Women Gymnast wrist

[Nikki4]

hi I'm asking for a fellow gymnast, she's been diagnosed with gymnast wrist. I know it's been talked about on here before, but I couldn't find anything when I searched.
She's been casted, braced and taken a couple of weeks off, 2 weeks of ot and pt but still having problems. Her dr is not quite sure what to do next. Is this one of those gymnast things they just have to learn to deal with. What else can you do? What was you experience? How long did it last?

 

[ascarter1]

My dd had it last year when training her yurchenko in lv 8. She was braced for 2 weeks and recovered quickly with pt. I'd make sure the gymnast has new tiger paws or at least new inserts. We buy new inserts every couple of months now, just to be safe!

 

[Kcanflip]

Mine needed a good 4-5 weeks off. And despite this is now having some issues in her other wrist just 3 weeks after resuming. She's taking a few more days to rest wrists and bracing, icing, and doing wrist exercises. Hopefully will catch it early unlike our last time. I've read some cases can take 2-3 months or more to resolve. Especially if it was left undiagnosed and unrested and still worked out on.

 

[profmom]

It's very important not to rush back. And once the gymnast is back, a rigorous program of wrist-strengthening exercises should be incorporated into training.

I am very confused by your report that she was both casted and braced but only took a couple of weeks off. Casting is usually only pursued if there is a stress fracture (not just reaction), and that would dictate at least six weeks off.

 

[Nikki4]

It's very important not to rush back. And once the gymnast is back, a rigorous program of wrist-strengthening exercises should be incorporated into training.

I am very confused by your report that she was both casted and braced but only took a couple of weeks off. Casting is usually only pursued if there is a stress fracture (not just reaction), and that would dictate at least six weeks off.

She took a couple of weeks off as in didn't come into the gym at all. She was casted for 3 weeks and had a brace for 2 weeks. But it did go undiagnosed for a long time. First complaint was last summer but it was one of those things she just mentioned in passing once or twice and then didn't say anything else until a couple of months ago when it really started to hurt.

 

[gymmutti]

My daughter was diagnosed with gymnast wrist from yurchenkos. It did impact bone growth and she was casted. She did intense physical therapy for a couple of weeks after and finally completed PT 6 weeks after coming out of the cast. Two weeks of PT may not be enough. She should be slowly easing back into gymnastics- it often takes approximately the same number of weeks after cast to be back 100%. So that would mean 5 weeks. Trying to come back too fast is a recipe for more injuries.

 

[mom2557]

My daughter was diagnosed with this in both wrists. She stopped gymnastics completely and the right wrist healed on its own after 7 weeks. The left wrist still hurt. An MRI showed inflamation in the growth plate (stress reaction no fracture). She was out for another 7+ weeks and slowly returned to gymnastics. She tapes her wrists and wears tiger paws on everything but bars. In other words, it just took a long time to heal and now she is very careful not to over do it.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

We dealt with this last year, but caught it right away. DD stopped vault for 2 weeks and then GRADUALLY began easing back into it. If there was any pain, she immediately cut back on her reps. After 6 weeks, her X-rays showed improvement, so we continued with this plan and have not had any major problems since then. If she has a flare-up, she will always cut back on her reps - it just isn't worth it to "push through" and then wind up with a serious problem. We tell her that this sport isn't a sprint - it's a marathon - and she needs her body to last! However, she still tapes her wrists, uses Skids, and does wrist strengthening exercises.

 

[gymmom11]

My DD had this... we went to a pediatric orthopedist. They were very knowledgeable and familiar with this. My DD was cashed 8 weeks, braced 2 weeks, follow up X-ray to check progress.. then I was shown the area on the wrist to watch out for if she had pain. I was told if the pain came back to that area, she would have to take a full 2-3 months off as her wrist wasn't 100% healed when her cast was taken off, but it wasn't regressing either when we had the follow up X-ray. The orthopedist mandated Tiger Paws wrist brace for life as she told us once you suffer a stress fracture on your growth plate you are more prone to suffering them again. The orthopedist also let my DD (8) know the dangers of continuing to train with pain in her growth plate (surgeries, bones not forming properly, etc) so that she would realize how serious it is and she wouldn't push through growth plate pain and subject herself to more injuries.

If the growth plate is allowed time to heal properly, and the gymnast takes precautions to prevent further overuse injury such as wrist supports, and they are aware the importance of stopping if pain is felt in the growth plate, then the injury will not cause life long complications

 

[LLmom]

In general, gymnast wrist is a 6-12 week process, longer if it took a long time to diagnose. It's likely that she needs more time off her wrists than what she's had.

 

[LGnyc]

We dealt with this last year, but caught it right away. DD stopped vault for 2 weeks and then GRADUALLY began easing back into it. If there was any pain, she immediately cut back on her reps. After 6 weeks, her X-rays showed improvement, so we continued with this plan and have not had any major problems since then. If she has a flare-up, she will always cut back on her reps - it just isn't worth it to "push through" and then wind up with a serious problem. We tell her that this sport isn't a sprint - it's a marathon - and she needs her body to last! However, she still tapes her wrists, uses Skids, and does wrist strengthening exercises.

