Stress Fracture in Lower Back ?

[sportyfam5]

My 14 year old was just diagnosed with spondylolysthesis. It has ended her participation in any gym activity. SHe also has stress fractures at L5, which she probably has had for a while. She sees a physiotherapist weekly and will see an orthopedic surgeon to be assessed.

What did it take to diagnose this? My 14 year old has been having back pain too since last summer. Xrays showed no abnormalities. She goes for a bone scan on Monday. I really wasn't worried until I started reading some of these threads. Surgery???
I hope all is going well for your daughter and so sorry she has had to give up the sport.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

bone scan is pretty conclusive. don't be thinking about surgery.

 

[sally]

My dd had back pain last year, so not taking any risks took her to physio straight away. They said when she does bridges she goes back with lower back and not arms going back first. so she was given shoulder flexability exercises and had to relearn how to do bridges right. I am so glad that I went so now we make sure that she does the exercises even if she doesn't have a sore back just trying to prevent something.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

cntrl>c>v....................................

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

What did it take to diagnose this? My 14 year old has been having back pain too since last summer. Xrays showed no abnormalities. She goes for a bone scan on Monday. I really wasn't worried until I started reading some of these threads. Surgery???

My DD was having severe back issues last spring as well. She had the bone scan done (SPECT) as well, and it all came back just fine. In her case, she had a chronic injury to one of the muscles next to her spine, and after all the time avoiding back walkovers while we were waiting for tests, it healed on it's own! I'm hoping the same is true for your DD!

 

[SkiBumGymMom]

My daughter, who is now 20, has severe spondylolysthesis and is completely done with doing gymnastics or other major sports. She had some minor issues when she was 10 and a L 9 training L 10 with a stress fracture in her L 5 that healed. It didn't flare up badly again until she was 18 and in her first year and training for D I college gymnastics. The trainers tried to do a year of PT thinking it was just the stress fracture flaring up but when she finally came home and I brought her to an orthopedic specialist, he said she had very high grade level 3 spondylolysthesis, pretty much a 70% slip of her vertebrae. I, of course, went mental. He had her in a higher grade back brace (oh did little miss fashion HATE that! lol). This past summer she finally had a pretty extensive surgery that involved fusing some of her vertebrae, all the way to her L 4, and relieving pressure off her spinal cord. She's still recovering, even though she went back to college (away from me to take care of her, not thrilled about that!), although to a different school than where she did gymnastics.

I hope you and your DD don't have to go through this! My DD is pretty heartbroken she can't do gymnastics anymore, although I think she's done a great job dealing with it. Sitting there while your child is in surgery is not something I would wish on my greatest enemy. Godspeed and good luck!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i hear you on that. ^^^