injuries...

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ok, so last year about this time i sprained my ankle between two mats when i fell off the beam. then in nov. i sprained the other ankle in a hole and continueally throughout the rest of my competition season i had problems like resprains with both of them. i tried conditioning to get them stronger because one of my coaches suggested i had "loose ankles". All summer i have been problem free, until recently. about this last month my ankle that i originally sprained has been bothering me. i ice it alot especially after gym trying to get it "good" for the next days practice. I have a doc. appoint. for next week to see what the prob is. i can tell that if i continue to use it and it hurts, it going to resprain. I hope this doesnt happen between now and next week, but i dont want to skip out on tricks at gym that really effect my ankle like floor and vault... what should i do?:mad: i am so tired of these dumb ankles and injuries.... HELP!
 
Let it heal properly. If you continue to work-out on it because you are afraid of missing gym time you will end up missing more time in the long run.
 
Do you tape or wrap your ankles at all? That might be an option until you get your ankles strong enough not to need the support anymore.

Go ahead and see the doc and let us know what happens.
 
i sprained the other ankle in a hole and continueally throughout the rest of my competition season i had problems like resprains with both of them. i tried conditioning to get them stronger because one of my coaches suggested i had "loose ankles".

What did you do to try and condition them?

Did you continue to train on sprained ankles?

Did you get any treatment from a physical therapist?

I have a doc. appoint. for next week to see what the prob is. i can tell that if i continue to use it and it hurts, it going to resprain. I hope this doesnt happen between now and next week, but i dont want to skip out on tricks at gym that really effect my ankle like floor and vault... what should i do?:mad: i am so tired of these dumb ankles and injuries.... HELP!


You have to let your ankles heal. Once you sprain an ankle and don't get it seen to by a professional (eg. a sports therapist/physical therapist who can do special techniques to help break down the new scar tissue that lays down badly), it will continue to sprain again.

Ankles are quite delicate and because of the anatomical structures, they can easily re-sprain. it takes time for an ankle to heal. you have to be patient. ice-ing before and after training is definitely essential so well done and keep that up.

There's something else you can try which is called contrast bathing, whereby you have a bucket of ice cold water and a bucket of hot water (as hot as you can take it). So you do the following for 10 mins

2mins cold
2 mins hot,
2 mins cold
2 mins hot
2 mins cold...

Try it and see how you get on but you have to let those ankles rest
 
I've also got a mildly screwy ankle myself (connected to the foot that likes to get stress fractures, just to make life interesting), I've never gone over on it badly enough that I couldn't walk on it and needed crutches, but every time I start any sort of exercise program, inevitably it'll start giving me problems again sooner or later, depending on the intensity. Doesn't matter how much rest it's had since the last time I was doing anything beyond basic activities with it, rest doesn't seem to help anything, it'll just start feeling loose and weak and hurt when I step on it. It doesn't feel hot or get swollen, so it doesn't seem like the sort of thing that needs icing, and it's not the sort of acute thing you can ask a doctor about.

I've been using an elastic support on it again, but this has been an on and off thing for at least 10 years now, so I don't think it's going to go away on its own! And now it's started bothering me outside the gym, too. What sort of exercises can I do to strengthen it so it can maybe get better?
 
Physical therapy exercsises are key to helping keep your body healthy--especially after injury and if you're taping or using a support/brace for a previously injured body part (such as ankle or wrist). As others have said, don't be afraid to take time off--you can always go into the gym and do conditioning and stuff that doesn't require you to use your ankle(s). Also ice and heat may help before and after working out. Good luck.
 
when one of my friends at gym sprained her ankle bad what she did was she would ice it and tape it but at gym she also trained but she only did as much as she could then she would stop or she would do less numbersof skills. that way she could still let her ankle heal but she would also be training.

also try doing more drills, bars, and tramp to keep from pounding.
 
I'm curious about exactly what sort of conditioning the original poster's coach had her doing to try and strengthen her ankle, as well?
 
madkate if you are talking about the conditioing my coach told me to do was just toe raises. when i originally sprained the first ankle the doctor gave me a theraband to do exercises with...
 
madkate if you are talking about the conditioing my coach told me to do was just toe raises. when i originally sprained the first ankle the doctor gave me a theraband to do exercises with...


So did you stop doing the theraband exercies? if so, why?

I would be more inclined to keep up with your Physical Therapists/Doctors advice of using the theraband. If these exercises became to easy, get a different strength theraband, generally the colour of them determines the strength of them
 
so i went to the doctor and he said the bone structure and ligaments tendons looked and felt pretty good, so i guess it is just sore... it has gotten better the last couple days b/c its been a week since ive tumbled or vaulted. thanks for your help! he said i have to do a lot of toe raises to build strength.. hopefully it helps! :)
 
i am sooooo frustrated! i went to the doctor and he said my ankle was fine but it is like a shooting pain in my acheleis tendon when i tumble, do backwalkovers or anything like that that involes pounding and stuff. i feel like a loser who is never going to make level 7 because i cant even stay in one piece. last week i did giants for the first time, but every single day my hands were bloodied to pieces on bars from rips. i have tried everything and can't keep my hands from ripping. and now its both of my ankles. the one hurts on the achelies tendon and the other is now hurting over the bone like when i sprained it. i feel like all i am is a problem today was not good at gym... help?
 
