Injuries.........

[Dave]

Hi All... At the moment im currently injured and im not allowed to tumble ( Not that you all needed to know that ) But it got me thinking i wonder what sort of injuries other gymnasts / coaches have got and from what disipline in gymnastics ie : Sports Acro, Bars, Beams etc.....

So come on people let us all know what injuries you've had before or still got and how you got them.....:D

[Anita]

I could write a novel on my youngest daughter :) - and she's never sustained anything really bad doing gymnastics although she did put a muscle in her back halfway through a competition routine (still don't know how she managed the round-off flick straight after) a few years ago.

The only other gym injury I can think of was last summer doing round-off flick to splits during a display at a summer fayre when she didn't quite land right and hurt her hip (she goes straight into the splits and doesn't land then slide as many people do). She looked really funny walking round after the display because she had an ice back shoved up the outside leg of her shorts ......:o

[Jackie]

Dave

My daughters had their own seat at our local casualty department. Anything from wrists to ankles to knees, you name it! I seriously expected to receive a visit from social services because they were there so often! We have never had a serious injury although my elder daughter is now suffering with her back because she refused to stop training even when it was hurting really bad. However, after a couple of visits to a new physio she has now learnt from him that as soon as it starts to ache she should stop! Fingers crossed, so far so good!

Jackie

[pinkcandy]

when i did gym i had loads of injuries the worst was when i was doing conditioning on p-bars and fell forwards onto the metal foot bit and hit my mouth that was quite bad also dislocating my knee and tearing cruiciate ligaments in both my knees, i have dislocated quite a lot aswell like my wrist fingers, ankles, ribs and hips thankfully not my shoulder my friend was telling me about how he did that on high bar but he didn't realise until it popped back in! that sounded quite painful. i usually injuried myself on really stupid things, like when i did a sole-circle on bars and kinda pinged off n dislocated my jaw and breaking my fingers doing bunny hops! so stupid im a wreck really lol whats the silliest injury everyone else has had?

[Gingerheid]

I managed to break my fibula on a trampoline.

There'd be some credibility if I could at least say I was trying a difficult move, but I was straight bouncing :)

[Dave]

Sounds like we are all injury prone, some of us more than others.... ;)

I Know one thing though knowing all the injuries that can grop up doing any form of gymnastics i'd hate to be a parent of a gymnast, id be forever worrying.......

Here's a question which links to Jackie's reply

" When we gymnasts injury ourselves do we think it will go away with out stopping to let it heel ? "

I for one am gulity of this (Anita should know i went to the NDP finals with an injury to my legs and then injured my back in the warm up hour, Talk about bad luck or what ) ... anyways every time i get injured i never rest 4 as long as im meant 2, but this time around i dont have choice i have to rest !

[Anita]

Dave - maybe we shouldn't tell everyone that the physio was an attractive female :D and that it was strange just how many of the older male tumblers needed physio that weekend ......;) .

Mind you, perhaps hurting your back took your mind off your leg?

Gingerheid - a girl at our club completely snapped her cruciate ligament on a trampoline: and she wasn't even bouncing at the time! She was walking to the edge to get off, the coach called her name and, as she turned (with a small bounce round) we heard it go. We heard the sound of an almighty SNAP :eek: and she collapsed in a heap on the trampoline.

The funny story to go with it: we had to call her parents and her Dad turned up. Deciding whether to call an ambulance or take her to hospital himself he questioned her:
"Can you straighten it"
"Yes Dad"
"Can you bend it"
"Yes, but it hurts"
"Don't do it then!"
That's sympathy for you ....:rolleyes:

[Dave]

Thats a very good point there Anita the Physio was quite attractive for an older women..... Just a shame me GF was there ( Only joking )........

I Like the Sympathy that girl got ! Its alot more than i get when i injury myself - all i get is " If you can walk, your ok so stop complaining "

[Jaye]

Well! Which one shall I mention first?!

Most serious at the moment is that my daughter is having a lot of lower legs problems which seem to be stemming from her being a little flat footed and it's causing shin and heel problems now (see Aching Limbs in WA - thanks for all the input on that thread by the way) It seems she has shin splints, but her heels have been the main thing bothering her this week, both have a distinct effect on her vaulting though, meaning she's sat out of vault a lot this week (not good really, it's not her best piece to begin with!)

I'm having to book her in with a specialist at the hospital - mainly because of the one thing Dave & Jackie said, she won't stop training and rest! Maybe if the doc tells her she might take some time out for it all to try and heal up (kids don't listen to mum do they?!)

Otherwise she's had a few jarred ankles, a knee injury from when she landed a bounce on trampoline and one knee bent backwards instead of forwards (ouch!), periodic aching back (mainly after trampolining).

And going on from Anita's last post, a couple of years ago my daughter and another girl were doing preps for cartwheel on beam by doing cartwheels on a bench. When it wasn't her turn my daughter kept leaning on the end of the bench. I told her not to because she was going to get kicked by the other girl going into her cartwheel. I was coaching somebody else and as I turned round there was was again leaning on the end of the bench ... just as the other girl 'took off' - and wallop! She got the other girl's heel straight in her eye and shot about 2 feet backwards from the impact! And what did I yell to her as she nursed her swollen black eye? 'I told you not to lean on the bench!' Such sympathy :rolleyes: (I'm not always like that, honest!)

