Parents What have you experienced with rehab after fracture?

[mkwh]

Hey. Im just looking to hear a few stories on experience with rehab. I posted a few times last year when my DD was experiencing a mental block on back tumbling. She never got over it even at state but had a great year otherwise. This summer got over it and was doing fabulous. She went to a score out meet in July and scored out of level 5 and did great with her back tumbling. The few weeks following that were the most confident I had seen her regarding gym probably ever. About 3 weeks after score out she was doing a back walkover back handspring series on beam. She landed a great one. The 2nd time her left hand slipped and ended up breaking her wrist through the growth plate. It was only on the distal radius but a complete break all the way through the growth plate. She had a big plaster splint above the elbow for two weeks and then a below the elbow hard cast for 4 weeks. She went to every gym practice except for the very first day after the injury. She learned her lvl 6 floor choreography during this time but did mostly conditioning for the 6 weeks. last week she got her cast off. The dr said her xrays look awesome and didn't even put her in a splint. He wants her still very limited in gym for 2 weeks. After a couple of days of pain she doesn't have any now. Most of her range of motion is back except for rotating her palm up. Still several inches of rotation away on that on. Of course she is dying to do everything and her first meet of the season is Nov 20th (8 weeks after cast removal). On Fri (4 days after cast off) she did a handstand and a bridge and was allowed to hang on bars. Today she is supposed to be allowed to try a cartwheel and back walkover. and ease into more over the week so next week when the 2 weeks post cast is over she can begin to do somethings that require more pressure like vault and tumbling. Really my biggest fear is that her mental block will return. But I would love to hear how others have done with return to full training after a 6 week cast. ( oh and she turns 11 this week if age matters). How long until they could do all of their skills again? How long until their skills were back as good as before the injury? How have yours done competing 8 weeks after cast removal?
Thanks!

 

[Sminty]

DD had a similar (though not as severe) injury last year. She was in a full arm splint for ~4 weeks, then was out a few more days with the holidays. Just before fracturing her elbow, she had gotten over a 9 month fear of jumping to the high bar. After her splint came off, the fear did come back, but she was able to get through it relatively quickly. Her first competition was only 4 weeks after it came off and to be hones it was a bit rough. BUT she did improve quickly after that and was back to her previous form by the next meet.

 

[Half-Pint]

When my dd was a 7yo level 3 she fractured her elbow. Cast for 3 weeks, then sling and physical therapy for 3 weeks, and then she was finally able to ease back into using that arm. She had a meet about 3 weeks after she started fully training again, and she was definitely weaker, especially on vault and tumbling. But the month after that she had her best meet ever. I'd say you will be surprised how much she has recovered in 8 weeks.

 

[gymjunkie]

They do great as long as they don't rush back into full force before they are ready.

 

[mkwh]

Thanks! She did do some cartwheels and backwalkovers Mon and Tues this week also some basic glides on bars. Very simple baby steps but Im glad the gym is taking the slow approach. I feel sure she will not be where she was by the first meet and definitely not where she "could have been" had this not happened. But if she is able to compete all events and score descent I will be pleased. The next meet is after that one is an additional 3 weeks so 11 total after cast removal. So hoping for 100% by then I feel sure physically she will be, am just anxious to see how things go mentally once she starts big skills again.

 

[kris]

Mine had stress fractures in both wrists at about the level of your DD. She never had a full plaster cast, but wore removable ones for a long time only taking them off for bathing and physical therapy. Since it was a gradual process coming back to the gym, I can't remember exactly how long between when they came off and when she did her score out meet for old level 6, but it was only two days after she was finally cleared to vault again. They allowed her to do 4 vaults per day only though. She came into the gym to do 4 vaults the day before the meet, did two warm ups at the meet, then her two vaults. I can't remember her score, but, while it wasn't her best meet, she didn't just scrape by with a 32 or something either, and she made it to the level 7 the following season. Here's hoping for no mental blocks and a quick, healthy return to the gym for your DD.

 

[munchkin3]

My son has been through many injuries and rehabs......all I can say is the rehab part is the most important.....tell your DD not to rush it...it sounds as you guys are keeping her on baby steps so she will be fine.

