Injury query....

skatingmum2 · January 25, 2012, 04:44:45 PM

My daughter (just turned 13) has a new injury issue - diagnosed as right sacro-iliac joint pain. She has massively improved her jumping and landing lots of doubles and double-doubles but - at the tail end of a huge growth spurt (6 inches in 12 months). Apparantly not stabilising her pelvis on landing enough. Physio (unfortunately now away for 6 weeks) gave her some gluteus strengthening exercises and suggested we find another sports physio until he gets back - slightly tricky right now but about to follow some leads. (He is fantastic but tours a lot with a sports team). What hurts - landing jumps - right lower back/upper buttock pain. Also bielman spins , y-balance spins (one side) and layback spins hurt a tiny bit. She has done some competitive running recently which she says doesn't hurt and she says parallel spins, sits spins, edges turns and dance don't hurt.
I was on the internet and saw some sacro-iliac support belts. Are these any good? Also - any other recommended exercises? She was hoping to do more tests and competitions in the future and is convinced it will all be better in a week or two. She reckons the gluteus exercises are hurting less and physio had promised to introduce a theraband next session to make these tougher......

Sk8tmum · January 25, 2012, 08:00:58 PM

Take her off the ice. Put her on her backside for at least 3 preferably SIX weeks. Then, stage her back on the ice with singles, moving to doubles; strap the hip while she is regaining her strength. If the hip continues to hurt, stay with the singles. Continue the physio throughout.

Taking chances with a hip injury in a pubescent skater is very risky. You are better to take the time to heal than to keep skating through it. In the long run (and short run) you will be better off.

I have a fair bit of experience with similar injuries in skaters. Do not take this one lightly. We just spent 8 weeks doing nothing but stroking after 4 weeks of sitting due to ignoring the same injury; and, by compensating for the hip - the back was strained too.

You do not need the support belt; you can do just as well with strapping with tensor bandages when she goes back on the ice. The theraband exercises will help, but, if continues to skate she is constantly reinjuring/aggravating the hip and joint. Let her body heal, and let the physio build up the strength in the muscles to support the new height and jumping strain.

skatingmum2 · January 26, 2012, 03:59:58 AM

She had 8 weeks off last year (including a couple of weeks on crutches) so we're trying to tread carefully with this one. She is quite insistent that its only jumps and those particular spins which are sore..... and I've warned over and over again about last year and consequences of what happened then. She's done some high level running competitions and some more to come - and she says these don't hurt at all - but funny girl that she is its hard to tell.

We sat and chatted - started full time free-skating (formally mainly an ice dancer) last January (then 2 months off from end Feb to end April) and I think it is amazing progress that she has made - growth spurt etc. in the mix. She spoke of resenting the years she "wasted" doing dance - and the need to "catch up.."

We have another physio recommendation so contacting them today. Also sorting out the ADHD assessment.....

jjane45 · January 26, 2012, 10:07:36 AM

the "catch up lest it's too late" mindset might be to hard on her growing body... good luck on fast recovery!

skatingmum2 · February 14, 2012, 01:49:09 AM

Well - she has been completely off the ice, since a couple of days after I posted. Although standard skating didn't hurt, without warning (and behind my back) an assessment got scheduled that neither of us knew about. I arrived at the rink to find all the top structure had in the previous half an hour made her run through all her doubles/ and various double-double jumps to assess for the development program her brother is on! Of course she complied..... Her coach later told me she didn't know they were planning to this and had warned them daughter was injured but of course they asked daughter if she felt she could try it and she did. She landed almost everything but was in agony at every landing. She almost couldn't walk afterwards. (I was furious and despite daughter begging me not to complain I have.....)

Off the ice completely now and waiting for MRI of lower back - suspicious of possible stress fracture in L5 vertabra.

THe kid is driving me crazy though as she is so hyper and hardly sleeping so there is all sorts of noise from her room until very late every night. She still seems to bounce around all over the place - despite it hurting her.

Physio identified that her back is very flexible but her hip flexors are tight so she is doing bits of stretching.

irenar5 · February 14, 2012, 01:35:46 PM

So sorry to hear about her injury! Pain on impact does sound like a stress fracture, unfortunately. Wishing you good news and speedy recovery!

hopskipjump · February 14, 2012, 01:51:42 PM

I am so sorry to hear she is suffering. Is there any activity that she can do while she heals that might help with her energy but keep her safe?

skatingmum2 · February 15, 2012, 03:22:48 AM

It seems to be limited to stretching and swimming. She feels she could be doing cross-trainers and exercise bike but I am not allowing it until after MRI scan. Also complication - they may need to take off her orthodontic braces to do the MRI .

hopskipjump · February 15, 2012, 09:05:35 AM

Oh no...I am so sorry.

Skittl1321 · February 15, 2012, 09:27:05 AM

I'm so sorry she is not doing well

I'm surprised to hear she may have to have her braces removed. Unless they are doing imaging of her cervical spine/head, the artifacts from the braces shouldn't mess up the imaging. Get a second opinion before you actually remove them.

Do tell her to wear a sports bra the day of the scan. She'll likely be more comfortable then if she has to lay in a crowded room without a bra on. I never remember to, and always have to take my bra off.

skatingmum2 · February 16, 2012, 04:45:47 AM

They reckon whole room becomes magnetic even if lower spine and pelvis are what are being scanned. She is bouncing all over the house despite pain - she just has too much energy. Heaven knows how she will lie still in an MRI scanner unless strapped very tightly.

We may give an aqua aerobics class a try next week. Off ice coach reckons to keep her off pilates and fitball until scan.

fsk8r · February 16, 2012, 05:09:28 AM

Quote from: skatingmum2 on February 16, 2012, 04:45:47 AM
They reckon whole room becomes magnetic even if lower spine and pelvis are what are being scanned. She is bouncing all over the house despite pain - she just has too much energy. Heaven knows how she will lie still in an MRI scanner unless strapped very tightly.

We may give an aqua aerobics class a try next week. Off ice coach reckons to keep her off pilates and fitball until scan.

Have her practice lying still at home. I know they often get the children having MRI scans to practice in a foam tunnel first playing "dead lions". If they are unable to lie still enough for long enough, they will sedate the children.
I don't like MRI scans, they're not particularly pleasant as it's very claustrophobic and they're very noisy (even if they claim they're playing music through the headphones).

Hope it all turns out OK.

skatingmum2 · April 10, 2012, 11:59:30 AM

MRI scan shows no fracture so she's back on the ice. Normal skating fine - not allowing jumps yet. Seen a personal trainer to help build up strength. Lastest diagnostically is..... we originally took her to a different physio (normal one off) who seriously man-handled her leaving her lower back black and blue. So - the docs think it was probably right sacro-iliac joint plus bone bruising on 2 or 3 vertabrae. Stupidly I never photographed the original bruising all over her back but do wonder if I should formally complain about that physio.
She has some stretches to try loosen the right sacro-iliac joint further.

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Injury query....