Parents Knee Pain - Advice Needed

[lovofu]

Well, little bit (7 years old) has grown 2 1/2 inches in 4 months and now has "jumpers knee" in her left knee. Ortho recommended 2 months off which won't happen :-( Has anyone gotten their gymmie through a rehab period? Or something similar?

Thanks

Mom to a sad gymmie

 

[gym law mom]

My gymmie has been down the road too. Started with her left knee with a very similar diagnosis. Its a combination of growing and the pounding in the gym.

Did the ortho recommend PT? Is her knee swollen and painful? Mine had to do PT and sit out for about 4 weeks(conditioning only)and then was eased back into it with vault and tumbling being the last things she was allowed to do.

Let me give you an idea of what happens if she justs try to "tough it out." The quads in that leg start to atrophy because she isn't using them like she should---it hurts too much. So, then you have to work on getting the quads back in shape.

She will probably need to take some time off from gym, get PT and ease back into the pounding activities. There is really no short cut to getting her better.

 

[mariposa]

My question is why resting 2 months (at least from impact, etc) is out of the question?? She is 7 years old and potentially has many years ahead of her in this sport (especially with her hard work and talent), why risk it?? If she doesn't rest now, she could end up being forced to miss much more later and at what benefit?

This injury might seem like it isn't a big deal, but it can be if it is ignored. I say that with young kids especially, it is better to err way on the side of caution. She can still do a lot of things in the gym, bars, upper body conditioning, and possibly low impact things. I would see if she can see PT and get some rehab recommendations. I would take this serious, otherwise it can become a long term nagging problem, when it could have been avoided altogether. I am sure she won't be happy with the decision (mine wasn't when I made her sit out for an injury that wasn't even proven), but she will learn that her body and health important and that you need to listen to your body.

And I know it is tough for the gymmie and mom. My kid missed a total of almost 6 weeks due to a wrist injury (couldn't do bars, handstands, tumbling, etc). She lost skills and had to get them back, she was bored at practice sometimes, but she did it and I know that it was the right decision. She is only 8 and I didn't want to get her a chronic injury so young. It isn't fun being the tough guy either. I made sure coaches knew I didn't want her tumbling, doing anything on the wrist, etc.

 

[lovofu]

No No No...she is totally taking time off of "impact" activities in the gym...the coach is very very careful...she is just bored with the alternative activities. The coach will NOT take any chances with her long term....the problem is her!!

 

[mariposa]

That is to be expected. The impact stuff is the fun stuff! I talked a lot to my DD about injuries, how if we don't take care of them, instead of missing 6 weeks, it could be 6 months or even more. We knew gymnasts that actually had that happen and I think that helped her to realize that she wanted to play it safe. She cried sometimes after practice (she was same age as your DD) because it was not as fun. I actually gave her the chance to skip sometimes, but she didn't ever actually do it. I did take her home early one time because she had said she would do less hours, but it was only once.

I think in the end it has helped her. All our girls will deal with some kind of injury in their gymnastics journey. Mine has seen that you can get through it, it isn't fun (which helps her to be safer outside of gym I think), you have to work hard to get back skills, but that it CAN be done. It has made her stronger. It sucked though and there were lots of tears both during her conditioning only time and after when she was struggling to get back skills, etc.

So my advice is to be realistic and sympathetic. Give her examples of what could happen and how long that time period is. I told my DD that she should think of when she first competed that season, and how long ago it had been. She realized that 6 months is a LONG time. And then I told her to remember back to when she had switched gyms, that that was what a year like would be.

The coaches did their best to help make it a little more fun for her, but reality is, it is no fun. Hope her time on light duty flies by. I am sure she will be back to herself in no time after that.

 

[gym law mom]

She should be able to do some of the dance elements on beam and most of her bar training. I know the only thing my gymmie wasn't allowed to do on bars was a dismount. Then usually the plan is to add in dance on floor and start light tumbling on a tumble track.

It is really important to get with a PT(hopefully one that knows gymnastics) and let them guide you and your dd through the rather tedious rehab. My gymmie had to sit out initially for her knee in the last month before her L6 season started. At the 1st meet, she was able to do beam and bars and then 2 weeks later was able to compete AA in the 2nd meet. Her PT put it to her like this, " I can say go ahead and practice everything now(2 weeks in to minimal activity) and you will get to States---watching your team OR you can go along with this plan and have a real shot at competing at states--your choice." I can tell you which one she picked Even ended up with the silver on vault at the state meet.

 

[sportsmom22]

We have been there, done that too. We had a different diagnosis though. I would go for a second opinion with a sports ortho, someone who deals with gymnasts. My daughter was competing level 4, playing basketball, and taking dance (softball season had just ended). She was off for 6 weeks. We were lucky that it happened during Christmas break so it felt like only 4. It's so hard when you have an active child, but it really is for the best. She no longer competes, but continues to do a lot of other sports. Her knee still hurts at time, and we take her off it and ice it. Good luck!

 

[bogwoppit]

We did this, totally not fun for anyone involved. BUt unfortuantely the time off impact has to be done or the healing will not be complete and the injury will just drag on.

We found a great sports therapist who was able to massage, ultrasound and stimulate the area to encourage healing. She also gave excercises and stretches to do at home that helped DD feel like she was working hard at a resolution. The coach was great about integrating this stuff into the gym class, so when the others would vault, she would do her PT.

It did take three months before she got back to tumbling, vaulting and dismounts, but she coped.

Good luck these injuries are often so unexpected and very hard for an active child to deal with.

 

[gymmomof1]

Add my gymmie to this list--she was about the same age as your gymmie when she started with the knee pain and it escalated finally diagnosed with Sinding-Larsen Johannson syndrome . Yes she did PT for almost a year, took a month off completly from the gym, then went back on modified routines (no impact until she was pain free) for another 1.5 months and took Oscon (vitamin supplement). She has a petella tendon strap which helps and we use to tape her flat feet. I can tell you how hard it was for her to watch her teammates getting new skills and advancing while she did conditioning stuff and only worked on bars. BUT when she did go back she was pain free and caught up quickly. She is very good about icing her knee after every practice and doing the stretching excercised from the PT. She put a lot of work into getting the knee healed and it has payed off in the long run . My husband and I were torn whether to have her change sports and thought the knee would never heal but it did and she is right where her teammates are skill wise. Hope this helps you too, along with those other mom's who posted, we know how you feel & the gymmie's know what yours is going through!