Growth Spurt Anyone??? - Page 2

msl529 · 10-03-2008, 11:34 AM


Quote:
Originally Posted by Mom2Gymgirls I got a good laugh at this. Sounds just like my dd #2. If it helps any, DD#1 was always at least 95% for height. She was the tallest kid in her grade, including boys and girls, during elementary school. Once she hit 6th grade she slowed down and now has not grown any in about 2 years. Everyone kept telling me she was going to be huge, and she only ended up 5'6" and shorter than me. DD#2 is almost 5'1", so we'll see where she ends up. I'm thinking she is going to be the tallest of all my 3. It is frustrating at times though. We are constantly buying new pants because they are too short!

That is one thing I like since our move to FL, my girls rarely wear pants anymore! It's much easier in shorts & capris. They can fudge an inch or two either way, and it's not a major fashion faux-pas!

kristilyn73 · 10-03-2008, 08:12 PM


Quote:
Originally Posted by msl529 This also makes it a challenge for us, b/c she has scoliosis. Which means we have to buy her a new back brace evey 6-12 months, b/c she outgrows them. Insurance does not always cover it, so twice in the past 3 years, we were out $3,000 each time, for a non-covered brace!

I feel for your DD, I have scoliosis. I had surgery in 7th grade and wore a brace for a few years. As an adult I still have problems. I hope your daughter can have an easier time of it!

msl529 · 10-04-2008, 08:48 AM


Quote:
Originally Posted by kristilyn73 I feel for your DD, I have scoliosis. I had surgery in 7th grade and wore a brace for a few years. As an adult I still have problems. I hope your daughter can have an easier time of it!

Wow, it's nice to hear from someone else w/ the same condition! I am sorry you had surgery. And in 7th grade? Ick! That must have been tough (wearing a brace to school, etc.)!

So far dd has been lucky. Our very perceptive pediatrician back in CA started noticing her spinal curve around age 9, and he had an orthopedist watching her until her condition began to warrant treatment.

So far, she has only needed to wear a brace after school/gym & overnight, & she seems to be holding steady, as of her app't last week. We just keep praying she won't ever have to quit gym in order to be in the brace 24 hours! I don't think that will happen though, her Ortho here says the research doesn't really show any benefit to bracing more than about 16 hours/day.

Anyhow, thanks for the good wishes. And I am so sorry to hear you still suffer probs related to this. What are your issues? Post-surgical stuff, uneven posture, or pain? I hope you can manage ok & not suffer too much!

This is a good place to mention this though, since we are talking about growth spurts....

PARENTS-
Make sure your kids get their scoliosis checks! Especially as they start to go thru growth spurts, which is the time that the spinal curves really increase, if they have it. A simple check at their checkup time should suffice, as long as your Dr is fairly perceptive. I know they also do checks at most schools, but our Dr. had already found it before dd ever had a school check.

flippymonkeysmom · 10-04-2008, 11:32 AM

my 6 year old ds has scoliosis - right now he is just being monitored by a pediatric orthopedist - we're hoping it somehow corrects itself. I love my crooked little boy, lol.

gymmomntc2e6 · 10-04-2008, 01:13 PM

my son was just diagnosed ( he will be twelve in a couple of weeks) mild - has to go back to Dr in February for a follow-up.

I also have it. pretty mild but I do have some problems. One leg a smidge shorter than the other so my hips are not even. I am supposed to wear a lift in my shoe. Can't recall the last time I actually did ( middle or high school ). I do have problems with my back sometimes and quite a lot of hip issues. Maybe I should have worn the lift

rbw · 10-04-2008, 05:02 PM

I have two comments to add to this interesting thread:

