Common Gymnastics Injuries And How To Overcome Them

Gymnastics is a sport that always has a higher chance of injury when compared to other sports. No matter how adept or flexible a gymnast coach trains you; injuries are bound to happen. This is because gymnastics requires a lot of psychological and physical preparation that are extremely rigorous.

Compared to other sports, gymnastics demands a higher level of skill and requires a complex mind that entails bringing proper preparations. If these preparations are not being taken properly, the complexity of this sport may increase the risk of painful injuries.

Therefore, it is necessary to ensure all-around safety in order to avoid them. Here are some common gymnastics injuries.

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Common Gymnastics Injuries

The most common body injuries that come from gymnastics are those to the ankles, feet, lower back, knees, hands, and wrists. It can be due to overuse or just a simple stress.

The lower body injuries are mainly due to the unbalanced landings and the back experiences sprain due to insufficient stretching. Scrapes and bruises are expected while performing gymnastics. Using proper gymnastics equipment and attire can help lessen the impact of the above-mentioned injuries.

What Should A Gymnast Do?

The first thing to do is to prevent injuries from happening in the first place. As a gymnast, it is necessary to know that it is tough and injuries will happen. It is necessary to keep an open mind about this and treat it as an exacting nature. Avoiding it is almost impossible. Here are some facts to why gymnastics injuries happen and how to minimize the risk.

How To Minimize Them From Happening?

Firstly, a gymnast must know what he/she is doing or going to do. They must not try hectic moves first without practicing. Though these moves may look cool and awesome, the gymnast should always learn things step by step and not jump to a complex move straight away.

Hence, it is advisable to first speak to the coach about the apprehensions of the gymnastic move and make sure about the concerns. Based on the coach’s analysis, they should be able to picture the risks of the particular gymnast performing the move and hence implementing safety measures before hand. This helps in minimizing the chances of injuries. Remember, the coach is responsible in teaching the gymnast the basic gymnastic tricks for them to master and performed in a safe manner.

Besides that, the gymnast has to know how to make his/her body flexible. Many a times, occurring injuries tend to happen due to lack of body warm up. Therefore, throughout the motion, it is necessary to attune the body to be more flexible by doing proper warm ups.

It is also important for the gymnast to know their limits. For instance, if they are in the middle of a twist, then it is necessary to sense whether the twist is challenging enough or not. Being aware of their body limits and orientation are crucial.

Age factor would be the next area of concern. This situation always happens to children whose bones are yet to be solid. Some of their muscles that are involved in gymnastic moves are not strong enough to withstand the stress. The common injuries for these would be sprained or twisted ankles. Therefore, do make sure that your child is of the “right age” before signing them up to a gymnastic class.

Last but not least would be the communication between the gymnast and the coach. If the coach instructs something but the gymnast understands it differently, there will be a misunderstanding that can cause serious injuries to the gymnast. Hence, clarity is a must before engaging in tough tasks.

Determining The Magnitude Of The Injury

Once you suffer from an injury, it is necessary to ascertain its type. It may be minor or major, both which needs medical attention. Here are 5 things to consider when determining the magnitude of the injury.

  • Find the source of the pain
  • Muscle or Joint pain
  • Type of pain
  • Appearance of the Injury
  • Management of injury
  1. Find the source of the pain

If the pain is on both sides of the body, then it may be due to muscle tenderness. If both of your thighs hurt, then it is probably due to the sore of practicing take-offs and landings.

  1. Muscle or Joint pain

It is necessary to check whether the pain is muscular or joint-related. If the whole muscle hurts, then it is probably just because of soreness. However, if it is pinpointed in a particular location, then a tendon may be injured. On the other end, if the pain is in the joint, then it is necessary to consult the doctor immediately.

  1. Type of pain

If the pain is sharp and excruciating for a few seconds, then it may lead to just soreness. However, if the pain keeps persisting, it is critical to seek medical attention immediately.

  1. Appearance of the injury

When the injury looks bruising, swelling, or bleeding, then it is necessary to clean any small cuts with antiseptic and apply an antibiotic ointment. Bandages also help as well.

  1. Management of injury

Following the below things will help in managing the injuries that are common during gymnastics.

  • If you encounter a sharp pain on one side of the body, and if it persists for over 10 minutes, then it is advisable to consult the doctor immediately.
  • If the joint pain lasts for more than a day, even if it occurs on both sides of the body, the best is to consult the orthopedic specialist.
  • If someone is bleeding profusely from huge cuts, it is necessary to summon the ambulance or ask someone to take them to the emergency room.
  • If the injury is swelling, then applying an ice pack will help a lot more.  Keep the application for at least 20 minutes. This helps to constrict the blood vessels. Keeping it away from the injury site may help in bringing the blood back to the injury point and increase swelling.

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