[Laura]

My worst injury was when I tore my ligaments in my ankle doing a roundoff of all things! :p We had to do roundoff to flatback onto a mat but I thought I was gonna land on the mat so I scrunched my feet up but I missed the mat and crumpled into the floor. My coach thought I'd broken it but I insisted on doing vault before I left :) (Yeah, I know, dead stupid! :D )

The funniest accident I saw was when I was coaching the mini's. We were doing vault and we used the top 2 sections of the stacking vault. The other 3 were at the beginning of the run up. This one girl had her go and while she was running back was watching the squad girls tumbling and ended up falling in the vault at the end :D Man, that was sooooo funny! (I'm not usually evil!)

xxx

[Elliot]

There is a girl in my club who will fall off the trampoline at least three times in a session.

Another girl snapped the bones in her fore-arm and had to have the two parts bolted together!!!

[Dave]

I Stand by what i said b4 we are all injury prone :p

[Sian]

I Stand by what i said b4 we are all injury prone :p
Hehe and I haven't yet replied in this thread yet!!

Laura - I managed to pull my Achilles Tendon by *pause for dramatic effect* jumping on a springboard! :o I ended up in a heap at the bottom of the vault. To add to that, the doctors didn't believe anything was wrong... until I collapsed at school because it had begun to tear. Then they believed me!

I'm another one who won't let it rest! The number of times I have broken my fingers (I used to play alot of basketball) and ignore the physio's advice of don't train ofr at least six weeks. I managed to last three weeks one time :D I am very good at ignoring pain, not good.

As for dislocations!! My elbows are a nightmare. Before the age of five I had dislocated them three times, and that was before I started gymnastics!! Most recently, about a year ago, I dislocated my right elbow doing a back flick. You could hear it snap out of place the other side of the gym lol.

I've had countless black eyes, i split the skin on my knee open when i was about seven. broken toes, and problems with my shins, well all in a days work really!!

where do i include the injuries my coach has sustained because of me?!

O dear!! I'm a mess!! :rolleyes:

[Dave]

I'm one for ignoring pain also Sian, im good at blocking it out untill it gets the better of me.....

[Anita]

I reckon being accident prone is a pre-requisite of becoming a gymnast:) .

As for not resting - well I know my daughters don't.

[Dave]

Think your right there anita, but as you get older your meant to learn to stop and rest with injuries.... im 22 and have only just learnt :p

[Gingerheid]

You know, there's something about this thread that makes us all look mad :)
Though I for one shall carry on being mad if at all possible and for as long as possible.

I once received the most helpful advice when I told someone the physio at the hospital was on at me to behave:

- "Well find a better physio then"
+ "It's the NHS one, I'm not paying for a private one"
- "Well tell her your going to carry on bouncing so she'll need to sort it anyway."

[Sian]

The physio at my local hospital is refusing to see me... :(

[Loopyloz]

Awww.

Reading this thread I'm wondering if I'm the only one who hasnt been badly injured (broken bones, dislocations, tendons snapping, etc) while doing gymnastics. Mind you I nearly had my nose broken while coaching one time, that hurt.

[Laura]

Mind you I nearly had my nose broken while coaching one time, that hurt.
That reminds me actually! I had my thumb dislocated by a very heavy girl bending it back when she rolled over the vault (and my hand) when she was meant to be doing a handspring :eek: that was painful.

xxx

[Sian]

lol i think my coach always comes out worse than me :D its a wonder why he still does it!!!

[Rosh]

i was doin a tsuk 18months ago - n the tsuk was fine - bt over-rotated and i went runnin back thinkin the mat i landed on went all the way to the wall - but it didnt n i fell off the end and fractured my ankle - then when it got beta i was on trampette n did a full twist n managed to find a gap in the mats n hurt the same ankle - n then bout a month ago - we were doin display work - n all i did was hop fwds n my ankle gave way n i tore 2 ligaments!! bt i hate the a & e dept cos they sed it was a sprain n wen i cudnt wlk on it cos i was in 2 much pain they sed i was bein stubborn so wudnt giv me ne crutches! :mad:

[Anita]

Standard practice not to give crutches these days - can make the ankle worse in the long run because it makes you lazy! When my daughter did her second ankle in trampolining (she literally landed on the side of her foot so that it was at right angles to her leg) they said that, provided she could weight bear and walk after a fashion, even if she was in agony, then it wasn't fractured and she couldn't have crutches. Have to admit, though, it was a far worse injury than another girl at our gym whose mother got her crutches - my daughter's ankled healed quicker and better without.

If you can afford it, because of the three injuries, it might be worth paying a visit to a sports injury physio.

[Dave]

Wahoo my injury is clearing up nicely ! Still it will be another 6-7 weeks before i can start to begin my rehab and tumble again !
I Just need to start doing double back sommies off the trampoline now and land my full twists then when i start to tumble i can do the more dangerous stuff and try and loose the fear of certain moves...

[Jaye]

Can empathise with Pinxi's thumb ... I did a similar thing years back, I was standing in for a girl doing a back flic and she 'went' early before I had my hand in place and as I reached out quickly to catch her before she head-butted the floor I somehow didn't manage to tuck my thumb away in time and it bent right over the wrong way! It's never been the same since!

[Dave]

I Hate being injured it drives me crazy ! I just want to hit the tumble track and have some fun :( Im going nuts not being able to tumble....:mad:

[Jaye]

A girl at my daughter's gym was doing a tuck somi on trampoline last week (don't know whether it was front or back somi, I wasn't there), but apparently she over-rotated and she managed to crash her knee into her teeth ... resulting in one front tooth coming out completely and the other front teeth all being bent sideways! She's spent a lot of time at the dental hospital this week :(

Last year another friend of my daughter's did a similar thing on her home trampoline, only she landed face down and caught her teeth on the rim of the tramp, knocked one front tooth back onto the roof of her mouth and the rest bent backwards!