Just a question... a physical therapist friend of mine recommnded my DD do her "abc's" to strengthen her ankles. In case you don't know what those are (I didn't), you trace the lower case alphabet with your foot.

DD was complaining of something similar... she said she'd have "random shooting pains" underneath and around her ankle bones. My PT friend said it was the tendons around the bones. I have to say, the pain has really lessened since she started doing those. Of course, now she's dealing with a broken collar bone. If it's not one thing, it's another!

-Lynn
 
When I sprained my ankle (it was while I was out of gym. I jumped over a puddle. At least you got yours in a respectable manner LOL) I traced abc's (upper and lower case) with the foot, stretched it, and it started to *really* feel better after walking on sand. Not sure where you live but if you have any chance, try it. I was lucky enough to work near a beach, so every day or so I would walk on the beach after work for increasingly longer distances. I know other areas have man made sandy beaches at lakes and reservoirs. Ankle and calf stretches will probably help, though. You need to have the flexibility as well as the strength back. It sounds like the strength is ok, if your doctor said everything feels solid. Do your ankles feel tight, do they have their range of motion from before getting hurt? It took me ages to get my range of motion back, but once it was back I had no problems anymore.

~Katy
 
i am sooooo frustrated! i went to the doctor and he said my ankle was fine but it is like a shooting pain in my acheleis tendon when i tumble, do backwalkovers or anything like that that involes pounding and stuff. i feel like a loser who is never going to make level 7 because i cant even stay in one piece. last week i did giants for the first time, but every single day my hands were bloodied to pieces on bars from rips. i have tried everything and can't keep my hands from ripping. and now its both of my ankles. the one hurts on the achelies tendon and the other is now hurting over the bone like when i sprained it. i feel like all i am is a problem today was not good at gym... help?

Try and hang in there - you are not just a problem and the problems you have will get better and you will make it to level 7. Most gymmie's go through times where they have a bunch of issues - especially if they are going through any kind of growth spurt, puberty, etc. My dd is also a level 7 and been having a tough time lately - wrist issues, broke her elbow not too long ago, tore a tendon in her foot, took a nasty spill on her neck .... I think you get the point. The trick is to use the time to work on other things. Since my dd really is not the best dancer - and couldn't really tumble for a while b/c of her wrist - it gave her a chance to pretty up her dance. Ok she wasn't thrilled with it - but just remember whenever one door closes, another opens. Good luck and I hope you are feeling better soon.
 
thanks for all ur support! ok, so i went to the doctor AGAIN today and he re-evauluated it and wants a mri and thinks it could be a tear or separation of my achelies tendon... i hope not :( so monday i go for an mri and tues i will go back to the doctor for the results. i was off for two months in december after fracturing my back and just at the begining of the summer could i do a backwalkover on beam again. i dont want to be off again! oh well, i guess it part of the life of a gymnast... lots of conditioning for me! yipee! ♥
 
update

well, i went to another docotor the end of august and he said i had achilles tendonosis which is like micro tears in my achilles tendon and can lead to a rupture. there is also another part related to this that has it, or is sprained. we don't know. unfortunatly, these heal kinda slow, so he put me in physical therapy for 6 weeks. ive been 3 times already, and i think it is helping. this problem has been goin on for 10 weeks and about twice during that time i took about 1-2 weeks off of the ankle, and thought it was better then went to hard trying to come back and made it worse. they tried this electro steriod medicine thing with a stem machine to shoot medicine into the tendon, it felt like a bunch a little bee stings for about ten minutes while the machine ran,but maybe it helped. its hard to tell. they'll try it 2-3 times, and within those we'll know if it worked. on the upside this has let me work tons on beam and ive gotten over a major fear issue with it. its kinda nice to get some to time to work with yourself against your mind with fear. i cant tumble or vault cause they don't want me landing or jumping or pounding on it. (anything to make it hurt) i think i didn't help matters by trying to go with it hurt for 6 weeks, guess i made it worse. whoops, i just HATE quitting and looking like a wimpy excuse making gymnast. bars is also getting much better except i have only worked them 3 times in the last two weeks cause i keep ripping them to bloody pieces. its rediculous, i rip more than anyone at my gym and them keep goin on them till my coach makes me get off. trying not to get too frustrated and down, but its difficult, especially cause everyone is getting their floor routines and first meet it end of october and i prob. won't be ready for everything, but at least i can compete bars and beam!
 
I can understand your frustration but it seems you're a strong and optimistic girl who will be able to overcome these injuries.
My dd has had 3 serious ankle sprains and our doctor who specializes in sport medicine highly recommended this workout called "Bosu" it's a balance trainer that comes with a dvd explaining how it works basically it's for strengthening ankles since you need to keep your balance on it. She uses it daily, you can watch t.v. while you're doing these exercises (that's if you ever have time). You can order it on the internet or at a sport store.
Hope this helps.
 

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