All-Star Lower Back Pain Anyone?

[hannahx0xbananaa]

please listen to what everyone is saying about stress fractures! i had one a couple years ago & i was so lucky i caught it early it was considered minor so i only had to take 2 months off & no back brace! for something "minor" it was still extremely painful & would advise staying off of it & maybe you'll luck out like i did.. i know others who tried to "push through it" & ended up with a much much longer time out & even surgery:( best of luck!

 

[MissBee]

Could be stress fracture or a hip flexor problem.

 

[WorkToWin]

I know for me it was standing tumbling that caused it. I would do standing three or whatever, and on everyone I would reach into the ground instead of up if that makes sense. It put a strain on my lower back. I took long breaks, did the whole ice and heat thing... but until I fixed my backhand springs it still hurt no matter what I did. My coach took me aside and helped change the bad habits. My lower back doesn't ever hurt anymore, and it made my handsprings faster and easier.

 

[CheerMom69]

X-Rays will not show a stress fracture. My CP had one as well and it hurt when she pulled her scorpion or landed any sort of tumbling (back handsprings hurt too because of the arch). We had X-Rays but since they were clear, kept tumbling on it until it hurt for my CP to even sneeze or cough. We finally had a bone spect scan and it was evident we had a stress fracture in the lower L-4 region of her back. She was out for 6 weeks with no activity at all. Then she was able to stunt (except for scorpions) but it was 10-11 weeks before she could tumble again. We never wore a brace. As bad as stress fractures are to deal with, unfortunately you have to deal with them or they will just keep getting worse which will only serve to lengthen the time it takes to recover. It's a long time till Nationals - she can heal by then if she starts resting now. Best of luck to you.

 

[njallday]

as a girl who was just diagnosed with herniated discs which are more than likely leading to surgery, get a second opinion/MRI. (I don't have the same symptoms as your daughter - don't worry:p )

But most of the reasons that would cause her pain cannot be seen with X-Ray alone, and 8 weeks is a long time to go without ANY suggestions or treatment when her pain clearly isn't going away.

good luck to you both! hope she feels better soon!

 

[EmilyBuck]

I had the same problem. I would describe my experience as almost if someone was sticking a pen into my lower back right in the center on the arch. I just did a lot of physio therapy for it and it took a while to get better but I did eventually! Walkovers sometimes still hurt it but I can do back handsprings fine now! :) I wish her the best of luck in this sad situation.

 

[WisconsinIsFierce]

I've had back problems all throughout cheerleading (who hasn't) and I've been in and out of as many doctors you could think of with little improvement. Eventually, X-rays did show I have a stress fracture. I found the best thing is to really focus on using your technique while tumbling and especially while basing. You have to keep your core engaged and not allow it to arch to get under a stunt and also use your legs to dip vs. shoulder pop. I also take ibuprofen and use icy hot before/during/after practices. Also, ice your back after practice to prevent more swelling and discomfort!

 

[mecheermom]

Thanks again. After reading everyone's posts I took her straight to get X-rays. They showed nothing but we are going to set up physical therapy and she's going to rest for a few weeks since no on could tell me whether she should stop or not. Has anyone had relief with a back brace? Can she still tumble with one?

tdittmar
How is your CP doing?

 

[tdittmar]

tdittmar
How is your CP doing?

Thanks for asking!
I'm not sure where I ended up last time but we finally got X-rays and they didn't show anything. I was anxious to get an MRI since I know X-rays don't show fractures. We went back to the orthopedic doctor and he said he wasn't worried it was a fracture and that she didn't have any other signs of ones. He told cp that it won't cause further damage and she can push through the pain or quit the sport. Well, naturally quitting isn't an option so she's back at practice. I see her rubbing her back at practice if they tumble a lot that day but that's about it. Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their experiences. The doc thought I was a nurse when I walked in with all my fierceboard knowledge (:

 

[AliciaM]

I have degenerative discs and most back issues need an MRI rather than xray. Almost every specialist I've seen has said either quit..lol ..or try a core strengthening activity along with cheer such as yoga so I just started yoga:)

If he is reluctant to send you for an MRI I'd go for a second opinion. It could be a range of thing to a herniated disc to degeneration and that absolutely cannot be seen by an x-ray. Take advice from someone who was misdiagnosed as OK and then a week later was in a back cast for a month and then a back brace for a year... it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[rvnblue]

Thanks for asking!
I'm not sure where I ended up last time but we finally got X-rays and they didn't show anything. I was anxious to get an MRI since I know X-rays don't show fractures. We went back to the orthopedic doctor and he said he wasn't worried it was a fracture and that she didn't have any other signs of ones. He told cp that it won't cause further damage and she can push through the pain or quit the sport. Well, naturally quitting isn't an option so she's back at practice. I see her rubbing her back at practice if they tumble a lot that day but that's about it. Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their experiences. The doc thought I was a nurse when I walked in with all my fierceboard knowledge :)

You need to go to a different doctor for sure! Please do not let a physician tell you to push through the pain or quit the sport. You have a right to find a diagnosis. Pleeeaaassseeee request an MRI because if your cp is young enough, this could change the spinal curvature patterns later in life that could be even more damaging. The pain may not be muscular or bone at all and may be nerve or disc related. A competent physical therapist will do a complete lumbar clearing and screening before performing any type of work on your cp.

 

[fierceBOWlove]

Lower back pain has always been a struggle for me from cheering... I actually think most of my pain is caused from jumps. I went to a massage therapist once a week for about 3 months and that really helped. A lot of times though, you have pain in your back, that is being caused by something else. (This is what the therapist explained to me)... (ex)When your hamstrings are tight, they pull your other muscles... like your back muscles. Which makes sense to me, so usually when my back is really tender and achy I try to stretch as much as possible. Stretch your legs really good.

 

[OMGitsMELANIE]

I've done cheer/gymnastics since I was 2 years old, so about 19 years and I've had chronic back pain. The absolute worst thing to do is to not listen to doctor recommendations. I didn't do what they told me to and now at 21 I have chronic lower back pain that wakes me up at night.
Icy Hot is her best friend. And heat pads are great too. Especially right after a practice or a workout so her back doesn't cool down too quickly.
I hope you find out what it is that's causing the pain! It stinks not knowing and having to make my own judgement calls.

 

[Babs]

My cp described her back pain as being in the bottom of her spine. She got relief from a chiropractor but she went 3 days per week for about 7 weeks before her pain was gone. The chiro also stressed the importance of stretching legs and back immediately after practice/workout. At my cp's gym they stretch before practice but never after. Chiro says stretching for even 5 minutes immediately after is great for preventing problems.

 

[AScheer]

My back pain started 10 years ago. I went to drs. and was just told to rest when it hurts. No diagnosis. A few years ago I went to get a massage and they told me my hamstrings were extremely tight and knotted up. They also suggested I might have sciatica. After following up I do, apparently my grandmother and aunt have it and I just never knew. No doctor ever looked for that or even mentioned my hamstrings. All the drs I saw always said just quit or deal with it. Now it's rare if my back hurts. I stretch a lot and get regular massages. If I go a couple of days without stretching I can feel it. If your having back issues I recommend trying things other than a dr, like a masseuse or a chiropractor.