I'm thinking of buying my daughter a gum sheild for when she's training now!

[*Sarah*]

I have to admit that I am not keen on the trampolines you can get for the garden/home. I think they can dangerous.

How many of the gymnasts in your gyms have come in with some sort of injury, be it a niggle or a plaster cast, resulting from doing something that they knew they shouldn't really be doing?? :rolleyes:

[Stephy]

My worst injury is my current one (knee). I did it about three months ago in a competition at the end of my floor routine doing a twist. It took two months for anyone to really decide what was wrong with it. Everyone I saw said they were 100% sure it wasnt my anterior cruciate ligament but after just 10 minutes talking to the specialist he'd decided he was 100% sure it was this. So I he sent me for an MRI scan and this was what it said:
1. Ruptured anterior cruciate ligament with some ligament material just identified lying over the libial plateau.
2.Posterior cruciate is lax
3.Oblique tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus extending to the inferior articular surface (cartilage)
4. Grade 1 strain of the MCL
So he told me I had 2 options (the first of which wasn't really an option for me!)
1. Give up all sports
2. Have surgery to reconstruct the ACL

The surgery meant that they would have to graft part of my hamstring tendon to replace the ACL and screw this into place. I had the op on the 21st June and have just started the rehabilitation period which lasts for 9 months to a year in total, so It'll be a long time before I'll be back to gym!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It really annoys me when people complain about having an injury which means they can't do gym for a few weeks - try a year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Has anyone had this and got back to doing gym fully after the surgery?

Anyway thats it .

Steph

[Anita]

A girl at our gym actually snapped her cruciate ligament in October 01 and had to fight to get it repaired, which she did. She returned to the gym just 4-5 months after her op in July 02.

When you return just don't do what she did: instead of weaning herself back in gently she didn't - within two weeks she was doing sommies (and doesn't warm-up properly) so the knee didn't have chance to strengthen and is now weak, often painful, gives way and "slides" sideways. The upshot of this is - she's having to have the knee completely re-built next month.

At first she was going to retire (she's 18), but she's now talking of coming back next year but, if she does the same again her knee will be finished for good.

Good luck, hope it works out for you.

[Gingerheid]

Ugh!

All the best Stephy, look after yourself!

I've got to admit that my 2nd & 3rd thoughts (after *gasp* Eek!) were that you were lucky with the hospital! I think someone would have waited a lot longer in Scotland, and that they would have been reluctant to do the op at all if they thought they could avoid it.

I think I might have to avoid this thread from now on! I'm too squeamish, and don't want to put myself off!

[Dave]

Stephy belive me whe i say this your not the only one who has been out injured for long periods of time.... When i was 19 i returned to the sport and started tumbling again after a two year absense i worked hard did my warms up well, did my conditioning well and after a couple of months i was training really well i even got my old coach who taught me how to tumble when i was younger back involved and one evening in the gym i was doing a tumble which involved a straight half twist walk out, they were goign well all night then one of them went badly wrong and i landed very awkwardly on my right ankle with my right knee where my left was supposed to be !!! I hit the floor in 1 big heep and was in agony... I rested up for 3 weeks and went back to training but it pulled me up in my 2nd session back , over the course of about 16 months i kept going to the doctors complaining about my knee and every time they said it was fine and said i could start light training again which i did several times and guess what it kept pulling me up..... In the end i saw 4 doctors, 2 physios and 3 different doctors at the hospital and they all said it was fine.... I kept insiting it wasnt and in the end they gave up and operated on my knee it turned out i tore all the ligaments and damaged the tendons, which they repaired and removed loads of scare tissue ! i was out injured for total of 20 months before i finally got back into the gym training with some consistancy..... Which is why im so annoyed at not being able to train as i when im injured all this comes flooding back to me and i lose my confidence..... Although since i have been back i have competed in 5 competitions and taken 4 medals but im hungrey for more......

[Stephy]

Yeh I suppose I'm lucky in a way because Ive gone private through insurance. I know what you mean about seeing loads of people and them all telling you that it'll get better and just rest it- I dont think many doctors and physios actually know what their talking about! It doesn't matter how much you complain about it they think they know best but sometimes they dont. What they usually say is (after they've pushed it in directions it really shouldnt go in):
'Well its completely stable so with a bit of rest............'
If I hadn't gone private it would have taken ages to even see someone so at least I've had the op and the worst bits over.
I don't intend on going back to gym too quickly I want to be sure that Its fine coz I dont want to be back where I started and missing even more gym!

[Gingerheid]

Private... yep, I'd wondered, but didn't want to ask!!!

I got a bit of a fright when I broke my leg and took out BUPA. My leg got completely better by itself, but I got the distinct idea that if it had needed any help, it wouldn't have got it. As it was I waited 9 months for physio.

So tramp costs me £30 a month before I even get near a trampoline!

There does in the NHS seem to be a distinct attitude against sport involving any form of risk. But why have arms and legs if we don't use them? And what should we do with our time instead - smoke? binge drink?

[Jackie]

My daughter has now been told to officially "retire" from gymnastics at the age of fifteen due to back problems. She has suffered for the past eighteen months and we've finally had a diagnosis on what the problem was. She has ligament damage which, because she continued to train, has never healed properly and has affected her lower back. So a warning to all gymnasts out there, if you are injured, take time out and rest, do not go back to gym too early. Ignore coaches who say you can work the rest of your body but not the part that is injured, this is what she did and it has made it worse.

