Women "You are just not made for gymnastics"

[mandy]

hello!

I have got a severe problem. My youngest DD Sophia (8 years old, Level 3 but soon 4) is doing gymnastics since 1 year. She loves it a lot and practices 3x2hours. My older DD is a Level 7 soon. Whenever she watches her older sister she says: "That's were I want to get someday!" I don't want to raise Level 10 gymnasts, just girls who love exercising and they do!

So, Sophia recently complained about pain on the ischial tuberosity (like tendinosis - it hurts when she is doing pike stretch but not when she is doind splits!), hip pain when raising the leg and twisting it to the side and in a straddle L support position (snapping hip syndrome or smth) and knee pain. All on the right side. She also has overpronation of the feet on both sides.

We have been to a doctor and he said "So, your daughter is just not made for gymnastics. Her hips are not made for splits!" Then he added "I bet she has really wesk gluteus muscles as well, problems will get worse if she continues her sport." He ordered physical therapy.

Sophia cried all the way home, silently. She refuses to eat and claimed she won't go to training tomorrow. But today I caught her doing splits in her room!

So I am super frustrated!
Have you ever heard about smth like that?

She doesn't need to be a contortionist or high level athlete. Just a healthy little girl who likes her sports and trains 8 - 10 hours a week!

Btw, she is able to do all splits.

What do you think? What would you do?

 

[Aussie_coach]

I would get a second opinion, that makes no sense. The doctor says she is not made for splits yet she is flat in all three? When a doctor says that they are talking about that small number of people who actually cant do splits.

Also if her gluteus muscles are weak then, doing more gymnasts would not make that problem worse, it would strengthen them.

I am not a doctor and I don't pretend to know what is wrong with your daughter, but doctors dont always get it right, get a second opinion to be sure.

 

[my4buffaloes]

I would get a second opinion - from a sports doctor if you can. Also, if weak gluteus muscles are causing her problems, I am sure there are exercises she can do that would strengthen them.

I would venture to guess that most gymnasts bodies aren't made for this sport at upper levels, but by perseverance they make it work and can do quite well.

 

[2G1B]

Like my4buffaloes, I was going to suggest getting another opinion and making sure that the doctor is a sports medicine doctor.

 

[shelovestoflip]

Agree with others...take her to a sports doctor...preferably a pediatric one! Also, have you talked with your coaches? Most good coaches have heard all of this before and have some ideas!

 

[munchkin3]

I don't think the human body was made to do gymnastics.
Find a pediatric sports orthopedic.

 

[iwannacoach]

I don't think the human body was made to do gymnastics.
Find a pediatric sports orthopedic.

That's a good one..........

I'd start with a physical therapist and see what they think of her pain. She may have anything from strained muscles to an imbalance of muscle tension/strength anywhere from her mid back down to her hamstrings. Other concerns are a stress fracture anywhere from her pelvis to her ischial structure, and possible growth related/congenital issues.

Any of those causes can be hard to track down, and while they all warrant professional diagnosis and help the simplest palce to start is therapy.

 

[teksquad]

I agree with the others. Find a doctor that supports your daughter's involvement in her sport. If you can't find one, that doesn't mean you can't do things to help her body participate in the sport she loves. If you can see a physical therapist directly, you may get moving in the right direction more efficiently. Overpronated feet can cause different sorts of imbalances in the body mechanics of the lower leg, and pain anywhere "up the chain" from the ankle to the hips, even the back. That may be a good place to start.

My daughter also has overpronated feet, and for her, it causes ankle tendonitis. She has custom-made orthotics (from her podiatrist) to wear in her shoes all the time. Over time, this has helped tremendously. She also doesn't wear flats, flip flops, converse, Uggs, or heels. For practice, she wears lace-up braces for her feet over KT taping of her arches, to control the pronation as much as possible. Not everyone with overpronation has to wear something on their feet for practice, but the older and taller and more mature her body got, the more she needed that support in practice to keep the tendonitis quiet. She knows she can relax these rituals one day, but while doing gymnastics, she needs to help her body endure her sport.

I encourage you and your daughter to find what her body needs in way of exercise, strength, flexibility, stability and support, so she can continue to be healthy as she grows and does gymnastics, and everything else she wants to do! It definitely can be done! Good luck! (-:

 

[mandy]

I agree with the others. Find a doctor that supports your daughter's involvement in her sport. If you can't find one, that doesn't mean you can't do things to help her body participate in the sport she loves. If you can see a physical therapist directly, you may get moving in the right direction more efficiently. Overpronated feet can cause different sorts of imbalances in the body mechanics of the lower leg, and pain anywhere "up the chain" from the ankle to the hips, even the back. That may be a good place to start.

My daughter also has overpronated feet, and for her, it causes ankle tendonitis. She has custom-made orthotics (from her podiatrist) to wear in her shoes all the time. Over time, this has helped tremendously. She also doesn't wear flats, flip flops, converse, Uggs, or heels. For practice, she wears lace-up braces for her feet over KT taping of her arches, to control the pronation as much as possible. Not everyone with overpronation has to wear something on their feet for practice, but the older and taller and more mature her body got, the more she needed that support in practice to keep the tendonitis quiet. She knows she can relax these rituals one day, but while doing gymnastics, she needs to help her body endure her sport.

I encourage you and your daughter to find what her body needs in way of exercise, strength, flexibility, stability and support, so she can continue to be healthy as she grows and does gymnastics, and everything else she wants to do! It definitely can be done! Good luck! (-:

Thanks all of you for your great support! I talked to her and told her this doesn't mean she needs to quit. I showed her a documentary where Nastia Liukin's dad that claims that her daughter is " a very fragile gymnast that need's to be taken care of" and after that she felt way better.
I told her that she might cut down on some jumping or stuff sometimes, wear braces or supports and needs to listen to her body. Then she said "Mommy, that's fine, as long as I can do gymnastics I am happy."

This showed me - once again - that she really wants it and I will talk to this physiotherapist next week. Maybe they think I should go to another doctor for more info's, maybe they know one.

BTW: I guess the doctor yesterday meant, that her femur heads are too much covered by the acetabulums, that's why she is "not made for splits". At home I found an x-ray of her hip we made 4 months ago due to a an torn hamstring muscle.
It says "The right hip is 6mm higher than the left one, the femur heads are not ideally round but covered enough. No noticeable problems."

So I guess that means she doesn't have this "too much covered hip thing".
Some doctor's should really try to bet a little more supportive. I guess this inhumane doctor was the worst part for DD.

Thanks for your support! This helps a lot! Wish you all the best!