Gymnasts With Injured Backs?

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beamgymnast

About 1 year ago, (April 2008) I was having back pain.I went to the orthopedic doctors and after x-rays, bone scans, mri's, etc,... they diagnosed me with a pars fracture on L5. I was out for about 3 monthes, and started Physical Therapy and slowy went back into gymnastics. I was pain-free for about 6 monthes. In November 2008, my back started to bug me again. I went back to the same doctors, but they assured me that it was just muscle pain. After still have pain, I switched doctors twice and am now with a specialist in sports backs. I am now in a back brace- 23 hours a week for 12 weeks, then start PT up again, along with PT, 12 hours a day for 12 more weeks. It is frusterating and not always comfortable, but I'll do whatever it takes to get back to gymnastics. Has anyone else had back fractures or similar back issues from gymnastics?
 
I suffered from severe back pain for over six years and no doctor could figure out what was wrong. I couldn't even sit down without feeling like I was going to pass out from the pain. After going to a chiropractor for 1 1/2 years, he broke my root canal tooth by accident and the dentist had to pull it out. I had asked the dentist to pull it out 2 years prior but he refused. 5 days after he pulled the broken root canal tooth out, the back pain was gone and has never returned. I realize my case is unique, but I wanted to share it nonetheless. I missed out on 6 years of gymnastics because of a lousy root canal job that harbored an infection all down my spine. People kept telling me I had back pain from doing gymnastics at such an old age. Humbug! I'm still doing gymnastics at age 49. :D
 
I currently have two bruised vertebrae, a bulging disk, and arthritis. My first doctor thought that it might be spodylolysis, I think that it is similar to pars.

I'm out of practice and competition for at least another month. I can tell that physical therapy is helping.

Good luck to you in your recovery. You have my every sympathy.
 
I have had horrible back trouble kept me out all season and i only got to compete once before my state meet to qualify for regionals level 8. I had a bulged disk L4 and herniated disk, also torn ligaments. It took me a long long time of rest and re hab work at Physical therpy before I could go back to practice almost a full year. Now a year later to this day I started having more back pain, a fracture and another bulged disk, also muscle spasms. Its just my luck...Right now im going to Pt consistantly and heating my back. Gymnastics is something I love to do and I just keep pushing thro all these unlucky injuries. But, I am going back to practice soon like 2 weeks and I will compete level 9 this year and hopefully be injury free. Im praying no more back problems. Good Luck to you. And No matter what you have to trust your instinct and try your hardest and the choice is all up to you if you think you can go back to gymnastics or not. Trust me back pain, and injury is very common in gymnastics, your not alone.

Alison:)
 
gee...this makes my back pain look like a fluffy bunny...
I got a bit of back pain about a year ago but it was just in the muscles. It was mostly because we have to carry around a heavy laptop at school (this was at the start of the year when we weren't used to them) But i found it difficult to tumble and to kips on the bar...
The pain returned early this year when i pulled a couple of muscles in my back..but its all good now.
Good luck with the injuries! they are SUCH a pain (literally) hope your better soon!
 
Well, I had been having back pain for quite a while when I finally agreed to go to the doctor. It ended up that one of the vertabrae in my lower back was fractured, and had been fractured for quite some time. So long in fact, that there was no way it would heal on it's own. I would have had to get surgery to weld it back together or something like that. Anyways, I'm not a big fan of doctors or anything relating to them, so I didn't get the surgery, and my back is still fractured, and probably will be forever. Honestly, I was so determined to go back to gymnastics that I managed it somehow. Although, I did drop some skills that caused more pain than others... So, if you are really that determined to go back, I would just go for it :]
 
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I found out 3 days before season that I had two herniated discs along with scoliosis so i had to sit out for the majority of our season my senior year. I'm still stuck with the pain and physical therapy hasn't helped at all. I still love practicing though, sometimes its worth the pain and other days it stinks to limp around :p
 
This is a VERY cheerful thread...

