Stupid Wrist - grrrr

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

F

flippymonkeysmom

Well dd got the ok from the ortho to start using her wrist again. She has been doing all the exercising and stretching she is supposed to for it. After a few days of using it again - and she has been going somewhat slow (for her anyway) - she does a few tumbling passes or vaults and then stops trying not to over do it. Anyway - last night I go to get her and she is literally in tears it hurts so much. It was swollen and everything. I had her ice it as soon as we got home, ibuprofen, etc. She is completely freaking out over this. I suggested she take off the month of Sept. to really give it a chance to heal - she acted as if I belonged in the loony bin for even suggesting such a thing. I know a lot of gymmies have problems with their wrists - but this is getting crazy.
 
OH Flippy, I really feel for her and you. I know how hard this is for both of you, but really she cannot work out on that kind of pain. I fear that she does need a real break to make it heal properly. It was so hard for us to force DD to step back so much and for so long, but it really has paid off.

But what I also know is that some girls just have problems, not every body can stand the wear and tear.

Can you see a sport therapist and take some time off, maybe she would benefit from some full on therapy in addition to the ice, rest, stretch programme.

There really is no quick solution to these kinds of injuries, and in the end time and patience are needed. A month off is better than quitting, and sometimes you have to be the bad guy.:(
 
Hey Flippy(Bog's new nickname for you)---this is really tough. I would take her to see a hand specialist. Orthopedic docs are now big into specializing in certain body parts/joints etc. She's had a little too much pain to just write this off as plain tendinitis. Now, I'm not a doc--just a mom with a nursing background. She should have had some decrease in pain by now. Get her in to see someone that only works on hands/wrists----they may want an MRI(don't go nuts) since its hard to see all the small structures in the wrist on a plain x-ray. I think you both need some answers as to what is wrong and how to get her better.
 
What was her diagnosis again? Tendinitis? That type of pain doesn't sound like "just" tendinitis if she's given it a rest. I'd get a second opinion, and a hand specialist sounds like a good idea.
 
Thanks - I took your suggestions and made an appt with a hand/wrist specialist for next Thursday. I agree that it is hurting too much and too long to be tendinitis. Also, several nights it has actually hurt to the point of waking her up when she is sleeping - so it isn't just hurting when she is using it.
 
So sorry Flippy (sorry - had to jump on the bandwagon !!). I hope the specialist can help. Tell her to keep her chin up !!
 
I'm no gymnast but I did have tendinitis in my left wrist not too long ago. It was very painful (and I have a pretty high pain tolerance) and it got to where I couldn't even turn a doorknob with that hand. However, with rest and wearing a wrist splint, it did get better. But, I don't remember it hurting when I didn't try to use it. It would ache some but not that bad. I'm glad you have an appointment for her. Hopefully the doc can take care of this once and for all.
 
Aw, poor thing. It must be hard to be so in a sport, then just have to take a month off. Hope the doc can help- and she can still do some conditioning, so she won't completely have to take off. Hope she feels better!!!!:(:hug:
 
Flippy ( I like the nickname),

I am sending you and your gymmie a cyber hug:hug:

It is hard to see our kids in pain, then think that maybe it is this sport that is causing it.. then thinking, What if she has to quit????

I think you have done a good thing by making the appointment. Keep us informed on what the specialist says.

Good lucK!
 
Ohhh Flippy....we so know your pain. My dd had a fractured back and has been sidelined for the past 3 months. Our Dr finally cleared her to start adding skills....you have never seen a child so excited to do a handstand :D

Please tell her, that while it seems like a long time...there are plenty of other things she can be doing to stay in the gym. Even with a back injury--my dd would go in and do modified stretching, bike riding and some small weight lifting---this was all approved by the doc and her coach. The most important thing is to get her wrist to heal so she can continue to pursue the sport.

I am really sorry---especially for you. It is hard to watch your dd in pain and be taken out of what she loves to do! I will send a hug your way...keep us updated on the appointment....

((((hug))))
 
I have tendonitis in my wrist combined with a few other random things though, and it's hurt quite a bit at times. Most of the time it's quite manageable, but there have been points when I haven't been able to flex my wrist without significant pain, much less weight bearing activity. As far as injuries go, I was very lucky, and this was probably the worst. I had kind of a traumatic version of tendonitis in my thumb joint from a fall (I know a bunch of guys who have had this from overuse basically from the flair work they do supporting themselves with the thumb separate from the hand...but I basically fell off a height onto a concrete floor with my hand in that position). That hurt more than when I broke my foot and took some time to get back to normal.
 
stress fracture?

I feel your DD's pain. Last June, I fell on beam and broke my thumb in three places and injured my wrist. They easily diagnosed and fixed my thumb but told me that my wrist was only sprained. When I tried to put pressure on it after two months of not being allowed to, it hurt just as much as before and my doctor said it was just because my wrist wasn't used to the pressure. I worked out on it but it didn't get better and I went to my doctor again and he did an MRI and it turned out that I had two small fractures in my wrist bones that the x-ray didn't find. I recommend stressing to the doctor the idea of a stress fracture.
 
