Parents So many injuries

[sewgood]

Also, probably not what you want to hear, but I still wear wrist braces, every night. And I’m in my 40s. If I forget them when we travel or fall asleep watching tv or something, my hands and wrists hurt for a good hour or two when I wake up and I also have that pins and needles burning sensation.

 

[duyetanh]

Also, probably not what you want to hear, but I still wear wrist braces, every night. And I’m in my 40s. If I forget them when we travel or fall asleep watching tv or something, my hands and wrists hurt for a good hour or two when I wake up and I also have that pins and needles burning sensation.

I am sorry. That really sucks.

 

[Aussie_coach]

What would you consider proper or enough conditioning? Bc our gym does a ton. At least 40 min every practice - she’s there 21 hrs a week. And sometimes two rotations when you add in plyos and active flex. That seems sufficient. And she’s become so strong despite the fact that she has a harder time gaining muscle mass.

I’ve always thought technique played a huge role in injury. Kids doing the same move over and over again but if even one small thing is off mechanically that repetition plays a factor. And I would have no idea if her hands or wrists were properly aligned.

Plus I do think some are just built differently. I’m watching my husband have all sorts of early onset physical issues and I wonder about the genetic aspect of body type. Did she inherit his weaker joints - I know she got his flexibility!

So many factors can play a roll in the likelihood of injury
1. Lack of strength
2. Lack of flexibility
3. Hypermobility
4. Poor technique
5. Incorrect compensations in skills (often caused by lack of strength of flexibility)
6. Poor landings
7. Not enough practice of landings and falling
8. Gymnasts attempting skills they are not fully ready to do
9. Overuse (coaches not varying the workouts and planning them well enough)
10. Lapse in concentration
11. Not enough safety precautions (ie not matting a wall right near the skill area, not using enough mats for a new skills etc)
12. The list goes on and on

 

[LGnyc]

The hardest part now is waiting. She did the MRI but bc of vacation we won’t get the results til the new year. And increasingly I am thinking this is the end of her gymnastics career.

It would be sad no matter when it happens but she’s been on this wonderful stretch of skill acqusition and confidence. She was truly loving going to the gym these days. And after two decent meets to start I know she was hoping for a strong season.

I can’t share my fears with her or DH or gym friends. Seems safest to share here.

 

[gymmom10]

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I would tell you not to waste any time worrying until you talk it over with the doctor once you have the MRI results but I know how it is. I hope you get the guidance and clarity you need. Sometimes the path becomes a little clearer with time.

 

[profmom]

I think the big question is whether she can tolerate an extended break on equipment work again. These things can really take a long time to heal, but if it is stress fractures and not more, they can heal. DS has a L10 teammate who had to take a lot of time off for one injury after another including stress fractures in both wrists, but he is finally back this season and looking great.

I hope wherever this goes leaves you and her with a sense of peace.

 

[B&M's mom]

Good luck. Its so hard to watch this happen. In the year before my DD decided to leave the sport her body basically started falling apart. We had been pro-active in trying to keep her in condition for the sport but we found that puberty and the fact that gymnastics will put strain on any weak spot in their body worked against her. Some weaknesses she was able to overcome but some were just the way her body was formed. She decided that she didn't want to specialize and moved to diving where she is as happy as a clam and injury free.

 

[baramy]

Also I am sure you have considered this, but there is an inherited condition that causes hyper-flexibility and it can cause injury...I do not remember what it is called. Also even without that specific syndrome, I think hyper mobility can cause problems. Sorry I know very little about it, just recently talked to a mom whose kids were great dancers and gymnasts because they were so flexible, but they tended to have joint pain and injured frequently, and finally went to a doctor who saw that the whole family had this syndrome.

Do you mean Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome maybe?

 

[LGnyc]

Hyper mobility syndrome is a larger category and Ehlers is a subset. My son has hyper mobility but luckily not EDS.

 

[raenndrops]

Hyper mobility syndrome is a larger category and Ehlers is a subset. My son has hyper mobility but luckily not EDS.

3 girls on my team are diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos - Hyper-mobility. We have another that is waiting on her appointment for genetic testing for it. They are currently L5, L6, and XLP.

