Gymnastics places some fairly unique demands on fairly young bodies. In episode 26 of the Physio Edge podcast, I discuss these demands with Kingsley Gibson, a Sports Titled Physiotherapist that has worked with Australian Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Shooting and Hockey teams at a number of Commonwealth and Olympic games, and works with elite gymnasts on a daily basis. For his services to gymnastics, in 2000 the Commonwealth awarded Kingsley with a Sports Services Medal. So Kingsley has a lot of experience to draw on, and we got into detail on a number of topics.
In this podcast we discuss:
Common injury patterns in the various gymnastic disciplines
Important factors to consider when returning gymnasts to training and competition
Factors that can influence your gymnasts treatment outcome
Communication with parents and coaches
How to best implement load management strategies
Various motor control patterns in gymnasts that contribute to injuries
Screening gymnasts
Designing specific upper limb rehab programs
Lower limb and lumbar spine rehab programs
Management of acute vs chronic injuries
Stress reactions in the Lumbar spine
Apophyseal injuries – hip flexors, hamstrings, calcaneus (Sever’s) and Osgood-Schlatter’s
Management of apophyseal injuries compared to tendinopathy
Motor control/“stability” patterns in gymnasts
When to order imaging
Growth plate injury management – particularly in the wrist
The effect of other factors such as training surfaces and equipment on injury
Links of Interest