Jackie

[Crystal]

I know a girl who strained her groin while she was dancing quite a while ago. Recently she aggravated it again and, instead of resting, insisted on dancing flat out in a show, as well as still continuing with classes. As a result, she has now put strain on her knee and has done something to some of the tendons in her knee, although the physios aren't quite sure what. She now has to walk on crutches until they can find out exactly what's wrong. She's now down to one crutch - a slight improvement on being told not to walk at all!

[Stephy]

Yeh it really gets on my nerves when u go to see someone on the NHS about an injury and as soon as you say you do some kind of sport there not interested in sorting out the problem. If you can walk they aren't interested because as far as their concerned we shouldn't be doing a sport thats 'dangerous' and putting ourselves through this! What they don't understand is that sport can become an adiction because you love it so much and if they help smokers and junkies then whats the difference- they should help to make sure you can do the things you want to do!

[Dave]

I've been away for aweek and only read the comments since my last post in this topic !

Jackie : im sorry to hear about your daughter having to quit gymnastics it must be a read blow to her.....

Stephy i totally agree with what your saying ! Hospitals and doctors just dont wanna know if you some sort of dangerous sport such as gym ! it really annoys me !!! Im thinking of going private for all Medical advice i might take out a BUPA, HSA plan pretty soon !

[Anita]

HSA was great when my accident prone daughter was under 18 because I got half her physio fees back - but she's 19 now and too old for our "family" HSA membership.

The girl at our club goes into hospital next week for her op which I hope goes OK for her. She's planning on returning to gymnastics within six months (think that's too soon myself because she doesn't do things by halves which is why the last "repair" didn't work out too well). I just hope she does wean herself back in and it all works out for her, if it doesn't there's nothing more they will be able to do for her.

[Dave]

I Hope all goes well for her Anita, if it doesn't it will probably result in her having to retire.... Somthing i have been thinking of doing, considering i haven't tumbled since the NDP Finals in stoke, My injury is healing up but not very quickly, Ive come to point where im thinking whats the point if i keep getting injuried.... However im going to give it 1 more go to get back to full fitness and im determined to take things very slow and start of with the basics and build up slowly.... Somthing i started lastnight as it was my first session back in the gym since my holiday i did 30 minutes conditioning, 30 minutes warming up and 30 minutes trampolining...

[Dave]

This long standing lower leg injury has finally beaten me, the Specialist is going to operate on me to fix it !:( but at least i'll finally get it fixed :D

i go in for me op on the 28th July ( only downside is i cant drive for 4 weeks and i cant do any gymnastics for 3 months )

Then when they have done the left leg they are going to the right leg ! so i'll popssible be out for 6 months :(

[peter edge]

when they have done the left leg they are going to the right leg ! Tell them to do the right leg first and stop messing you about!!Lol!http://80.68.90.51/memberforum/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Clarabel]

I am just doing basic recreational stuff but I still managed to injure myself! I broke my little toe on the beam which healed up fine but around 8 weeks ago I landed a high round-off on the tumble track but on the tip of one foot. I snapped my foot over on one side and then all the way facing backwards and tore all the ligaments up one side and strained the ones on the opposite side. I already suffer from hypermobility so my ankle dislocates all the time. I rested (almost!) as long as I was meant to and did all my exercises but it is still just total pants and won't take any major landings. On the plus side my bar work has come on a treat! (No dismounts, though, so I gotta stay up there)

Anyone who loves a good accident try shanfan's video montages for moments of people tuck-fronting onto a beam that isn't under them or tkatchevs to regrasp the ... floor.

[Rosie]

A couple of weeks ago i quite successfully managed to fall off metal bar. This feat being more impressive being strapped on to said bar at the time. Am only now walking properly as managed to bruise my heel. Meant i missed trampolining grades as couldn't put enough weight on it to bounce. I never thought bruises were that big an issue till now. And now its heeled i very cleverly managed to kick a rock when i was the seaside last weekend, smashing up my big toe- but i'm gonna try and trampoline on it anyway

[Clarabel]

I want to try for stupidest injury... I was strapped on to the pit bar and was nervous about casting into a high swing so I put my feet out to the side.... and burned them! I got friction burns all along the outside of both feet and had to sit with ice on for the rest of the bars rotation!

[Dave]

I get the impression mos tof us gymnasts who use the forum are injury prone :o

still it would be nice if the hospital did both legs when i have my op but they wont !

[peter edge]

I get the impression mos tof us gymnasts who use the forum are injury prone http://80.68.90.51/memberforum/images/smilies/redface.gif



I`m not sure that is the case, I think because the nature of the exercise and the hours put in will increase the chances of sustaining an injury at some time.
Just as someone who drives 5k a year will less likely to have an accident than some one who clocks up 30k!http://80.68.90.51/memberforum/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Dave]

Oh So true there Peter, but you can't compare gymnasts and the amount of training they do a to a car and the amount of mileage they do - a car gets serviced once a year ( basic components being replaced ) you can't really service a gymnast :D

[peter edge]

you can't really service a gymnast http://80.68.90.51/memberforum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Dave, I`d really like to put an answer to that!! Lol!http://80.68.90.51/memberforum/images/icons/icon10.gifhttp://80.68.90.51/memberforum/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Dave]

