Men Wrist overuse injury

[Dahlialover]

I’m frustrated. USAG changed The level 6E pommel routine in OCTOBER to include a completely different set of skills. My kid had never seriously trained these skills because he didn’t need them this year. Since the changes were released, he has been working really hard to get the new pommel skills and now he has an overuse injury in his wrist. This sucks!

I’m not sure what’s wrong with my kid’s wrist. He has occasionally experienced wrist pain doing pommel and floor, so he wears wrist guards. This week it started hurting continuously but he didn’t tell me until last night when he was in too much pain to participate in floor or pbars. The coach would not let him sit out pommel even though he told him he was in a lot of pain. I'm not sending him to gym today because I don’t trust that he’ll rest his wrist there. I don’t know how long to keep him out, especially if the pain improves but does not go away completely.

I scheduled a sports medicine appointment but they cannot get him in for 3 weeks and that’s only for a video visit. Fortunately, there is a PT who visits our gym and he’ll be able to see her next week.

Also, is it possible for boys to train 20 hours per week without getting serious overuse injuries? It doesn’t seem possible at our gym! Gymnast wrist, elbow avulsion fractures, OCD—it seems like every tween or young teen in level 6 or above is losing at least a season to upper extremity overuse injuries. Watching his teammates push through the pain and then end up with serious overuse injuries requiring casting and extensive rehab has made me very nervous about allowing my son to train through wrist pain.

What are your experiences with upper extremity overuse injuries in MAG? Any advice?

 

[RekOH]

My son is level 7 this year and has injured growth plates in both wrists. Started with slight pain, purchased wrists braces and continued with pain. Went to sports medicine and X-rays confirmed both wrists needed immobilization. We casted one and braced the other for 3 weeks. Significant growth plate healing at 3.5 week mark. Out of cast and brace and just started PT. Anticipated a 3 month healing process. Hopefully start impact training after 2.5 months. Definitely get it looked at so your son doesn’t further damage growth plates if that’s the issue. I feel like we tried to work through the discomfort too long and now we are having a long recovery to fix the damage. Best of luck.

 

[skschlag]

Unfortunately, this is a reality for many. It really sucks. And I am sorry the coach made him continue with horse when he was in so much pain.

Going to the PT is a great idea, and honestly, if you have the option for an urgent care, you could get an xray done and that might speed things up. I know waiting 3 weeks is going to be difficult!

Rest is best in this case.

My son was a horse specialist. He has graduated, and his wrists are feeling somewhat better. He still does gym but not much pommel. It just hurts.

GOod luck! I hope his wrists feel better soon.

Side note: What changes did they make?

 

[Dahlialover]

Side note: What changes did they make?

The original Future Stars routine was very straightforward: 3 front loops, travel to the center, 3 center loops, travel to the end, 3 back loops.

The new routine starts with back loops (which is hard for kids who are too short to mount the horse easily), then they added a half Russian, flairs, and a half Silvado. The 1/2 Silvado and the flairs are new to my son. My son can do perfect flairs on the mushroom but he can’t do them on the horse yet because he wasn’t training them!

I feel like my poor kid had The rug pulled out from under him! He was ready for competition season and now (if he is healthy) he’s looking at scratching pommel or competing and scoring a 4. It’s devastating.

6E be pommel 2025

	Starting at either end of the horse facing longitudinally. Jump into three circles in cross support frontways on the end section of the horse
	Travel forward in cross support to the center section of the horse
	Complete three circles in cross support in the center section of the horse
	Travel forward in cross support to the final section of the horse
	Complete three circles in cross support rearways on the final end section of the horse
	Complete a Russian wendeswing with 180*
	Circle in cross support frontways on the end
	Wende Dismount

6E pommel 2026

	Starting at either end of the horse facing rearways. Jump into two or more circles in cross support rearways on the end section of the horse
	Complete a forward Russian wendeswing with 180° finishing longitudinally on the end o the horse
	Complete three or more circles in cross support frontways on end
	Complete two or more flaired circles in cross support frontways on end
	Travel forward in cross support (½ Magyar) to the center section of the horse
	Complete three or more circles in cross support in the center section of the horse, facing longitudinally
	Travel backward in cross support (½ Sivado) back to the end section of the horse
	Wende Dismount