Parents Season over prematurely

[kiwiflyer]

I do recall having a gymnast years ago who had had a stress fracture in her back at 6. i can easily say that it had nothing to do with gymnastics. Her mother told us about it when she started gymnastics. Hindsight says that the gym probably wasn't the best place for her. However, she was only doing rec gym and there was very little that we did at that time to cause excessive extension of the spine. I would tend to agree though that this type of injury is very uncommon. In over 15 years of coaching she is the only one that I have seen.

 

[profmom]

My dd was 9 when she was diagnosed with 3 stress fractures in her back. 2 on L5 and 1 on L4. One was healed over and even though I had brought her in for back pain a year earlier to an orthopedic who "specialized" in gymnasts, she only took an x-ray and told me that her back was fine. (If I only knew then what I know now!!) Anyhow, the cause of her stress fractures was an over zealous conditioning coach who thought he was training TOPS and strapped 10 lbs of weights around her waist 5 days a week for an hour at a time. He had her lifting weights, doing leg lifts,etc. AND doing gymnastics all while having these weights strapped around her waist. She was a tiny little thing already- 10th percentile for weight. She had a high pain tolerance and was a people pleasing gymnast. She was finally carried off the floor by an assistant coach. Parents were not allowed in this gym. It almost ended her gymnastics career! When I confronted the coach and owner, they told me that maybe the backpack she carried to school was too heavy! She was out of the gym for 4 months. The other 2 girls that he conditioned like this were severely harmed as well. One had to have back surgery and have titanium rings inserted in her back and it eventually ended her career. The other one has had ongoing back problems even as a third yr. level 10. Mine was very lucky that with time out of the gym, proper physical therapy and relearning techinique, she has never had long term reprecussions. Of course we also switched gyms. This is serious stuff and should not be taken lightly!

That sound was my jaw hitting the desk. I have a proposal for using weights with that coach, but I don't think the board's filters will allow me to post . . . Glad your daughter is OK.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

would that proposal include vaseline or not?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Thank you Dunno! Totally agree! ...and I was wondering where you were when this discussion was going on (your sage advice is always welcome!) because there's no way the numbers should be that high for 8 years old.

sorry i was late. i think i just missed it.

my understanding from all walks of the medical field is that the medical jury is still out on spondylolysthesis. i concur with those in the medical field that believe that this condition is congenital. in my mind, how else could a human being have this condition when it has been scrutinized yet idiopathic.

but then gymnastics, football lineman, swimming and diving can bring this condition to the fore early in a childs life because these activities exacerbate the condition. this doesn't mean that these sports are bad for you. just means that these activities will bring out the condition at an early age and even pre-puberty.

this condition is similar to Chiari. many people walk around for years with this condition and never have an inkling that anything is wrong with them. when all of a sudden...BOOM! they get rear ended in a car and this condition is discovered in the ER under scan. spondy is the same way. many can go thru their whole life without a problem...until...BOOM.

unfortunately, BOOM comes out earlier when kids participate in the above activities. but don't misunderstand my central theme even when the kids have PERFECT BIOLOGY...kids in gymnastics should not be doing 583748699785764646 repetitions of skills that articulate the spine or doing the same with vaulting.

 

[kikimom]

Sorry to hear about your daughter - hope she is better soon. Also, sorry the comments and replies upset you - I don't generally post much, but I like to read others thoughts. I don't think anybody meant anything they posted as a personal attack on you or your daughter or necessarily her gym though. Just sharing their concerns for your daughter and her injury. Your daughter is young so I'm sure she will recover - I think what alot of people were trying to say is maybe she was trying to much too soon. Seems like this happens alot - everybody wants to move to the next skill. And often they can do it, but they might not have been ready to do it and built up the appropriate muscles. I'm no expert, but I've been told that many girls doing giants are not actually doing them technically correct and are using the wrong muscles...etc. to get themselves around. I'm sure you are listening to the advice of her doctors and that is best.