Wrist/Ankle pain?

[AerialGirl]

Hey all,

I'm 5'4" and have really small wrists and ankles, so they are always weakening my skills and they always hurt at the end of practice. What's the best way to deal with this?

(p.s. I've thought about tiger paws, but I haven't tried them. They seem like they would be hard to tumble in)

 

[Gymnasticlover78]

I have the same problem and im so tired of my wrist hurting all the time. Seriously I can't do anything without it hurting ! Hopefully we get some answers.

 

[shadow]

some of our girls use tiger paws and they say that they work great^^ i have questioned them about tumbling in the them and they say that that its fine after you get use to it and their wrist don't hurt when they tumble. im not sure about the ankles. some of our girls that have ankle problems wear braces but im not sure if that helps

 

[jenniffir]

Tiny wrist

I too have tiny wrists, not so much with the anckle though (i've injured them to many times now so they are really stiff) but if you use a weight and lift it using just your wrist it can really strenghthen it a lot.

 

[coachmolly]

I would recommend seeing what your doctor suggests. A sports medicine specialist or physical therapist can probably give you some specific exercises to help with strengthening and recommend what brace might be best for your specific problem.

 

[liseybeast]

For ankles a simple strengthening exercise is writing the alphabet in the air with your foot. A doctor could probably give you a list of exercise to do daily for strengthening your wrists and ankles. Also, make sure you get a good amount of calcium in your diet!

 

[BlairBob]

Wrist pushups and basic pushup and handstand hold (on the wall) for your wrists.

For your ankles, A LOT of toe/heel raises and ankle circles with resistance, partner or bands. Also, the foot mobility walking patterns.

 

[bpatient]

There’s a good reason for this thread:

http://www.chalkbucket.com/forums/question-answer/29932-medical-questions-ask-doctor.html

A question like yours can elicit conflicting advice from well-meaning gymnasts, parents, and coaches regarding a subject that should be addressed by a physician. Regarding your wrist injuries, for example: Although there are a number of possible causes which require different treatments, the most common wrist problems in gymnasts come from overuse, and your doctor may advise you that overuse injuries are treated by rest--but you need to find out.

 

[Kiwi]

I think it would be worth seeing a physiotherapist (I think in the US you call them physical therapists). They will be able to assess your injury and determine possible causes and treatment, e.g. how much rest, specific exercises and so on.

 

[B Gymnast]

I have Tiger Paws and they work really well. They aren't hard to tumble in at all and I even use them on beam with no problem. I'd really recommend them because they actually make my tumbling better and somehow my body just feels lighter when I wear them.. But they do weaken your wrists because they take the pressure off them, so I make sure to do extra wrist exercises at home (Just handstands and wrist rolls holding a weight and things like that). I would also suggest icing after every practice.