go slow for the first several weeks...and she really eased into bars and vault the most (affected wrist is on the arm she uses for pivot and also the first to push off to flip the vault). It took about 3 months to be back to doing everything she could pre-injury, at which time she still had a little residual pain from time to time...not awful, but it was still there, particularly after a hard practice. BUT- at 4 months post-injury, she reinjured that wrist at practice- she did nothing traumatic, just 'landed funny' and the pain was as bad as the first injury. Got an MRI which showed no growth plate fracture but definite swelling. Sought opinion of second ortho who had experience with gymnasts...and he advised another 4 weeks zero impact on the wrist. He said he would have told me 4 MONTHS NO IMPACT given DD's age (12.5, a time of rapid growth - she grew 3 inches in the past 6 months), the training schedule/skills

Wow! Sounds a lot like what my DD is going through. She was 12.5 when it happened and was experiencing rapid growth. Level 8 skills for my DD. Thanks for sharing your story