Thought you'd like that reply Peter :D

[Bronagh Patterson]

finally people who are more accident prone than me!!!!!!!!!!!! about five years ago i broke my left ulna and radius on a holiday trampoline. nice time spent in private clinic (thanks to holiday insurance!!) feeling ill, in pain and having an op which had to be fixed by the good old NHS when i got back!! i had four ops all together, one to remove a metal plate because it was slightly uncomfortable. the physio i had to get my arm moving again was brilliant so i am a fan of the nhs!(might slightly biased as training to be a doc though......!!) apart from the arm i broke my toe walking into something at training (still managed to train for a bit though :) )( oh and got to see nice doc at casualty...) ive damaged the muscles in my back doing a full twist and ive repeatedly scraped my left elbow when ive forgotten to put my feet down!(always the left side of me gets hurt!!) latest injury was on fri when went from one trampoline to next mid full front. nice deep scrapes on left knuckles and shoulder!! lol

[Kelly Jordan]

It's funny you should say it's the left side of your body that has suffered Bronagh, because all my injuries have happened to my left side!!!
*4 broken bones in my left arm - wrist, inbetween wrist and elbow, elbow, and just above my elbow
*2 broken fingers on my left hand
*1 little bone in my foot broken - untreated, and only recognised a couple of years later
*obliterated already abnormal tendon under my left ankle bone (funny that i was the first to notice, then the physio a few weeks later, took the specialist 18 months, but never mind, it's not like it's his job or anything!)
*wrecked ligaments in left ankle
*twisted left knee
All that lead to my hip and spine starting to twist - 3 years of walking incorrectly because i was not treated and there was nothing else for me to do ... Curse the damned NHS - they don't like young kids with sports injuries!!!
That's the reason i want to be a doctor - be a good one who treats patients that need it!!!
I'm sure you will be a brilliant doctor too Bronagh :D You're a nice person :D
-x-X-x-

[Sue]

Have you thought of joining the British Gymnastics medical scheme, Kelly?

[Bronagh Patterson]

you obviously dont know me very well kelly tehe!! maybe they should name a wing after you in your local hospital? you give them enough trade after all!!!:)

[Kelly Jordan]

Hehe!!! Should have my own wing - good idea, only problem is they tend to throw me around between 2 hospitals just to complicate things!!!
Been 2 years since i was last at the hospital for myself though, so fingers crossed!!!
By the way Sue, believe it or not, but only one of those injuries happened while in the gym - the untreated broken foot - apart from that, (and my arm which i did while using the frame of the swing at home as bar, after being told a million and one times not to, but that doesn't count - self inflicted you could say!) all the other injuries have happened doing other sports, or while trying to get socks out a locker - fingers just get in the way sometimes!!!

[Clarabel]

Have you thought of joining the British Gymnastics medical scheme, Kelly?

As a member maybe this is something I should have heard of???

Where do you get information? (Without phoning them, I am hearing impaired)

[Sue]

You can only join in the period April to July for a particular year, so need to wait for next year's (like membership, it isn't a rolling joining date and they don't want to leave it open for people to join just when they get injured). I think the forms are sent out with the Gymnast magazine and they are also sent out to club secretaries. You can also download the form from the BGA website (under downloads). You get unlimited number of consultations and outpatient treatments with the best orthopaedic surgeons in the country. It costs £40 a year but as it is based on the Coventry&Warwick Hospital and QMC Nottingham, I am not sure how useful it is for people from more distant parts of the country.

[Lucy]

Doesn't sound very useful for those of us who are further afield! I'm out at the moment having twisted my left knee nearly three weeks ago! Sat in casualty for 4 hours and then got kicked out at midnight with a pair of crutches that were an inch too high and some painkillers that I can't cope with (co dydramol not anti inflammatory ones) and told to bear weight as soon as poss and that I should be back on the tramp in 4 weeks! I obviously put a bit too much weight on it the next day as it gave way and I ended up in a crying heap on the floor. The a&e doc said I had a medial collateral sprain but I now wonder if I've actually done more than that as I still can't straighten it (OK trainee docs what do you think?) and have persistent swelling around the lateral side and under my kneecap...

I'm going on holiday tommorow so if you need a laugh picture me trying to get in and out of a tent. I think it will be back to the doc if it's not better after next week.

[sarahlouise]

just managed to fracture the top of my foot (near my ankle) and chip and dent my ankle bone at a competiton, my own fault really, im such an idiot, i backward rolled to handstand into a wall in the (very small!) warm up area!!!!

it hurts, im off for a month, but ive hung up my leotards anyway....talk about going out with a bang!!

x

[Clarabel]

I think the forms are sent out with the Gymnast magazine

Er, magazine? I think I need to call membership as the only thing I have ever had from BG is a membership card and badge. In 7 months.

[Dave]

Been away from this thread for a good week ( i think ) but it seems we all seem to injure ourselves in all sorts of ways....

hopefully we can all return to gymnastics sooner rather than later.......

18 days till my operation, not sure whether to worry or be excited that im finally getting it fixed :confused:

[Bronagh Patterson]

hows the leg dave? got my latest injury on mon......scrapped ear from learning straight barani ballout. at the same time as my elbow and knee.. all on the left side again!

