WAG Help!! Have a serious question!!

[gothgymmom]

My 8 year old DD lost her splits! She has been complaining about growing pains in her legs lately and she showed me how far she can get down now and its no where near as far as she has gotten down before! she used to be flat and now shes not even touching! Could this be because of the growing pains or is some kind of mental block or something? Need help!!

 

[wallflower]

I've never heard of s mental block on splits . Probably safe to assume it's not that.

 

[Jenny]

She is growing. From the age of about 10 all kids have a battle to keep splits every time they grow. She just needs to spend a bit more time on them til she gets them back.

 

[gothgymmom]

k. thanks! I was so worried because I dont want her to lose her faith in what she can do.

 

[sevenatenine2]

My ten year old did the same thing!

 

[profmom]

Haven't seen it so much with girls, but approximately as common as green grass for the boys. She just needs to keep working on them. No worries!

 

[gothgymmom]

Seriously, big sighs of relief right now. Some people were telling me to go to an ortho or therapist to have them check her legs, etc. I can relax a bit now.

 

[sce]

It's probably a mix of growing and building muscle with conditioning that it tightening her, have her stretch every day.

 

[bogwoppit]

Perfectly normal. Both mine lost their splits when they hit the prepuberty growth spurt. When they were done growing the splits came back.

Just need to work on them more.

 

[mimi]

She could be getting some spasm from conditioning that they are doing that is making the muscles really tight. I agree with others who have said to make sure she keeps stretching well.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

I have one dancer and one gymnast. Really, REALLY common for girls to lose their flexibility temporarily when they have growth spurts. She just has to work hard to get it back. My dancer DD had one friend who was infamous for working hard on her splits, get an inch closer to the ground, grow an inch and lose two inches off her splits.... Repeat!
The bones grow faster than the muscles and ligaments, which then need to catch up.

 

[Kiwi]

It is because their bones grow first, so the muscles are too short for a while until they catch up. If she keeps working on her flexibility she will get her splits back but then might lose them again with the next growth spurt and so on. Totally normal.

 

[Vivianflips]

I suffered a hamstring injury after I grew My splits got wacky after I grew a bit so I started stretching them more than normal and then tore my hamstring So my suggestion to your daughter is to not force her splits down or anything like that, she'll get the, back eventually! Funny how such a thing like growth can be good and bad at the same time! Here I thought I'd stopped growing (at 14) and then I grew but gymnastics went crazy for me!

 

[gothgymmom]

well, she sprained her ankle lastnight. at home! i did tell her about stretching, and she said ok but not sure how well she can do it with a sprained ankle. she can move it so i know its not too too bad, just a bit swollen. I have her putting ice on it, taking tylenol, and keeping it elevated. if it still looks bad in a couple days will take her to dr.

 

[Amusibus]

Awww, too bad. My daughter had two major injuries last year and neither of them happened at the gym, or even while doing gym at home. Just playing rough with big puppy dog older sister. Funny, I wonder how many gymnasts have more injuries at home? With us, I'm pretty sure it's an ADHD thing. Hope she heals quickly! Btw mine had same issue with her splits, as of now they are back.

 

[Gymnast@<3]

Seriously, big sighs of relief right now. Some people were telling me to go to an ortho or therapist to have them check her legs, etc. I can relax a bit now.

hahah no dont go to any doctor, that will just end up scaring her! its just her growing!