Hyperextended / sprained elbow

[gymmomntc2e6]

Last night DD hyperextended her elbow pretty bad. took her to the doctor today. No fracture, just a bad sprain. Looks like she is out of commission for a couple weeks. Any suggestion for an elbow suppirt for vault & floor when she first goes back? I have seen some for hyperextension, but also some neoprene style. she is hypermobile & worried about injuring it again.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

no. don't use anything like that for this type of injury. you want her to come back NICE AND SLOW from this type of injury. pain and fatigue will be her compass. understand? if you want further explanation i will.

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

got it !

NICE & SLOW is the game plan. was thinking more for her peace of mind, but if nothing is better then that is what we will do. I am anticipating this will take a while. She can't even hardly use her fingers & in a lot of pain & lots of muscle spasms right now. Feel awful for her. She is in a sling for at least a week, Dr said maybe 2 depending on how she feels after one. I think she will be ok with taking it slow, but I think I am really going to have to watch coaches after she starts to come back & make sure they listen to her & know she is to stop if something hurts. Dr really thought she had broken it, thankfully she didn't.

She already knows she will be scratching from her next meet & possibly the one after that too. I certainly don't want her to reinjure it, or maje it worse.

As usual, I appreciate your response & advice. If you have any suggestions for making sure the coaches take her seriuosly about pain & stopping when it hurts please feel free to PM me. Or any other advise for helping my kiddo through this injury. DD tends to be a people pkeaser, I worry that she may worry that the coach will think she is trying to get out of doing something by saying it hurts. She can be the same way about her inhaler for asthma, thinks if she stops to use it other people will think she is trying to get out of doingsomething

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i'll respond later tonight but wanted to get in that her elbow should be xrayed again at the 21 day mark.

 

[2gymmies]

Just out of curiousity, did it swell? Both my dd's have broken elbows (one was obviously displaced the other not so obvious, but fractured the growth plate). Our ortho guy says that if an elbow swells, usually it is broken, but sometimes the fracture isn't obvious until is starts to heal (usually by day 10 to 14 healing of a fracture can be seen). The whole finger thing can take awhile - we ended up having therapy because she couldn't hold a pencil under control for a loooong time - it took close to 6 months to be 100%. Your dd won't be that bad, but it might be slow and then there might also be some fear when she does come back. I don't know how old she is, but one thing my dd had to do was light brite for therapy. Best of luck and I hope dd feels better...

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

Just out of curiousity, did it swell? Both my dd's have broken elbows (one was obviously displaced the other not so obvious, but fractured the growth plate). Our ortho guy says that if an elbow swells, usually it is broken, but sometimes the fracture isn't obvious until is starts to heal (usually by day 10 to 14 healing of a fracture can be seen). The whole finger thing can take awhile - we ended up having therapy because she couldn't hold a pencil under control for a loooong time - it took close to 6 months to be 100%. Your dd won't be that bad, but it might be slow and then there might also be some fear when she does come back. I don't know how old she is, but one thing my dd had to do was light brite for therapy. Best of luck and I hope dd feels better...

I didn't notice any swelling but the doctor sais there was some 'loss of definition' compared to the other. the most painful area is near the 'elbow pit' but she has pain, to the touch, ghere and on either side of the elbow. keeping a close eye on it, my 'mommy instints' don't like her sympoms at all.

 

[Gymgirlnichole]

Elbow injuries are tricky - be careful. My DD has hyperextended elbows, she strained one just a little in July while doing BH/BH series on beam. Took her for an x-ray - dr. Said it was not fractured but it still bothered her sometimes. She developed bicep tendonitis, had to wear a cast for 2 weeks. Just now returning to weight bearing skills - it is very slow going. A little heartbreaking that she qualified for National TOPS Testing and I don't think we will be able to go

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

Elbow injuries are tricky - be careful. My DD has hyperextended elbows, she strained one just a little in July while doing BH/BH series on beam. Took her for an x-ray - dr. Said it was not fractured but it still bothered her sometimes. She developed bicep tendonitis, had to wear a cast for 2 weeks. Just now returning to weight bearing skills - it is very slow going. A little heartbreaking that she qualified for National TOPS Testing and I don't think we will be able to go

Thank you so much for your response. We knew it would be a slow process. I think I will just have to be extra vigilant w/DD & coaches. Don't want to make thinks worse. So very sorry that your DD may have to miss the National testing, that stinks. Congratulations to her for qualifying, an acheivement in itself !

 

[Gymgirlnichole]

Thank you for your kind words - it's not the end of the world - I look at it as it's just not meant to be! I also wanted to tell you that our Dr. told us there really is no support/brace for the pit of the elbow (this is where my daughter hurt as well) seeing as they need to bend, etc. It's a matter of really resting it (this is why we were in a cast) and then strengthening when she is pain free. I would be happy to give you the exercises if you're interested. Just let me know and I can shoot you an e-mail. Hope she has a full and speedy recovery

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

Thank you for your kind words - it's not the end of the world - I look at it as it's just not meant to be! I also wanted to tell you that our Dr. told us there really is no support/brace for the pit of the elbow (this is where my daughter hurt as well) seeing as they need to bend, etc. It's a matter of really resting it (this is why we were in a cast) and then strengthening when she is pain free. I would be happy to give you the exercises if you're interested. Just let me know and I can shoot you an e-mail. Hope she has a full and speedy recovery

would love to get those exercises when you have time. No hurry. She isn't allowed to do anything until Saturday then only range of motion until Wednesday. At that point IF she is feeling beter she can start easing into other things with pain as her guide. I don't think she will be doing anything soon based on how she is now, but whatever it takes to heal properly.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

she explained that pretty good. and NO excercising for 10 days. just normal stuff like picking up her room, brushing her hair and teeth, etc; just normal 'range of motion stuff'.

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

she explained that pretty good. and NO excercising for 10 days. just normal stuff like picking up her room, brushing her hair and teeth, etc; just normal 'range of motion stuff'.

picking up her room, now that is funny LOL !

thanks to you both for your help. Going to pick up a prescription for light muscle relaxers this morning because she is having muscle spasms, ugh. Keeping her still & quiet shoukdn't be an issue as she now has the nasty cold that has been going throughnthe house & on top of her arm hurting, she feels like crap. Never a dull moment around here.

anyway, thanks again. I may seek your advice again if I have questions that pop up.

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

DD had her follow up appt this morning. looking pretty good. she still has a little pain & still having some muscle spasms but they are decreasing. She can bend it all the way to touch her shoukder now & can almost straighten it all the way. Continuing with range of motion only through Sunday. Monday she can ease into normal activities with pain as her guide.

I am glad she is doing better & very glad she is able to write with it again (her dominant arm of course) as it took FOREVER for her to do homework writing with the 'wrong' hand !