[Lucy]

I sprained my finger relearning barani ballouts last year so I can understand that one Bronagh. Good luck with the surgery Dave hope it goes well I might be joining the waiting lists as well. I saw a physio yesterday who is pretty sure I've got a meniscal tear which may or may not need someone to poke around in there to sort it out. I'm going for a full assessment next week which if I'm lucky will show that physio is enough to sort me out.
And to everyone else who is injured at the moment good luck with your recovery

[Dave]

The legs is good thanx Bronagh and lucy i go in for my surgery tomorrow, not too sure if im happy or i wanna cry but 'll be ok the onyl thing im not looking forward to is getting up at and being at the hospital for 7:30am

[Bronagh Patterson]

you'll be grand!!!!! bit of pain then being looked after hand on foot by all the medical staff!! have an imaginary bag of grapes!:)

[Gingerheid]

All the best for tomorrow Dave

[Dave]

Thanks Gingerheid and everyone whos wishing me luck....

I'll drop a post on here tomoz if im not too spaced out !

[Lucy]

Hopefully you'll be done and recovering by now Dave, hope it went well.

I'm going to be joining the waiting list next week hopefully (3 to 4 month wait so sooner the better) as my physio reckons minimum of displaced meniscal tear and possible cruciate damage (hurt like hell when she did the test for that) so I have to hobble around for the next 3 months as I can't straighten my knee and only have about 40 deg total flex........if you haven't got private health insurance get it now.

[Dave]

I intend to lucy....


Yeah im now at home got back about 15:50 i don't feel too bad although there was a slight mix up at the hospital which delayed me leaving ! one form said i could put full weight on me leg and the other said light wait with crutches even the speciliast said i had to have crutches but it took them a littel while to figure out what i was meant to have... all the nurses and doctors said i needed crutches but the physio said i didnt as it wasnt on the sheet ! eventually she agreed after she analysed me and i was on me merry way home !

what made laugh was i wasnt allowed up to walk about or even to walk to the loo cos im not allowed to my much weight on me leg yet the physio didnt want to give crutches yet at the same time the nurses and doctors wouldnt let get up !

[Lucy]

The painkillers must be good as you don't normally have that many typos in a post:p . Glad it went well, take it easy.

[Gingerheid]

Sorry to hear that Lucy - hope you et it sorted out soon.

Dae - glad to hear it went well. You keep yourself comfortable and hold tight onto those clouds! :D

[Lucy]

Cheers Gingerheid...looks like it won't be quick if I wait for NHS so I'm trying to scrape enough cash to go private! I think Dave must be floating still.:)

[Dave]

Im not floating anymore im still in a little bit of pain now and again but ive still got me groovie pain killers for that...

Going private is somthing im looking into tho....

[Kelly Jordan]

Glad to hear it went well Dave :)
All the best.
Keep us updated!
-x-X-x-

[Lucy]

OK bitten the bullet and got a private appointment with local ortho consultant next week. I looked up the NHS waiting times 117 days for an outpatient appt. and a further 180 days for a day case surgery and decided I can't wait that long to walk again:eek: . I'm not overendowed with cash but I have got some savings and thought what better time to put them to use. One plus is that the guy I'm seeing is always keen to sort out sports injuries, maybe I should invite him along to a session (it's about 800m down the road from the hospital)to have a go.

[peter edge]

Good idea! Maybe you could get a discount for referals. lol!http://www.british-gymnastics.org/memberforum/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Gingerheid]

Sorry to hear about that Lucy - hope it all goes well, and too expensively ...

[Dave]

My Injury is healing up nicely at the moment lets hope it continues.... i have a nice 6 centermeter scare down me leg though :(


So hows everyone else and there injuries going ? Lucy any news ?

[Anita]

Lucy - how's it going? The figures you quote are their official figures I bet - the reality is usually different .... (guess who works for the NHS?). Hope going private doesn't cost too much (unfortunately I know it can be very expensive, depending on what you have done).

When I was off sick earlier this year (trapped nerve in my neck, back and shoulder - flippin' painful and painkillers didn't touch the pain:eek: ) I ended up going private to a chiropractor because the NHS was useless - although I did manage to get to see an orthopaedic consultant quickly (sorry to tell you Lucy - my daughter's gym partner is an orthopaedic secretary at the local hospital so I got a cancellation appointment very quickly: a week after the referral from my GP).

Dave - glad to hear the leg's getting better but don't go overdoing it when you get back to the gym. I know what you're like ;)

[Gingerheid]

Just seen my last message...

I did of course mean '*not* too expensively'... ooops :o

[Lucy]

No news yet apart from I am now extremely bored, haven't been on a trampoline for 2 months and my left leg is about half the size of my right one even with trying to exercise it. But on a brighter note my appointment is tomorrow afternoon so I'm hoping to get things moving in the right direction at last.
Glad all is going well Dave take it easy and don't work it too hard.
I'm a bit jealous Anita but I think it is still partially down to where you are, there is a guy on the kneeguru forum (a great site www.kneeguru.co.uk (http://www.kneeguru.co.uk) for info on knees) who was in A&E on Saturday and saw an ortho consultant on Monday. I wonder if the A&E doc had realised I had done more damage I might have been given some sort of follow up appointment. Oh well, I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow, thanks guys and don't forget when you land a move stop twisting!

[Lucy]

Just saw the consultant, who was surprised I hadn't been referred much sooner and he is going to try and get me in for a scope on the 1st of sept on the NHS (phew it was going to be an expensive day otherwise) which will hopefully sort this damn knee out!

[Gingerheid]

Hope all goes well - even dentists bills are bad enough without having to worry about paying for anything else.

[Anita]

Glad to hear it went OK Lucy - and the fact that he's taking it seriously enough to get things moving quickly. Hope you get it sorted for good.

