What could it be - open to suggestions

[cher062]

Hello everyone Well last Thurs DD came home complaining of pain in her shoulder. It isn't like a bruise or throbing pain and it goes away with rest for a few days. DR has her out for the week (not good for gymnastics since she will have her first meet of the season in 2 weeks)

No tests have been run yet but was wondering if anyone has any ideas of what it could be - I think I am going to take her to a sports medicine DR as her Pediatric DR I think should have at least sent her for an x/ray or something.

Suggestions.

 

[lhmom]

No idea, but would definitely recommend her seeing a specialist. A few of DD's teammates have been diagnosed with injuries (fractures) after seeing the specialist even though the pediatrician didn't see it on examination or xray. Hope it's not serious!

 

[flipper's fan]

Could be lots of things other than a break. I'd go to the sports doctor just so you have an idea of what you might be dealing with.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Hello everyone Well last Thurs DD came home complaining of pain in her shoulder. It isn't like a bruise or throbing pain and it goes away with rest for a few days. DR has her out for the week (not good for gymnastics since she will have her first meet of the season in 2 weeks)

No tests have been run yet but was wondering if anyone has any ideas of what it could be - I think I am going to take her to a sports medicine DR as her Pediatric DR I think should have at least sent her for an x/ray or something.

Suggestions.

i have an idea that it could be several things ranging from nothing to something. follow the doc's lead.

 

[momof5]

Just guessing here but depending on where its located it could be tendonitis. DD had some tendonitis in her shoulder this summer.

 

[gym law mom]

Same thought as dunno. X-rays of the shoulder usually don't show anything---pretty much a waste of time. A good exam by an ortho will tell alot more.

 

[cher062]

Well I have an appt with and ortho this afternoon. Hopefully its just a strain in her L shoulder.
Her reg Dr didn't even do an x-ray, ultrasound or MRI which one of them I was expecting him to ask for while she rest it.
sometimes you just need that specialist as the general Dr's just don't go far enough.

thanks for the advice and well wishes will let you know if its more than an overuse issue. Im hoping she will be able to compete on the 5th with maybe a more limited practice. Maybe just practice the routines and no L8 uptraining skills or the repetitive other things they do at practice. we will see.

 

[flipper's fan]

Good luck- keep us posted!

 

[cher062]

Just got back from DR He took an x-ray to see what was going on. No fractures or tears it looks like her flexability in that shoulder is suppose to be at 180 degrees and its only at 170 degrees. so Now that she is uptraining the L8 skills it is putting a strain on those muscles in her left shoulder. the cure as all doctors want is No gymnastics for a year or two and we all know that isn't going to happen LOL. so we start PT tomorrow for the next 2 months to stretch those muscles so she can reach 180 Degrees over her head. Because she is tight in that shoulder she is compensating and causing strain in that shoulder which if left untreated could cause tears in the muscles. This compensation is causing inflamation in the rotater cuff area as well. So Modified practice is coming. Basicly no real Bars other than doing the routine once or twice to keep up with the routine. Not heavy tumbling (which they do alot) so again maybe the routine a few time So on beam the leaps and dance moves no back handsprings etc and on floor the same the leaps and dance moves but the tumbling passes need to be limited to once or twice so long as there isn't any pain. Vault is ok so long as there is no pain Basicly she can condition too anything below the chest. I'm sure her coaches aren't going to like it that much and she may have to miss Oct and Nov meets but they said if she doesn't have pain she can do the meets since the physical activitie really is only about 5 - 8 min total in a four hour meet.

I would say this is definitly good news as the issues are caught early and PT starts tomorrow. If she still is complaining of pain after a month then she will have to stop for at least a month - she definitly teared up when she heard that possibility. I'm hoping she will be honest and let me know if there is pain instead of pushing through because she doesn't want to miss out.

 

[gymmomtoo]

No gymnastics for a year or two?? Clearly this is a doctor that doesn't treat many gymnasts! Glad there is the PT option--hope that helps!