 

[Kara]

There is no genetic test for the hyper mobility type of EDS, only for the other types. It's being extremely over diagnosed in anyone who is hyper mobile by doctors who don't fully understand the disease. It's also extremely rare to have true EDS hyper mobility and highly unlikely that 4 members of one team would have the condition and also be capable of continuing gymnastics.

 

[Kara]

There is no genetic test for the hyper mobility type of EDS, only for the other types. It's being extremely over diagnosed in anyone who is hyper mobile by doctors who don't fully understand the disease. It's also extremely rare to have true EDS hyper mobility and highly unlikely that 4 members of one team would have the condition and also be capable of continuing gymnastics.

For anyone who is interested in more info about EDS/ Hyper Mobility Syndrome here is a good source of information: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/

 

[raenndrops]

There is no genetic test for the hyper mobility type of EDS, only for the other types. It's being extremely over diagnosed in anyone who is hyper mobile by doctors who don't fully understand the disease. It's also extremely rare to have true EDS hyper mobility and highly unlikely that 4 members of one team would have the condition and also be capable of continuing gymnastics.

For anyone who is interested in more info about EDS/ Hyper Mobility Syndrome here is a good source of information: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/

This is the same link the specialist at the Connective Tissue Clinic gave one of the mothers.

The girls dont just have hypermobility... and they were not diagnosed by a family doctor. They have a lot of other symptoms... especially the XLP. She deals with the pain daily and only practices about 4-5 hours a week. It took almost 18 months for her to get diagnosed.
There is a Connective Tissue Clinic in the area... that is where the 4th girl has her appointment coming up. Her mom explained it to her as a genetic test, and that seemed easiest to explain it as.
When we found out about the 3rd diagnosis, we were saying how unusual it was to even know that many people with it.
But the 3 are actually from different areas and would never have met if it werent for gym. I think they are able to continue in gym due to our limited hours and the fact that we understand missing practice for various reasons.

 

[baramy]

There is no genetic test for the hyper mobility type of EDS, only for the other types. It's being extremely over diagnosed in anyone who is hyper mobile by doctors who don't fully understand the disease. It's also extremely rare to have true EDS hyper mobility and highly unlikely that 4 members of one team would have the condition and also be capable of continuing gymnastics.

Totally agree. I have EDS and had to quit both gymnastics and cheer. I could only stay in the team so long because of stubbornness, but I wish I didn't. I deal with a lot of pain daily (partly because of gymnastics). Even if they can practice gymnastics now, I wouldn't recommend it. They will probably regret it With that said, everyone with EDS is different. So maybe a few can handle it and (the parents) think it's worth the risk. The children will always think it's worth it haha

 

[gymjunkie]

I have EDS, and my gymnast children inherited it as well. Our PT (former college gymnast) says lots of gymnasts and dancers have it (although it's not always diagnosed). In my case, gymnastics helped because it taught me how to stabilize my joints through conditioning. It was actually when I stopped the intense training that my symptoms became apparent. My daughter does have to train a little differently than her teammates. My rule for allowing her to continue in the sport is she visits her PT monthly for additional stabilization exercises (not a bad thing for any gymnast) and she has pain checked out if it occurs for 3 consecutive practices (also recommend this for any gymnast). In general, I think gymnasts do not utilize PT enough, which is a huge cause of high injury rates.

 

[Kara]

Yep, the PT is extremely important for anyone with EDS. Another thing that's important for coaches and gymnasts to understand is that it isn't good to "show off" the hyper mobility, ie having a ton of flexibility moves included in routines, since that will just make symptoms worse. And like baramy said everyone with EDS is different, even with PT many won't be able to continue with a sport like gymnastics due to chronic dislocations. I think that, going back to the OPs original question would be a case where the parent should step in and say enough is enough.

 

[Kara]

Oh, and to raenndrops, I didn't mean to imply that you were lying, weird coincidences do happen, but sadly there are a lot of undereducated doctors who are quick to throw an EDS diagnosis at any flexible patient with pain, when the reality is that hyper mobile EDS involves much more than flexibility. Glad it seems your gymnast is getting evaluated by a qualified specialist. It's also true that while there is no genetic marker, yet, for H-EDS, the doctor diagnosing it would likely be a geneticist, since it is known to be an inherited condition, and it is also not uncommon to run genetic tests to rule out the other, more severe, forms of EDS. Sorry for the rambling, and taking this thread OT, EDS nerd here, .