[Dave]

Me Over do things Anita ? Never :D

Its been 22 days since my Op now and im back in the gym coaching the younger gymnasts without doing any gymnastics myself :( man i miss training

[Bronagh Patterson]

how long will that last for dave before youre tempted to try something lol? hated watching when broke my arm, just wanted to jump on and bounce!!

[Lucy]

Wohoh I'm definitely in for surgery next week on Thursday....I'm so happy I could cry:D

[Dave]

dam that was quick Lucy !!:eek:

Well at least you know it will all be sorted soon and it means you can get back to training after your rehab programme.....

Thats the hardest part not being able to do anything when ur injured or recovering ...... Mind you i start very light training during septemeber nothing more than some streching and conditioning tho.....

[Bronagh Patterson]

good luck lucy!!!!! hope it all goes well

[Lucy]

Thanks Bronagh, I can't complain really this my first real injury apart from a cracked rib (missed the vault completely)when I was about 13 oh and sprained ankle gained while rollerskating after the schools finals in Christchurch in the 80's so I have been lucky really. I hope I'm not too nervous when I finally get back on a trampoline. It's just a shame I've missed all the summer sessions as there are so many less people around and you get a lot more time on the bed than term time;)
Is anyone else having trouble staying logged in on here at the moment?

[Bronagh Patterson]

hi lucy hows it going? am pretty sure am going to receive an injury next week.....when my coach finds out i havent been training properly all summer..........te he he!!

[Lucy]

Hi folks ...they finally let me out minus my acl and 40% of my lateral meniscus! So when I've recovered from this I've got the acl recon to look forward to!!

[Dave]

Hope your recovery goes well Lucy.....

[Gingerheid]

Oh dear - whatever all that is sounds painful and scary :(

Hope all goes well.

[Lucy]

Thanks guys
It basically means no more trampolining for me this year at least :( . I'm pretty sure you can't trampoline without your anterior cruciate ligament and I'm not going to push my luck.
I shall return eventually, though I might be less keen to learn twisting moves after this fiasco:D

[Bronagh Patterson]

bad luck lucy!!!!! that must be so annoying!:(

[Lucy]

Went to see the consultant yesterday, saw one of his docs who said doing good come back in December when you've got full range of movement and some muscle back and then we'll see about an acl reconstruction. So it's back to the physio on Monday (and a job interview) to get me walking without crutches (just taken my first steps since June without them in the last few days so big improvement) as I hobble a bit at the moment. So it's time to focus on and improve my coaching skills until next year, though hands off of course...:D well I have always been a bit distracted by trying to learn new moves for myself

[Dave]

Hope all is going well Lucy and your not pushing yourself too hard now your off the crutches..... I've learnt from my mistakes over the years never to rush a comback when i came of my crutches i took things very slowly and trying not to overcompensate on the other leg....

Oh yeah how'd the Interview go ?

[Lucy]

Cheers Dave, I got told off today for being off the crutches (fortunately I haven't done it very much) as I haven't got enough quad strength to keep my knee stable. I'm going to be stuck on the gym equipment next week, fully supervised so I don't injure myself but for now the same exercises I have been doing and partial weight bearing when walking + when I'm sitting down swing my foot to help stretch the muscles that are stopping me from bending.
The interview seemed to go OK but it's probably not enough hours, it started out as full time and now it's down to 4-10 hrs a week so I would have to take on something else as well. I have just noticed that the local sports centre wants a part time admin person so might give them a go.
How's the countdown to training going?

[Dave]

Glad to hear your on the mend and not overdoing it Lucy !


The countdown to training is still ongoing I see the specialist on 27th October, so with any luck im allowed to train from then onwards - at present im doing little work I don't wanna overdue it but im enjoying ( Screaming and Shouting )Sorry meant to say coaching the lads at the moment :D gods knows they need some discipline in there gymnastics !

[sarahlouise]

wow, we are hardly a good advert for the sport....all of us, injury monkeys!

I hurt my back in march, landing a str8 back really oddly, and just thought it was a twang and all would be okay, so carried on and worked on my aerial cartwheels and made life so much worse...it also gave way supporting some younger gymnasts flicing...basically a mixture of 17 years of gymnastics and those incidents meant i had 2 months off and £250 of chiropractors and physio fees to pay (being at uni was a bit triicky!) but okay now, was on pain killers for ages...
...got better to compete in july. only to fracture my ankle in the warm up room, me being me, still went on the floor and we came 4th! so wasnt too bothered, cared more at that point about getting to xray! haha!
....ive had bad knees (cartilage problems) since i was 15...owch!

..ive given up training now, just coaching, so fingers crossed, less injurys!

BUT whilst on the subject i am in my final year of my journalism degree and i am doing an artical on gymnastics. the other side of gymnastics, such as injurys, nutritianal problems/issues, pressure from coaches and parents, andtoo much too young..so if you could help me (which woiuld be amazing...send me your email in a private message....)

thanks,
sare x x x x

[Dave]

Yeah we certainly are a " Fit and health " bunch aren't we :D

I'll PM you shorly sarahlouise with my injury history, nustritional struggles from time to time etc etc


Anyways im off to see the Specialist on the 27th October hopefully he will tell me all is ok and im allowed to start training again ( even if its only light training for now i'll be happy )

[Lucy]

Wohoh I can walk unaided...and I started at the gym today (referral from physio) and found with a bit of pushing I can do a lot of stuff I didn't realise I could do such as various step exercises. It's quite funny though as doing these exercises shows just how weak my left leg is now and how poor my balance is on that side. It can only get better from here.:D I even contemplated getting on the trampoline last night just to back bounce a bit but then thought better of it (along with the fact I couln't work out how to get on it...).

