![]() ![]() This is a diagnosis of exclusion (meaning all other causes were ruled out via physical exam and imaging). Immediately seek medical attention if your gymnast has these signs/symptoms.Įpidemiology: Any age gymnast may have mechanical or functional back pain. Gymnast, Parent, and Coach PEARLS: Do not ignore neurologic signs and symptoms this means numbness or tingling down your leg (or legs) or changes to bowel bladder movements. “Traditionally” flexion based back pain is “disc related”. Gymnastics Medical Provider PEARLS: Providers should note that disc injuries may be seen on MRIs and could be incidental findings and so it is advised to correlate your physical exam with your imaging. Prevention: To prevent this injury focus on core strength, posture training, proper landing mechanics, and proper technique/movement. Treatment: Treatment may include a brace, rest from impact on the spine, and physical therapy. Your Medical Provider may get imaging studies (ex: x-ray or MRI) of your back to confirm the diagnosis. Signs/Symptoms: Gymnasts may have pain with forward flexion (touching your toes/ pike/bending forward) or have nerve pain that causes numbness or tingling into/down your legs.ĭiagnosis: Discogenic back pain is typically diagnosed by a physical exam including pain with forward flexion. Disc injuries can typically occur from repetitive flexion (touching your toes/ pike/bending forward) or an acute hard/unexpected landing or flexion (touching your toes/ pike/bending forward). They can be injured from a one-time injury or due to repeated impacts. Mechanism of Injury/Description: Discs of the spine are the “squishy” areas between the vertebrae (bones). There have been some studies that show 11% of children have disc-related pathology compared with 48% of adults. Be sure your gymnast is not “hinging” from her lumbar spine with gymnastics skills.Įpidemiology: Disc injuries typically occur in gymnasts in their teens and older.Checking to see if your gymnast can lift his/her arms by their ears without moving their body (except arms) and avoid an arch of the lumbar spine.Performing splits on the floor with square hips in all ages.Limiting arching in the lumbar spine when possible (ex: back walkovers, front walkovers).Gymnast, Parent, and Coach PEARLS: To avoid this injury, focus on: ![]() Not all spondylolysis heal but they can become symptom free and return to the sport with proper medical clearance. Gymnastics Medical Provider PEARLS: Consider ordering a 3T Lumbar Spine MRI to obtain more detail. Prevention: To prevent this injury improve core strength and stability, increase shoulder forward flexion, hip extension, and work on posture and proper technique. Treatment: Your medical provider will likely recommend a period of rest from gymnastics and physical therapy. found that 48% were missed on x-ray but seen on MRI), however, your medical provider may recommend an MRI or CT. An x-ray sometimes shows the fracture (but not always and one study by Atsushi Kobayashi et. Sometimes twisting and impact may also cause low back pain.ĭiagnosis: On physical exam, gymnasts may be tender to palpation (touch) on the lumbar spinous processes, have pain with extension (arching), and have a positive stork test (pain with extending back on one leg). Signs/Symptoms: Gymnasts typically have low back pain with extension (arching) which has typically been ongoing for a few weeks or months. Spondylolisthesis: a bilateral Spondylolysis which causes a slipping of the vertebral body. Mechanism of Injury/Description: Repetitive hyperextension (arching) and twisting of the lumbar spine causes a fracture or stress fracture at the pars interarticularis (location in the lumbar spine). Epidemiology: Typically, this occurs in gymnasts who do repetitive hyperextension (arching) of spine. ![]()
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