I have muscular inflammation or something like that in my lower back. I take over-the-counter pain meds for it, and they help. When it flares up, I cannot do walkovers or anything else that involves a large back arch. Kips also hurt due to extension of the back. I can tumble, however, although it does hurt a bit. It's mostly gone now.
 
yeah, not very cheerfull........
Everyone get better soon & best of luck for a quick recovery and return back to gymnastics :)
 
gee...this makes my back pain look like a fluffy bunny...

Agh me too! Haha. When I started doing walkovers on beam for L6 last season, it got to the point where it hurt to walk, let alone do ballet and gymnastics. Went to the doctor, got X-rays and such, but no fractures or anything. They put me in physical therapy, which definitely helped. Even today, a year and a half later, I can't do walkovers without my back hurting. Heck, I can't stand up and work for more than 20 minutes without having to lay down for 5. I don't know why, but it hurts like crazy when I clean, fold clothes... basic stuff. Put me in the gym and I'm good. It's weird. Should I get it checked out, do you guys think?
 
Agh me too! Haha. When I started doing walkovers on beam for L6 last season, it got to the point where it hurt to walk, let alone do ballet and gymnastics. Went to the doctor, got X-rays and such, but no fractures or anything. They put me in physical therapy, which definitely helped. Even today, a year and a half later, I can't do walkovers without my back hurting. Heck, I can't stand up and work for more than 20 minutes without having to lay down for 5. I don't know why, but it hurts like crazy when I clean, fold clothes... basic stuff. Put me in the gym and I'm good. It's weird. Should I get it checked out, do you guys think?


YOu sound just like my DD. She no longer does BWO or FWO, they just hurt too much. She has scoliosis, which does not cause pain, but it does throw her out of alignment and that causes pain in her hip and back. She also has the "can't stand up for 20 minutes" issue. She is now working very hard to make her abs a lot stronger and it is really helping her.

She cut down to 9 hours a week of gym and also will not do BWO's again, she can work around them easily as we do not have compulsories.

ANy back pain should be checked out by a doctor. You only get one back you know!:D
 
YOu sound just like my DD. She no longer does BWO or FWO, they just hurt too much. She has scoliosis, which does not cause pain, but it does throw her out of alignment and that causes pain in her hip and back. She also has the "can't stand up for 20 minutes" issue. She is now working very hard to make her abs a lot stronger and it is really helping her.

She cut down to 9 hours a week of gym and also will not do BWO's again, she can work around them easily as we do not have compulsories.

ANy back pain should be checked out by a doctor. You only get one back you know!:D

Hmm. That DOES sound very similar. Unless things have changed in the past year or so, though, I don't have scoliosis. I suppose it's possible... I need a checkup for junior year soon anyhow, so I'll probably just ask about it then and see what happens.
 
Just as a reminder, stress fractures generally don't show up on x-rays until they're older and have healed. My back injury didn't show up until after 2 x-rays, a bone scan, and an MRI.
 
Hmm. That DOES sound very similar. Unless things have changed in the past year or so, though, I don't have scoliosis. I suppose it's possible... I need a checkup for junior year soon anyhow, so I'll probably just ask about it then and see what happens.

YOu can still have the back pain without scoliosis, especially the kind of back pain that comes with BWO's and standing a while. Try changing your abdominal workout, use a stability ball as that will make sure you are using the whole of your core muscles (they are the ones that form a girdle around your front and back).

Good idea to get it checked out. That kind of pain is not "normal" for a teen.
 
Anybody have sciatica from herniated discs?? and if you do, do you have any home remedies besides icing and having stronger abs? My leg is starting to go numb and weak!
 
yeah, i know what you mean. i had a herniated disk in my lower back and i have, flare-ups i guess? it's like what peyson from miobi has. it's not fun, but it's worth it.
 
Anybody have sciatica from herniated discs?? and if you do, do you have any home remedies besides icing and having stronger abs? My leg is starting to go numb and weak!


You need to see a neurologist as soon as possible. THis is totally treatable, but it needs to be looked at NOW.
 
Yeah i plan on getting it looked at soon but i haven't been working out for about 2 months and its gotten worse than before! And i also have a bit of scoliosis too. My hips feel like they're grinding whenever I walk. Hopefully it gets taken care of soon!
 

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