What are Skids?

 

[LGnyc]

We just got our gymnast wrist diagnosis this morning. The pain hasn't been a factor that long - about 3-4 weeks - so he's not talking casting or bracing, just rest for 6 weeks.

When she had a problem with this a few years ago, that dr (different one) said bars was fine as long as no pain. This one says no bars at all. I was trying to get a sense of the different approaches.

He also doesn't advocate tiger paws. Says fine to use them but doesn't believe it affects or staves off the underlying problem. But given their prevalence in the gym and the fact that she's had two incidences of this, I'm thinking she should start with them when she returns.

I'd also love to hear what wrist strengthening things you're doing.
Thanks!

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Skids are wrist supports that are similar to Tiger Paws, but don't cover as much area. They offer support with more movement. We got ours on Amazon. LGync, is your DD doing Yurchenkos yet? My DD's coach would not let the girls vault Yurchenkos without wrist support because of the tremendous pressure put on the wrists from that type of vault.

 

[LGnyc]

Skids are wrist supports that are similar to Tiger Paws, but don't cover as much area. They offer support with more movement. We got ours on Amazon. LGync, is your DD doing Yurchenkos yet? My DD's coach would not let the girls vault Yurchenkos without wrist support because of the tremendous pressure put on the wrists from that type of vault.

I will defintely investigate them. Can you use them on beam?

She's starting to do timers but not full yurchenko. She competed L7 last year but I think will repeat.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Daughter had wrist issues last year. No fracture. Especially on beam, BHSs.

Out for 4 weeks. started skids just for beam at practice not meets.

Now starting to flip tsuks, more BHS on beam and floor stuff. She is using tiger paws for all. She started to complain of wrist pain beginning of summer training. I gave her the tiger paws. Problem solved. Mom is a much less stressed too.

 

[LGnyc]

Exactly. This started with summer training and the BHS complex on beam. Coach was having her do 15 BHSs before even moving toward up training BWO BHS. 5 BHS, 5 HS BHS, 5 BHS straight jump. And the other stressor was press handstands on beam. Also doing 10 plus of those.

Sounds like Skids for beam and tiger paws (which we own) for floor/vault are in order. Frankly it can't hurt.

Next question: How do I convince DD? She's so worried about appearing damaged, she refuses any kind of visible bracing. The most I've been able to get her to agree to is athletic tape. Any guidance appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Also google rice bucket wrist exercises.

Then have her watch Simone, Ally, Gabby, etc..., And see how many wear support. Not only on vault but floor and beam.

And finally it comes down to..... if she wants to do gym she wears supports.

Support is just that, support to prevent damage. If wrists were meant to support our body weight we would all walk on our hands. As per her PA

And personally I think that is way too many reps. Our gym tries to keep reps like that to not more then 5 at a time.

For my kid I looked at her nd asked if she wanted to spend the summer in the wrist brace and lose skills and go back a level. She put the paws on. Wrist stopped bothering her. So she gets it.

 

[LLmom]

FYI...usually less of a wrist "strength" problem and more of an issue with shoulder flexibility. Less shoulder flexibility = more stress on the wrist at an inappropriate angle = wrist growth plates get irritated and you have gymnast wrist.

 

[Seeker]

FYI...usually less of a wrist "strength" problem and more of an issue with shoulder flexibility. Less shoulder flexibility = more stress on the wrist at an inappropriate angle = wrist growth plates get irritated and you have gymnast wrist.

This lack of shoulder flexibility can also impact the elbows.

 

[LGnyc]

Also google rice bucket wrist exercises.

Then have her watch Simone, Ally, Gabby, etc..., And see how many wear support. Not only on vault but floor and beam.

And finally it comes down to..... if she wants to do gym she wears supports.

Support is just that, support to prevent damage. If wrists were meant to support our body weight we would all walk on our hands. As per her PA

And personally I think that is way too many reps. Our gym tries to keep reps like that to not more then 5 at a time.

For my kid I looked at her nd asked if she wanted to spend the summer in the wrist brace and lose skills and go back a level. She put the paws on. Wrist stopped bothering her. So she gets it.

Def. agree on the reps. That's why I mentioned it. I truly believe that's why this happened in the first place.

Well, she's on board with all of it. We are away now, but when we get back, there will be pounds of rice waiting for her, as well as a few different types of wrist supports to see which she responds to best. But first, 6 weeks of rest, and hopefully that will make her pain free and able to start again gradually in September.

A few other questions if you folks know - in the past she has slept in wrist braces bc you do all sorts of weird things with your hands and wrists at night. Did any of your girls do that? And bc she is not using them, she's not icing regularly. Think that's a mistake? Just curious. Realistically I don't think any of that will "heal" her faster but wondering if a good idea.