Hey Flippy. I'm sorry to hear that your daughter's wrist hasn't gotten any better. I think I may have told you previously that my daughter was suffering something similar, and in fact, she just made the decision to quit last night. We did go see a hand specialist last week, and we got confirmation of what the ortho had been saying all along since April.

Not that your daughter's problem is the same, but my daughter's problem is all with her growth plate. They've said there is no problem, fracture, cyst, etc. with the wrist itself. It's just overuse and irritation of the growth plate. The specialist said she could either work through the pain and tape and ice it or that it might just be best to take a year off. She has a very low tolerance for pain, so she decided that it just wasn't worth it to her anymore to push through it. On the flip side, the specialist said that in another year or a little more that the growth plate will eventually turn into all bone and that once that happens that she won't have any problems with pain anymore. She usually just has pain when upside down on her hands, but it does ache off and on other times as well and there have been times that she has been in tears about it, but it has not been swollen. Therefore I would see the specialist and see what they say and pursue an MRI as well, if she hasn't had one already. That can rule out things that aren't picked up on an x-ray.

I will hope for the best for you. My daughter had really been looking forward to this season and doing prep-opt this year with her own routines, so it was kind of a bust her having this problem. It's not really the way you want to end something. So, tell your daughter to rest up and seek that 2nd opinion! :) Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
 
Mom2---Very sorry to hear your dd is not able to continue this year, but she knows how much pain she can take and if she's past that point then the best thing is to take time off and heal. Does she have any plans for after gym yet? We've been through something similar with my gymmie's knees(another flare up this summer, but not as bad as before) and it is so tough to see her go into the gym knowing she will have some pain. Right now, she's going to stick it out---thank heavens for wonderful physical therapists.

Best wishes to your dd and let us know what she's up to!!!
 
Mom2 - I'm sorry to hear about your dd and that she had to make the tough decision to quit :( I'm worried mine might be facing the same thing. She did say though that if there is nothing they can do and it won't get worse by using it she will try and work through it. I feel really bad for her right now - I don't think I have ever seen her so frustrated.

Maybe after a year when her growth plate is done growing or whatever your dd might even want to try going back, who knows. In the meantime I hope she finds something else she loves to do.

Hopefully we find something out when we see the specialist tomorrow morning.
 
This is DD #2 who just quit. She is very athletic. She plays travel softball too, so she will continue to do that. Plus, she already has plans for all of these other things she wants to try now that she will have more free time. We'll probably be signing up for either CYO volleyball or basketball through our church or both since one is first and then the other follows later in the year. She's also mentioned that she might want to try diving or dance too. She has always been the one who wants to do everything, so my problem will be getting her to limit herself and pick just a couple. :eek:

DD #3 is 6 years old and is doing level 4 this year, so I will still have one kid in the gym.
 
Ok - we just got back from the specialist. Her wrist is fractured - the pisiform, one of the carpal bones, is fractured. He also said there was some damage to her growth plate as well. The good thing is that of all the bones in her wrist she could have fractured this one usually heals the best. She will be off of it for 4 weeks and he said that should do the trick. Of course she will have to build back up slowly afterwards too. She was very relieved that he was able to tell her what was wrong and that it is fixable. She bummed that it will be another month of not being able to do anything in gym - but hopefully after that she'll be ok.
 
Ok - we just got back from the specialist. Her wrist is fractured - the pisiform, one of the carpal bones, is fractured. He also said there was some damage to her growth plate as well. The good thing is that of all the bones in her wrist she could have fractured this one usually heals the best. She will be off of it for 4 weeks and he said that should do the trick. Of course she will have to build back up slowly afterwards too. She was very relieved that he was able to tell her what was wrong and that it is fixable. She bummed that it will be another month of not being able to do anything in gym - but hopefully after that she'll be ok.

Glad and sad for you. Glad you found out what WAS wrong and have a definite treatment plan. Sad that it is a fracture and she has to be off for another month. At least now, you know what the problem is and can deal with it. Shame the 1st ortho didn't pick up the problem---alot of time and pain that could have been avoided.

If there is some growth plate involvement with the wrist ask the doctor when you see him again about sending dd to a hand therapist(a PT with specialization in hands/wrists/elbows etc.). Many hand specialists use them to rehab many of their patients and one could be great in getting dd doing the correct rehab/strength exercises for the wrist.
 
I'm glad you got a better diagnosis, even though it's not a great one. That was exactly my concern - that something big like this had been missed, and she'd sit out for months and still not be able to go back to gym. Good luck with the rehab.
 
Flippy,

I am so glad you finally got some real answers to DD's pain. I agree with GLM, follow up with a PT to help with strengthening etc once the initial healing is done.

So nice to know that she is going to get better and it will not take forever. She must be feeling very impatient.

Does she have to wear a support? Can she do some conditioning in the gym, or at home, whilst it heals?
 

New Posts

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Gymnaverse :: Recent Activity

College Gym News

New Posts

Back