 

[raenndrops]

Oh, and to raenndrops, I didn't mean to imply that you were lying, weird coincidences do happen, but sadly there are a lot of undereducated doctors who are quick to throw an EDS diagnosis at any flexible patient with pain, when the reality is that hyper mobile EDS involves much more than flexibility. Glad it seems your gymnast is getting evaluated by a qualified specialist. It's also true that while there is no genetic marker, yet, for H-EDS, the doctor diagnosing it would likely be a geneticist, since it is known to be an inherited condition, and it is also not uncommon to run genetic tests to rule out the other, more severe, forms of EDS. Sorry for the rambling, and taking this thread OT, EDS nerd here, .

It's all good. I just wanted you to know that I am aware, lol. My family doctor had NEVER HEARD of it.

And we know it is weird. It was actually shocking to us when we realized they had the same diagnosis. They all go to specialists and all have PT "on standby" so to speak.

The oldest is in high school, so she only has a couple years left of gymnastics (Xcel Platinum). The others are actually all in 7th grade this year (a L5 and 2 L6)... 2 different school districts... and the high schooler is in a 3rd district.

Actually, I am also waiting for an appointment at a different clinic (I am too old for Children's Hospital) for the same testing. Too many "unrelated" symptoms that may actually be related. I was actually educated by the mom of the high schooler... she gave me links and posted things during EDS Awareness Month (I was like... "Hey, that's me" to a lot of her posts, so I got talking to her).

 

[sewgood]

For anyone who is interested in more info about EDS/ Hyper Mobility Syndrome here is a good source of information: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/

Wow, I just read that page and now I want to get tested. So me, especially the things I bolded:
Joints -
Joint hypermobility; loose/unstable joints which are prone to frequent dislocations and/or subluxations; joint pain; hyperextensible joints (they move beyond the joint’s normal range); early onset of osteoarthritis. (Not OA but I do have RA)

Skin
Soft velvety-like skin; variable skin hyper-extensibility; fragile skin that tears or bruises easily (bruising may be severe); severe scarring; slow and poor wound healing; development of molluscoid pseudo tumors (fleshy lesions associated with scars over pressure areas).

Miscellaneous/Less Common
Chronic, early onset, debilitating musculoskeletal pain (usually associated with the Hypermobility Type); arterial/intestinal/uterine fragility or rupture (usually associated with the Vascular Type); scoliosis at birth and scleral fragility (associated with the Kyphoscoliosis Type); poor muscle tone (associated with the Arthrochalasia Type); mitral valve prolapse; and gum disease.



You know how you see some dancers and gymnasts that seem to have every single joint taped? That was me. I honestly don’t even know how many times I have sprained both ankles because it has happened so many times now. I don’t wear heels, even wedges, because my ankles are so unstable.

 

[raenndrops]

Wow, I just read that page and now I want to get tested. So me, especially the things I bolded:
Joints -
Joint hypermobility; loose/unstable joints which are prone to frequent dislocations and/or subluxations; joint pain; hyperextensible joints (they move beyond the joint’s normal range); early onset of osteoarthritis. (Not OA but I do have RA)

Skin
Soft velvety-like skin; variable skin hyper-extensibility; fragile skin that tears or bruises easily (bruising may be severe); severe scarring; slow and poor wound healing; development of molluscoid pseudo tumors (fleshy lesions associated with scars over pressure areas).

Miscellaneous/Less Common
Chronic, early onset, debilitating musculoskeletal pain (usually associated with the Hypermobility Type); arterial/intestinal/uterine fragility or rupture (usually associated with the Vascular Type); scoliosis at birth and scleral fragility (associated with the Kyphoscoliosis Type); poor muscle tone (associated with the Arthrochalasia Type); mitral valve prolapse; and gum disease.



You know how you see some dancers and gymnasts that seem to have every single joint taped? That was me. I honestly don’t even know how many times I have sprained both ankles because it has happened so many times now. I don’t wear heels, even wedges, because my ankles are so unstable.

i can sprain an ankle standing still!! and can dislocate my shoulder in my sleep in addition to a lot of other symptoms, lol.