I would spring the mental block thing a different way. I would say that there is a positive behind every negative. This terrible injury have given her mind time to clear, and to take a step away from the skills that cause her stress. Now perhaps she can go back into it with a renewed feeling of desire and motivation!

I would definitely not rush it though......make sure she is downright begging to do her back tumbling. If the meet comes up too soon, there is always another one.....no pressure!

 

[Blackie6]

My 14 yr old DD (L8) suffered a boxers fracture in her hand in June during travel softball tournament when she took a fast pitch to the hand while at bat. She was super brave when the Ortho popped the bone (hand, bone below pinky) back into place without being sedated. She was casted one week in temp cast til the swelling went down, then almost 5 weeks in regular cast. She begged to get cast off early since we were headed on vacation for one week, LOL, and had special splint the doctor made. He kept her out about another 2 more weeks so almost 8 weeks total no pressure on hand. She conditioned during that time & did whatever she could without her hand. She got good at one handed handstand, one handed cartwheeels, and learned a gainer off the beam.

She never had fears before injury, (she has had many MANY injuries as a gymnast) but she does hve one now. To be honest, I can't say for sure it was the injury exactly. She is in HS gymnastics and may have started to compete too early, before she was physically & mentally ready. Our HS starts in Sept and she really did not have alot of time to get skills back and really own them. She was doing her FWO BHS on beam and her hand slipped at a meet. As she fell off, she hit her bad hand. It hurt enough that she was scared of re-injury. Thankfully it wasn't, and she had no more pain afterwards. But, the mental damage was done. She HATES beam right now & she is scared of that BHS. I think she will be fine when her regular USAG season kicks in (December) but right now she asociated that skill with that hand injury even though gymnastics didn't cause the injury. She has come back from many injuries and an 8 month "retirement" so I think this is something she can work thru and won't be career ending, but it's hard to anticipate what is going to get into their heads!

My suggestion to you is, don't mention it, don't make big deal out of her return. Don't keep asking if she is scared, does she have blocks, ect...these are all things they are just going to get thru on their own in their own time if it happens to pop up. Don't assume it will. The conditioning and anything else she has been doing will not set her as far back as you think. My daughter's biggest skill to get back was her bars (giants), but most of the tumbling and stuff was spot on when she returned. So, your daughter will have enough things that will not make her feel so far behind hopefully. Hopefully she is so happy to be back in the gym & regular practice thoughts of a previous block is not in her head anymore. I hope your daughter has a speedy recover & no blocks!

 

[rjb123]

My advice is to get someone outside the gym to help with regaining strength. It was VERY difficult for DD after her cast came off while she was in that phase of recovery. It was probably worse than when it was casted because she was "allowed" to do things, but had such a strength deficit in her arm that she couldn't. She went to a sports trainer who knows the sport, but is not affiliated with the gym. It was a godsend. Seriously. It was a place that she could voice her frustrations, fears, etc as well as get encouragement and support (and some tough love at times!) I think that he really sped up her recovery, and since that point she has gained a ton more strength. She was able to go to him and say "I am really struggling with this or that" and they would focus on working those muscles. She continues to go now and they work on her weaker areas in strength and also do injury prevention work. Frankly, it was the best money I could have ever spent- it has helped her not only physically but also mentally. Worth every single penny.

 

[Smartiegirl]

It takes time to regain grip strength on bars too. My daughter has done the rehab circuit several times. Patience is important, and its how the season ends, not how it begins.

 

[mkwh]

Thank everyone!! I like to hear people's experiences even though I know each situation is different. We are now 10 days post cast removal. She has landed a BWO on low beam (yay! since BHS on beam is what broke her wrist). On bars she has moved from glides to pull overs. she wants to do a kip but coach wont let her yet. On vault last night she did some handstand flatbacks on a mat ( like a lvl 3 vault) So baby steps on each event. Coach is asking her how each thing feels and I think being very careful and deliberate with each little step. Coach told her on handstands she is putting more weight through her shoulder on the "good" arm so has given her some things to work on to help with that etc. Baby steps but new ones each day so so far I am pleased