Several people have posted that they or their kids have scoliosis. I'm intrigued, since several studies have suggested that the prevalence of scoliosis is surprisingly high in rhythmic and artistic gymnastics and in ballet, and at least one study [Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2006 Aug;16(4):231-6] links this to joint laxity, suggesting that the emphasis on flexibility in these sports may attract or sustain susceptible kids--so perhaps gym parents and coaches should be made more aware of this issue.
Physicians who study growth-related injuries in gymnastics recommend monitoring growth and reducing training stress or at least moderating the increase in training hours and intensity during growth spurts. (These physicians are recommending a training regimen that is quite different than what seems to be common practice in gymnastics, where training hours (and thus impacts) typically increase with age as the athletes move through the levels into more rigorous training as Optionals.) FWIW, at least three of the small group of 11 to 14 year-old Optional gymnasts on my daughter's small team have had frank growth plate injuries this year, and several others are now experimenting with wrist braces as they (like about half of gymnasts) experience the sort of wrist pain that is often associated with adolescent growth plate issues. All our kids will enjoy (or at least endure) growth spurts; parents and coaches should be aware of the increased potential for injury during periods of rapid growth.

Blackie6 · 10-04-2008, 07:59 PM

I was waitting for it with my DD after the Summer but nothing yet. She's been in a CM leotard for almost 3 yrs now so I;ve been scared that one day she'll wake up and none of this stuff will fit her. And her team & comp leo are brand new.

My 10 yr old DS had a huge growth spurt though at about age 8 and he actually had "growing pains" in his legs at night. It was horrible and the only thing I could do was give him Tylenol.

My 12 yr old DS who used to be one of the BIGEST boys in class is now a midget. All the girls tower over him now...it is so funny to see this in Middle school.

msl529 · 10-05-2008, 07:04 AM


Quote:
Originally Posted by flippymonkeysmom my 6 year old ds has scoliosis - right now he is just being monitored by a pediatric orthopedist - we're hoping it somehow corrects itself. I love my crooked little boy, lol.

Good luck w/ that! Hope he does well!

msl529 · 10-05-2008, 07:09 AM


Quote:
Originally Posted by gymmomntc2e6 my son was just diagnosed ( he will be twelve in a couple of weeks) mild - has to go back to Dr in February for a follow-up. I also have it. pretty mild but I do have some problems. One leg a smidge shorter than the other so my hips are not even. I am supposed to wear a lift in my shoe. Can't recall the last time I actually did ( middle or high school ). I do have problems with my back sometimes and quite a lot of hip issues. Maybe I should have worn the lift

Sorry you have difficulties as a result! I have met a fair number of adults who have grown up w/ uncorrected scoliosis. They seem to have similar issues to yours. That's a shame!

Hope your ds does ok w/ it!

msl529 · 10-05-2008, 07:22 AM


Quote:
Originally Posted by rbw I have two comments to add to this interesting thread: Several people have posted that they or their kids have scoliosis. I'm intrigued, since several studies have suggested that the prevalence of scoliosis is surprisingly high in rhythmic and artistic gymnastics and in ballet, and at least one study [Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2006 Aug;16(4):231-6] links this to joint laxity, suggesting that the emphasis on flexibility in these sports may attract or sustain susceptible kids--so perhaps gym parents and coaches should be made more aware of this issue. Physicians who study growth-related injuries in gymnastics recommend monitoring growth and reducing training stress or at least moderating the increase in training hours and intensity during growth spurts. (These physicians are recommending a training regimen that is quite different than what seems to be common practice in gymnastics, where training hours (and thus impacts) typically increase with age as the athletes move through the levels into more rigorous training as Optionals.) FWIW, at least three of the small group of 11 to 14 year-old Optional gymnasts on my daughter's small team have had frank growth plate injuries this year, and several others are now experimenting with wrist braces as they (like about half of gymnasts) experience the sort of wrist pain that is often associated with adolescent growth plate issues. All our kids will enjoy (or at least endure) growth spurts; parents and coaches should be aware of the increased potential for injury during periods of rapid growth.

Thank you for this thought-provoking post! I think your point in #1 is probably true. I am willing to bet that a large number of kids w/ joint laxity end up in those sports requiring flexibility. Therefore, the research is skewed a bit in terms of the #'s of children w/ scoliosis in said sports.

The growth plate issue you mention in #2 is sadly true. Many kids are training when they should probably be resting or backing-off due to growth plate and/or other injuries. All sports have gotten so much more competitive, and it seems there is just no solution to this problem on a national/worldwide level. I think we can make a difference as individual parents by not letting our kids over-train when they are facing injuries or growth problems. Tough call to make for many of us!