Parents DD has hurt her foot, advice wanted...

[Kiwi]

DD (8) complained after training last Saturday that she had hurt her foot. She couldn't think of any specific thing that she did during training that triggered it or what time it started, it was just hurting afterwards. The sore spot is on the inside ankle, just below the ankle bone, around to the achilles area, is tender to the touch and hurts when she points her foot (plantar flexion), no problems with dorsiflexion.

Since then it has been bothering her most days. I had hoped she had just 'tweaked' it slightly and it would come right in a few days (which has happened a couple of times before), but it seems to be continuing. So far it hasn't stopped her doing anything and the pain is not severe, but exercise exacerbates it. At school they are doing cross-country practice every day so I've written her a note to excuse her so she can rest her foot somewhat. I've booked an appointment at the doctor for next Tuesday morning.

As it has only been one week, I don't know if I'm over-reacting (?) because her competition season is coming up in May and I don't want this to turn into something worse if she keeps doing all her usual training on it. She is in step 3 and training two and a half hours three days a week (total seven and a half hours per week). She isn't hugely naturally talented and has to work hard to get the skills so I'd hate for her to miss much training.

I realise only the doctor can diagnose the problem, but thought other parents may have experienced similar situations and be willing to share experiences and advice about handling this kind of injury. Anyone experienced anything similar? Am I over-reacting or being sensible? Any advice from experienced gym parents?

 

[Monkeygirlsmom]

Ok I am not a doctor and have not seen her but how you are describing sounds like when my odd had achillies tendinitis
she went to the PT and had stretching excercises and even on a tramplone and also was told to use the Wii stretching (nothing that rebounded on the foot) anyhow we think it came about just from walking! We are not sure at all!

It may not hurt to have a dr check it out to be sure!

 

[cadybearsmommy]

I don't have any kind of experience with this, but I hope it is nothing serious and your dd heals soon!

 

[bogwoppit]

Please address the issue with a doctor. We cannot allow medical advice or diagnosis here. Hope she feels better soon.

 

[Kiwi]

As I already said in my original post, she is booked to see the doctor and I am not looking for a diagnosis or medical advice. I was hoping to hear from others to share their experiences with how they managed this kind of thing as a parent of an injured gymnast. For example, at what point did you realise it was more than just a tweak that would sort itself out, did you stop your gymnast's other activities such as PE at school, how did the coach adjust their training and so on. I realise this could be different for everyone depending on the actual injury, just wanted to see how things have worked for other more experienced parents, since I'm relatively new to it. Obviously we are going to do what the doctor recommends.

 

[bogwoppit]

Rest Ice Compress Elevate is the best basic advice for all injuries like that. If it hurts keep her off it.

 

[Deanna]

No advice here. But I hope its nothing too serious and she is better before long..esp May

 

[mtbmom]

RICE as Bog said. Good that you have an appt. to see a doctor. FYI Plantar flexion is flexing the bottom of the foot (toes up). Dorsiflexion is pointing, flexing top of foot (dorsal portion of foot). Sorry... couldn't help myself.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

plantar[flexion] is to point and away from the body and dorsi[flexion] is to flex and towards the body.

in gymnastics: plantar- flexion is to punching what dorsi-flexion is to landing.

the above post has it backwards.

 

[mtbmom]

hahaha! you're right. I need to get some sleep!

 

[Kiwi]

Thanks for all your replies! DD has still been doing her gym training and the foot has been only a little bit sore. She has not been doing the cross-country training at school. Interestingly, today at gym I was talking to the mother of another girl in DD's class and she said her daughter had a sore foot in the same place and she was told by a physio it was from all the foot-pointing they do. Doctor's appointment is tomorrow morning.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

wel...stay away from cross country. no benefit there and adds additionally pounding to the feet that are already receiving enough of that at gym.

 

[Kiwi]

Our doctor thinks she has hurt a tendon and has given us to a referral to a physiotherapist. Our doctor actually has a daughter who is a competitive gymnast at our gym (a few steps ahead of my DD), and the physio he referred us to is an ex-elite gymnast who also coaches part-time at our gym. So luckily we have medical professionals who should understand about gymnastics injuries.

Thanks for the advice, dunno, I will continue to keep her out of the cross-country training at school.

 

[Kiwi]

DD has seen the physio several times now. Diagnosis is an impingement in the talo-calcaneal joint (at least, I think that's what it is). Apparently this is quite a common injury in ballet dancers, as they are pointing their feet and working en pointe all the time. It possibly might have been triggered by a mild ankle sprain a while back. The physio has given her some exercises to do to strengthen her foot. Over the past couple of weeks the foot has improved, there is a lot less pain than before, but she tried vault again on Saturday and the pain returned, so she will have to be careful and limit her activities for a while longer, particularly vault, and no block jumps for leg conditioning. The cross-country race at school is this Wednesday, so she'll miss out on that altogether, but she doesn't seem bothered about that any more. Today the physio showed me how I can apply traction to her foot when it gets sore, to help free up the joint. The physio seems to think the injury is quite mild and shouldn't prevent her competing or anything, so I'm quite relieved.

 

[cathiann]

Glad to hear that PT is going well (i'm assuming physio is the same as our physical therapy!). I hope she's able to vault again soon, but at least things are improving.

 

[Kiwi]

Thanks, yes I believe physiotherapy is the same as physical therapy.

 

[gymjourneymom]

Wondering how your DD's ankle is doing?

 

[Kiwi]

Thank you for asking! It is much better now. She still had a little pain at times for a while, on and off, particularly when doing vault and sometimes when doing round-offs on floor. For the past week or so she has not had any pain in the foot.

 

[gymjourneymom]

Thanks for the update! Glad she is doing well

 

[emorymom]

I'm not experienced but I believe I would probably get my daughter excused from PE under those circumstances. Basically stop doing anything that hurts at all pending going to the doctor.