Parents Which doctor

[MILgymFAM]

My YDD injured her arm/wrist about a month ago. She was seen by an orthopedist who cleared her to go back to practice after two weeks. She told us she should stay off rod floor for awhile but she'd be fine. Well, DD still has pain, even on the tumble trak, even on simple skills, even wearing her tiger paws. She asked me to take her back to the dr. My question: which doctor at this point? The ortho (who assumed she was done with her) or her regular dr? Or should I keep waiting it out a bit?

 

[Daffodil]

I would suggest a sports medicine doctor who has experience treating gymnasts.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I would suggest a sports medicine doctor who has experience treating gymnasts.

The orthopedist was such.

 

[Faith]

Realise it's different in the uk, but i'd go to a sports physio.

They'll say if she needs more than a few physio sessions, and recommend where you should take her.

 

[B&M's mom]

I'd definitely go to a sports ortho. This may be time for a second opinion as I've found that different doctors see different things.

I know my daughter's regular doctor would just send her to an ortho in the situation you described.

 

[lovemygymnast]

Go back to the ortho. If she is still having pain, then she may order an X-Ray or CT or something to be sure there isn't something that was missed. We had a girl that was having this trouble with her elbow & it ended up being inflammation at a growth plate, basically, an overuse injury and she had to rest it for 3-4 weeks. That may be what it takes to make the pain stop, but the ortho would be the person to see. If you go to the pediatrician or GP, they'll send you to the ortho so cut out the middle man. Good luck!

 

[munchkin3]

Lots of joint injuries in kids cannot be seen on a regular X-ray. You need to ask for an MRI ASAP.
Timing is important so you know what you are dealing with from the beginning. Regular orthos take the hit or miss approach because for 95% of people (non gymnasts) a general approach works, time off, don't use it, etc.
They don't understand what exactly your DD is doing or what is required in gymnastics. (My DD pediatrician thought that my DD gymnastics was cute until I showed her a video of what she's up to.......she had NO idea)

The quicker you know exactly what's going on, the quicker she can get better and get back to training.......

I'm not sure how it works in the UK either but if you can find a pediatric sports ortho, or a specific ortho that has gymnastics experience, take your DD.

Un-exact treatment can result in A LOT of missed time.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Ortho it is. She refused to do an MRI first round- said DD wasn't in enough pain to have her worried. People never seem to get that my DD has a very high pain tolerance. We heard the not enough pain routine for every injury she's ever had, including actual broken bones.

I think the way our referrals work (we have military insurance)(in the us) is once we have the specialist referral we can take it to a different in-network specialist if we choose, but I'm not sure if it has to be from the gate or can be for a second opinion. Between injuries, this kids arm/wrist have been paining her for over a year now. Thanks!

 

[Rockygym]

Just ask your primary provider to put in consult: previously seen, requests 2nd opinion into the consult then you should be able to go to another provider.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Going through this with my kid. Wrist pain. First round with ortho, xrays only. No broken bones or fractures, growth plates appear fine. So possible tendonitis or cartilage issue. Ortho manipulated wrist, isolate source/area of acute pain.

Only way to isolate MRI, which with deductible aint cheap. Treatment for either of those the same. Rest for 4 weeks, she is in a wrist brace, no wrist activity.

After follow up if still an issue we will be in MRI land to r/o torn cartilage.

For us, to be continued, but it will be follow up with ortho.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Going through this with my kid. Wrist pain. First round with ortho, xrays only. No broken bones or fractures, growth plates appear fine. So possible tendonitis or cartilage issue. Ortho manipulated wrist, isolate source/area of acute pain.

Only way to isolate MRI, which with deductible aint cheap. Treatment for either of those the same. Rest for 4 weeks, she is in a wrist brace, no wrist activity.

After follow up if still an issue we will be in MRI land to r/o torn cartilage.

For us, to be continued, but it will be follow up with ortho.

Sounds similar to what my DD is dealing with except she was told not to baby it after two weeks and to get back to practice. I wonder if she should've been out longer, but then out means out at her gym. No coming in to condition, no modified workouts, no nothing. So when the ortho said take her back, I jumped at not wasting more money. Probably a mistake on my part, and bad judgement by the ortho too.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Sounds similar to what my DD is dealing with except she was told not to baby it after two weeks and to get back to practice. I wonder if she should've been out longer, but then out means out at her gym. No coming in to condition, no modified workouts, no nothing. So when the ortho said take her back, I jumped at not wasting more money. Probably a mistake on my part, and bad judgement by the ortho too.

Oh coaches are wondering whats taking so long. Had to put my momma bear hat on. Oh would you like to see doctors note. Hmmmm my L6 kid loses 4 weeks and heals well and has minimal wrist issues going forward or come back quick at level 6 and still have issues at L9 (yes we know someone like this).

Best time of year to be out, right at season end and before summer training gears up. Would ti be great to have no issues sure but as things go, This mom is good.

To add, she is at the gym, conditioning, working what she can.

I told her I expect great progress on leaps, turns and splits

 

[Deleted member 18037]

^^^ I am making a concerted effort not to let, money and coaches rush her back. Really 2 weeks more now (or more if needed) now or a bunch later.............. Coach wears coach hat, I get that. But ultimately I am the Mom.

Really she needs to live with her body for way more years then she will ever do gym.

JMO for however little its worth.

