Parents TENS unit: Anyone try it for Sever's?

[gymbeam]

i happen to have a TENS machine and am thinking about trying it on my daughter who has recently developed an aggravating case of sever's. anyone ever tried it for this? any opinions on whether it might help this type of pain? thanks!

 

[leotardmakermum]

My daughter used to have a TENS thingy used on her at training (with my permission). I have no idea if it had any effect at all. Certainly not one that was noticeable to me, her parent. However, I can't imagine it would hinder her recovery, so maybe even the possibility of a small benefit from its use is worthwhile? (So says the parent of a gymnast afflicted very badly with severs for about a year. I know you can get a bit desperate for ANYTHING to help!)

 

[twinmomma]

I'm not sure it would be any assistance for Severs, since Severs is really a growth plate issue. Granted, loosening up the Achilles and the surrounding muscles is a big help, so maybe it would. We've been following the protocol recommended by the makers of the X Brace and having good luck so far.

 

[Muddlethru]

My daughter has used her TENS machine (adjusted by her PT) when she had patellar tendonitis (which was also associated with her growth plate), sprained ankle and achilles tendonitis. Her PT explained to me that the TENS unit is particularly used to alleviate pain. I can't tell you definitively if it helped my daughter since she was having PT treatments at the same time. But the PT assured me it cannot hurt. So, I guess it is worth a try.

 

[wrzos]

Our PT has been putting the TENS on my daughter's Severs... (along with a whole host of other things)

 

[sewgood]

I'm not sure it would be any assistance for Severs, since Severs is really a growth plate issue. Granted, loosening up the Achilles and the surrounding muscles is a big help, so maybe it would. We've been following the protocol recommended by the makers of the X Brace and having good luck so far.

We've had a lot of luck with the X Brace and the protocol recommended on the website. The team doctor is a big fan and I have to say, it seems to have made a big difference. She forgot her X braces on Tuesday last week, and her heels were really hurting because of it. So, I'm definitely on Team X Brace - big rec from us.

 

[gymbeam]

our coaches wont approve them wearing anything for severs- no xbrace or cheetah cups

 

[gymbeam]

I'm not sure it would be any assistance for Severs, since Severs is really a growth plate issue. Granted, loosening up the Achilles and the surrounding muscles is a big help, so maybe it would. We've been following the protocol recommended by the makers of the X Brace and having good luck so far.

i dont htink of TENS as anything to loosen stuff up though? its mechanism is to interrupt pain signals, right?

 

[twinmomma]

our coaches wont approve them wearing anything for severs- no xbrace or cheetah cups

because?????? and what if they are dr. prescribed?

 

[sewgood]

our coaches wont approve them wearing anything for severs- no xbrace or cheetah cups

Well, that's just ridiculous. Hell would freeze over before I'd take advice from a coach who has no medical training over a sports medicine physician. We are lucky because our coach has a team doctor who gets it, so it's a non-issue for us. But if I was in your situation and the X-brace and/or cheetah cups were prescribed by a doctor and the coach didn't "approve" them, I would very kindly tell him or her where to go with their opinion. Honestly, I would have serious concerns about having my child enrolled in a gym where they actively recommended against doctor orders and where they don't take children's pain seriously. Not okay. Would they prevent a diabetic child from getting a snack or insulin if they needed it? Will they not do taping when needed? Are there any physical trainers or physicians on staff there for the team kids? Sorry for all the questions, I just honestly can't wrap my brain around this, I guess.

FWIW, my daughter has both, but seems to have better luck with the X-braces. Also, she says beam is impossible to do with the cheetah cups. We were watching the BB event finals from Worlds and when Wang Yan fell on her first element, my daughter said, "Not surprised... it's not like you can stay on when you're wearing a cheatah cup." She does wear the cheetah cups in her regular shoes if her Sever's is bothering her outside the gym, but when she is doing gymnastics, she is all about the X-brace. Not sure if that helps anyone who is trying to decide between the two, but that's my 10 year old's opinion.

 

[gymbeam]

well i havent taken her to a doctor. i told the coach a "friend" recommended them when i was actually talking about the bucket.

his rationale is that it becomes an epidemic and everyone wants to start wearing them. im sure if i came to him and said a doctor prescribed them, he would succumb.