 

[flipper's fan]

No gymnastics for a year or two?? Clearly this is a doctor that doesn't treat many gymnasts! Glad there is the PT option--hope that helps!

yeah- there are sports doctors and then there are sports doctors! Once I separated my shoulder in a snowboarding fall. It popped right back in and I ignored the initial pain. I became so good at compensating for it that it took four months before i thoght I should see a doctor about it. Three months of PT and I had full range of motion back. Anything is possible. Good luck to your DD!

 

[cher062]

this Dr does deal with atleats as it is a sports medicine place. But that seems to be the standard answer. I told him that wasn't an option he told me if it were cancer and she had to stop to save her life it would be an option. Crazy guy but seems to know his stuff. I said we have way too much money and time invested in her dream to just say hey that 2 grand we just dished out for uniforms, meets and practice can be blown off. I think its because its a guy seems to me the male DR's aren't as sympathetic as the Female DR. We starte with a girl who brought the other DR in for a consult. The thing they told me was the muscles and ligaments needed to be stretched more in that shoulder or this will keep happening with the skills she is now trying to attempt. So the PT is supposed to do that over the next 8 weeks. But there is no reason she can't go to gym and do the things that don't hurt when she does them. He agreed so its a modified practice schedule.

 

[lhmom]

I am glad that you could get answers so quickly! Good luck with the PT.

 

[Deanna]

Glad it was nothing major and it was caught soon enough to hopefully prevent any serious damage. Hope the PT works..and she gets the flexability in her shoulder to be able to properly do her routines. Keep us posted on how it goes. And GL to her at her meet in 2 wks

 

[Shewhodrives]

Happy to have read your update that it isn't something that will take her out of the gym for awhile. I'm sure the thought of no gymnastics for a month was hard for her to hear. I hope the PT works wonders and she follows the DR's orders. Best of luck.

 

[gym law mom]

Ok, basically she's got rotator cuff syndrome. Hope the PT works for her. Honestly unless she had torn her rotator cuff to pieces you won't see smaller tears on an x-ray.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i concur ^^^

 

[LMV]

Ok, basically she's got rotator cuff syndrome. Hope the PT works for her. Honestly unless she had torn her rotator cuff to pieces you won't see smaller tears on an x-ray.

I concur. X-rays are good for looking for fractures and dislocations [and are pretty decent for fluid, masses, and foreign bodies in some situations] beyond that MRI and CT are more helpful. But I'm hoping that everything goes well with PT. Good luck to your daughter.

 

[cher062]

ok she started PT has been twice. The Therapist did an initial evaluation and the final conclulsion with every thing and Dr evaluation in is with the new upper level skis requiring more twisting and back muscle that DD's muscles in her upper back area are weak and tight. This is causing her to over compensate with her neck and shoulder muscles causing a strain on them. this strain is causing inflamation in the roter cuff that goes away if she rests. So the Plan work on strengthening the back muscles and shoulder muscles and she needs to increase the range of motion when she raises her arm that tendon is tight too and she can only get to about 170 degrees - she should be at 180 or more. So lots of stretching arms back and free weight work. They said we should see an improvement to where she can compete with in the next 3 weeks or so which is just in time for meet season. I thought her first meet was on the 5th but its on the 12th which is great gives us one more week to get things together. She may have to scratch bars until the end of Dec though as they don't want her doing that motion of giants etc that pull on the shoulder.

 

[shelovestoflip]

My daughter's PT gave (well, bought thru insurance!) her a foam cylinder. I'm sure it has a name but I don't know it! It's about 36" long and about 6" wide.

One of the exercises she does at home is lie on it on her back with her arms bent at the elbows, palms face up. This is to help her shoulder flexibility.

I'm sure if you describe this to the PT she/he will know what you mean. My daughter does these every night to help flexibility. She actually likes just lying there stretching her shoulders!! She is competing Level 7 this season.

Hope things go well for your daughter.