All-Star Lower Back Pain Anyone?

[GBdad]

Please be sure to see your doctors and get the MRI! My daughter had all the same pain isuses as described. We went through the whole process of rest and ice packs and chriopracter and physicians. We ended with an MRI showing cracks in her L3 and L4 lumbar vertebrae. Unseen by xrays and caught because of the MRI. She spent 10 weeks in a hard plastic back brace, after which she saw a physical therapist 2 times a weeks for another 6 weeks. There was a lot of concern on weather she would be able to continue in her chosen sport.
Her comeback was slow with not much tumbling. Thank fully she has made a full recovery. She still ices her back occasionally and her mother and I still worry about her health when we see this. But because of her dedication to conditioning and a new awareness by our gym we hope this never hapeens again. She has proudly been a member of GBE Lime for the past 3 years.
So please when a doctor or specialist says to work through the pain , please be sure to seek another opinion. Get the MRI before its to late. I know of another who did that, and unfortunately she is no longer in this sport.
Core strenght is so important in all aspects of cheer, from tumbling to stunting, basing to fling. Our daughter conditons 6 to 7 days a week which includes 2 hourly conditioning classes a week at our gym. All team members are encouraged to attend and monthly programs are emailed to the girls to continue their workouts at home.
I am sorry if I ramble but this has so much significance to me. I don't want anyone else to be on that teter toter of being able to comeback from the injury or having to give up this sport. So please don't except the first answear or go with out an MRI at least, for the health of our daughters go beyond the cheer floor.

 

[Rhiley]

I don't know exactly what is wrong with your daughter, but I am constantly having back pain... That's just a result of cheerleading... But your daughter might have a more serious problem like what everyone else is describing for you...

 

[mecheermom]

Definitely push for the MRI. A girl at our old gym just found out she has a fracture in her spinous process. Not seen on X-rays but was seen on MRI.

 

[Kitch22]

Sounds like you're on the ball with your CP's management, but just a bit of advice from an old hat at back problems :) most injuries carry with them inflammation and swelling, it's best to ice the tender area for the first 24/48 hours and then apply heat packs as needed. Never heat directly after training as you're inflaming the injury and the heat will encourage further bleeding into damaged mucles and tissue which increases swelling and can worsen the injury. Heat is better for old injuries or lingering muscle soreness and pain and few days after training.
All the best and I hope it gets better soon!

 

[alexamarysouza]

Im in my 10th year of allstar, and have only had one other injury before. I'm not injured very easily, but when I get hurt, it's bad. I collided with a tumbler in April, and I had the same symptoms, and still have them. We had originally gone to a sports medicine doctor who took xrays and saw nothing. They said muscles on my back were "hard and felt painful". I went to physical therapy for about 3-4 weeks (twice a week) and they said it was most likely pulled muscles. After all the PT, no improvements. (or at least not very visible improvements.) They then sent me to the cancer center to get a bone scan. It was pretty scary, not gonna lie...and this is the girl who's been through literally every type of machine. The had to inject me with a "radioactive liquid" that only showed up on the copy. The scan lasted for about an hour and was the most dreadful thing ever, and when the results came back, they said nothing was visibly wrong.
My back still hurts to this day, not as bad though. I would suggest going straight to PT if there's no fracture. They can use shock therapy, and that's one of the only things that helped my back feel better. PTs also gave me some exercises to do that have helped a little. Epsom salt baths and heat also help. Good luck, I've been in the same situation!!