Gymnastics Injury Prevention

19 Mar Gymnastics Injury Prevention

Gymnastics is a sport that requires incredible feats of strength in order to excel. It is also a sport that holds one of the highest injury rates among girls, as over 100,000 athletes sustain a gymnastics-based injury each year. If you’ve been unfortunate to suffer from a gymnastics related injury this season, consider reaching out to our team at Advanced Orthopedics & Joint Preservation. Our Brooklyn orthopedist is well versed in the common types of gymnastic injuries and can help you make a full recovery. He’d also like to share some prevention methods you can implement into your routine, allowing you to stay within the competition as opposed to sitting in a doctor’s office.

Common Gymnastics Injuries 

To succeed in their sport, gymnasts need to be both powerful and graceful while having full control over their bodies at all times. Large amounts of stress can be placed on various points of their bodies as a result of this, potentially leading to injury. Some of the most common injuries may include:

• Wrist fractures.
• Cartilage damage.
• ACL or MCL injuries.
• Achilles tendon sprains or tears.
• Knee and back pain.

Preventing Them From Occurring

While our Brooklyn orthopedist will be able to help treat any of the previously listed injuries, he’d like to point out that the best form of treatment is always avoiding an injury altogether. To help do this, our staff recommends putting a focus on the following:

• Strength Training: One of the most common causes of gymnastic injuries is muscle weakness. By implementing a strength training regimen, you’ll ensure you stay healthy and can advance to the next level of expertise.

• Make Sure To Stretch:  Flexibility issues are another key factor in gymnastic injuries.  When you face imbalances of flexibility in your hip muscles, thighs, and calves, you open yourself to an array of problems. Performing several stretches each day for periods of 30 seconds or longer will help avoid these imbalances.

• Be Mentally Prepared: Being a mix of excited, nervous, and scared right before your competition is completely normal. However, letting these emotions get in the way of your ability to focus will have disastrous results. It can lead to the use of improper technique and cause injury. Remaining confident and focused before your routine will help keep you upright and injury-free.     

Request An Appointment With Our Brooklyn Orthopedist 

Every athlete knows that even after preventive methods have been taken, an injury can still arise at any time. If this happens to you, don’t hesitate when searching for treatment. By requesting an appointment with our Brooklyn orthopedist for treatment, you may be able to save the remainder of your season. Here at Advanced Orthopedics & Joint Preservation, we promise to administer the highest quality of care after an injury to help you achieve the best possible outcome.