 

[MILgymFAM]

^^^ I am making a concerted effort not to let, money and coaches rush her back. Really 2 weeks more now (or more if needed) now or a bunch later.............. Coach wears coach hat, I get that. But ultimately I am the Mom.

Really she needs to live with her body for way more years then she will ever do gym.

JMO for however little its worth.

You're right and ultimately that is what I said when I put my foot down regarding her no longer competing tumbling, at all, ever again. I guess since the other two events don't use the arms at all, I thought I was good. Obviously I didn't consider the darn tumble trak, but I should've.

 

[LizzieLac]

Even with Ortho clearance, she could benefit from good physical therapy. I would add that to the mix. Good luck!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

You're right and ultimately that is what I said when I put my foot down regarding her no longer competing tumbling, at all, ever again. I guess since the other two events don't use the arms at all, I thought I was good. Obviously I didn't consider the darn tumble trak, but I should've.

This was out problem too. The first 2 weeks of pain, since it started on beam, it was no tumbling on beam. Umm pardon, but BHS on beam or floor or track,it's still wrist and all the other stuff that involves wrist. So for now its mine and the docs turn.
And yes folks are cranky with me.

 

[catova]

I've posted on wrist issues before, and I will continue to do so when it comes up! Don't mess with the wrist. DD fractured wrist growth plate, then PT / easing back...fully training 8 weeks after cast came off. And guess what, a month later, pain started again. The original fracture was healed (evidenced by xray when cast came off) but I got MRI second time. Inflammation, and a cyst in there too that was not evident on xray, and a slightly different fracture of growth plate that was not on any xray. Note: these were not traumatic, big deal 'wrist breaks'. That growth plate is spongy and especially during puberty, with normal training, it's growing so fast that just landing funny on the beam will cause aggravation, or any number of growth plate injuries. When I went to a second ortho for another opinion as to how it to deal with this for good, He was clear that he thinks gymnasts need to really wait much longer to return to 'normal activity' than the typical period after having a wrist injury (even if it's not a clear fracture/break on xray) because their 'normal' practice is so wrist intensive. Get PT if you can, even if you can't get it prescribed (if you go even once a good PT will show you exercises your DD can do at home that are easy and helpful!). Start to finish, this became a 6 month issue that would have been 2 months shorter had DD waited another month after the cast came off to have her fully train. Your DD should not be in pain, especially with tiger paws, every day. This is not a career ender, but I know of kids with similar tales who dealt with wrist pain for a year (or more)...because they never really fully recovered from their initial injuries. Good luck!

 

[ascarter1]

My YDD injured her arm/wrist about a month ago. She was seen by an orthopedist who cleared her to go back to practice after two weeks. She told us she should stay off rod floor for awhile but she'd be fine. Well, DD still has pain, even on the tumble trak, even on simple skills, even wearing her tiger paws. She asked me to take her back to the dr. My question: which doctor at this point? The ortho (who assumed she was done with her) or her regular dr? Or should I keep waiting it out a bit?

What was the injury?

Dd just recovered from distal radial Epiphysitis. She was splinted for 3 weeks and had pt. Injuries similar to hers take at least 3-4 weeks to heal, if not longer. 2 weeks rest might not have been enough time. We see a sports ortho, so my suggestion would be to find one that's knowledgeable of sports related injuries.

 

[ascarter1]

I've posted on wrist issues before, and I will continue to do so when it comes up! Don't mess with the wrist. DD fractured wrist growth plate, then PT / easing back...fully training 8 weeks after cast came off. And guess what, a month later, pain started again. The original fracture was healed (evidenced by xray when cast came off) but I got MRI second time. Inflammation, and a cyst in there too that was not evident on xray, and a slightly different fracture of growth plate that was not on any xray. Note: these were not traumatic, big deal 'wrist breaks'. That growth plate is spongy and especially during puberty, with normal training, it's growing so fast that just landing funny on the beam will cause aggravation, or any number of growth plate injuries. When I went to a second ortho for another opinion as to how it to deal with this for good, He was clear that he thinks gymnasts need to really wait much longer to return to 'normal activity' than the typical period after having a wrist injury (even if it's not a clear fracture/break on xray) because their 'normal' practice is so wrist intensive. Get PT if you can, even if you can't get it prescribed (if you go even once a good PT will show you exercises your DD can do at home that are easy and helpful!). Start to finish, this became a 6 month issue that would have been 2 months shorter had DD waited another month after the cast came off to have her fully train. Your DD should not be in pain, especially with tiger paws, every day. This is not a career ender, but I know of kids with similar tales who dealt with wrist pain for a year (or more)...because they never really fully recovered from their initial injuries. Good luck!

YES! Our sports ortho released my dd this morning, allowing her to ease back in, but was very clear that yurchenkos need to be put on hold for a few weeks!

 

[MILgymFAM]

What was the injury?

Dd just recovered from distal radial Epiphysitis. She was splinted for 3 weeks and had pt. Injuries similar to hers take at least 3-4 weeks to heal, if not longer. 2 weeks rest might not have been enough time. We see a sports ortho, so my suggestion would be to find one that's knowledgeable of sports related injuries.

It was a bowing fracture of the right radius. The ortho is at a pediatric sports clinic, as is her pt. DD refuses to do even one single round off on floor and has even scaled back her skills on tumble trak- doing RO-BP and RO-BLO instead of BHSs. I think she needs more time.