[Kelly Jordan]

Awwww bless!!! Good for you Lucy - on the road to recovery :) Probably a good job you didn't get on the trampoline - even if you had found a way onto it, getting off could have been an even bigger challenge!!! Best wishes - hope you make a speedy recovery :)
-x-X-x-

[Gingerheid]

Hope alls well as soon as can be!

[Dave]

Glad to Hear all is going well Lucy....

[Lucy]

Dave, sorry to hear all's not going to plan. It sounded like you were doing really well before. I hope they find a solution for you it must be driving you mad not being able to train.

Knees, who'd 'ave 'em?
http://www.kneeguru.co.uk
Definitely the most informative site I have ever found!!

[sarahlouise]

im getting old- my joints ache, and my back injury seems to be playing up again- i thought stopping gymnastics would help- but it still hurts, was no point in giving up really! lol....it must be the cold....found a good chiropractor at uni though, might pay him a visit next week....

...i hope things sort out soon dave....knees are so stooopid!

...been reading about horrific injuries and horrible coaches for the research for my article on the making and breaking of elite gymnasts...i reckon my coaches were nice as pie now! lol (not going to tell them that tho!)

sarah xx

[Dave]

Thanks guys it is driving me crazy not being able to do full time training and only doing light training but i don't really have much of a choice at the moment:(.....

I think my Tumbling Days are well and truely over now ! and at the moment its not looking to good on me doing Sports Acro anytime soon, Since last thursday i've seriously thought of retiring and calling it a day but each time i end up thinking bout it i always come to same conclusion " I dont want to, i enjoy it too much ".....

PS Sarahlouise i havent forgotten i was gonna pm you with my injury list just been a little busy at work thats all :(

[Bronagh Patterson]

must remember that i am no longer twelve and should really warm up before i compete................my back is still sore from saturday!!:eek:

[Dave]

What did you do Bronagh ??

[Bronagh Patterson]

my back has just seized a bit and twinges when i twist it!! the routines i was doing werent too hard but was kicking our quite hard in pike backs so that might havce jolted it a bit! getting better though!LOL! on a plus though learnt double pike backs last night wohoo!

[Bronagh Patterson]

wohoo my back is now better.............but ive done my knee in and i dont know how!!! it just 'went' two days ago when i was walking around (ironically enough) the hospital. it doesnt hurt when i bounce (which i prob shouldnt be doing!) but when i walk! its fine when its totally straight or bent but going between the two is quite sore. its on the medial side and that makes me think ive damaged my medial collateral! help!

[Lucy]

Get on to kneeguru and put your symptoms up on there you'll get loads of suggestions to go to your doc. Make sure you don't put your back out again because you are favouring your knee;) . I've been on a trampoline twice now just a bit of back bouncing but last time I did a cat twist and automatically came up to feet so have decided to keep off again now until os or physio say I'm safe to get on. You know how it is I just couldn't resist a little go....

[Bronagh Patterson]

knee is fine now!!! quite bizarre as stoppped being sore pretty quick, not that im complaining!!quite happy at the mo in fact-got my first elite gold medal! our team came first in our uni comp yesterday wohooooooooooooo!

[Kelly Jordan]

Fab result Bronagh :D Well done bab!!!

[Dave]

Nice One Bronagh......


Injury Update : Got an MRI Scan on the 14th Dec, follow up appointment for results on the 5th Jan
Have seen the Physio and hes referred me to a podiatrist who im seeing in january sometime..Looks like im gonna get Orthitics on the NHS :D Hope so anyway, and im seeing the Physio again before i see the podiatrist in january...

Oh its all fun and games....

[Bronagh Patterson]

sounds like you're going to be busy then! hope you manage to squeeze in some mince pies amo ngst all that lot!:p
also forgot in last post- did really crap individually but i did 20 moves wohoo_bit of an improvement from last year when i hit the mat 3 times in one weekend...........:o

[Bronagh Patterson]

have an interesting one for you. a guy in our uni broke his leg on tuesday doing straight jumps (on an inch bed). he has a spiral fracture of his left tibia, damaged the ligaments in his left ankle, and slightly dislocated the same ankle! discovered the problem; he was bouncing on the cross which he normally doesnt do!

[Lucy]

Ouch we lost someone to a broken ankle a few weeks ago...on his warm up go...straight bouncing as well.
Dave it's a shame you have to wait for so long for the results, just hope it shows up something that can be sorted.
I've just come back from my 3 month follow up and I'm now on the list for an acl recon (patella tendon)which if I'm really lucky will happen in March (I basically said that if they called me and said they would do it tomorrow I'd be there)!
So if it all goes to plan I'll be back trampolining in 2007 (God that seems a long way away off) oh well plenty of time to improve my coaching and practice my rig work so I can seriously contemplate doing the senior club coach course !

[Gingerheid]

When I broke my leg years ago it was on a straight jump too. Are they more dangerous than they let on? :eek:

Heaven knows why it's the somies I'm scared of. :confused:

Hope all goes well for the recoveries.

[Bronagh Patterson]

the guy from my club has had his operation and apparently it went quite well. he's out of hospital.....give him a week before he moans he cant bounce lol! and yes straight jumps are v dangerous - thats when my pike lol!:p