All-Star Returning To Cheer After An Injury

[Mclovin]

Ok, so those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know that my daughter Emileigh broke her leg a few weeks ago. i have been researching and researching trying to figure out exactly what kind of time frame we are looking at for her to return to cheer. This is the story:

She broke her tibia and growth plate in the ankle on Jan. 14th. The break goes from the growth plate, up through the tibia and back down into the growth plate making an upside down V formation. It was slightly displaced. The first orthopedic surgeon thought she would need surgery so he referred her to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon due to the growth plate be affected. Well the pediatric ortho said no surgery. Assuming her bone heals as he expects, her course of treatment is 4 1/2 weeks total in a non-weight bearing cast, 3 weeks in a walking cast and 2-3 more weeks in a walking boot. Then I guess therapy for ROM exercises and rebuilding strength in that leg. Altogether that is 10 weeks.

So my question is, does anyone on here after experience with this type of injury? Everyone I've talked to and everything I read online has dealt with returning to sports after surgery on a broken leg. I can't seem to find much on non-surgical repair and the length of time it typically takes to return to sports. She is really hoping she'll be able to compete at worlds. Has anyone ever returned to jumping/stunting that quickly after being in a cast so long?

 

[bestbackspot]

dealing with injuires is always hard. i got a stress fracture 2 years ago, and 4 weeks in a boot quickly turned to 3 months. Just keep reminding her that she can do it!

 

[tumbleyoda]

As you know time is always an variable with each athlete. How we as coaches, parents and athletes deal with the after effects of an injury will either shorten or lengthen the time. The ROM exercises and therapy that is done is critical to returning. I have no doubt that Emileigh will do that and then some. Being positive about it and in a positive environment also helps tremendously. Once she is released keep impact padded as much as possible while she gets her tumble legs back - tumble track, pit, resi pit. Low reps on anything hard. Minimal front tumbling (stress on the affected area plus the angle upon which many landings take place) until it is feels at least 95% good to the athlete. I constantly check and assess pain level (both their verbal and their body language) before adding anything extra and always cut off a certain number of reps no matter of they "landed it" or not.

I know you know all of this Mclovin. Just a note for the other "injured" athletes out there who are ready to rip the cast off and tumble right now. Praying for the best possible result and that she will be on the floor at Worlds.

 

[King]

I think the main issue will be her muscles will atrophy. She is young so I think her bones will heal quick nicely. I would say there is a possibility she can compete but you can't really tell until she is out of a cast and starting to do some things physically. Just make sure you don't rush it (that is probably the hardest part as I have been in her situation with a different injury).

A positive attitude and hard work will do wonders, though, and I think she has both!

 

[Mclovin]

Thanks for the feedback guys! Another question:

Many things I have read about returning from a broken leg talks about the pain they endure. Is the pain from the bone not being healed completely or is it from the scar tissue after surgery? Since she didn't have surgery will the pain be as severe or as prolonged? I have had a really hard time finding information on non-surgical repair of a broken leg. It seems most people always get surgery. :-/

 

[Allstarcesi]

Thanks for the feedback guys! Another question:

Many things I have read about returning from a broken leg talks about the pain they endure. Is the pain from the bone not being healed completely or is it from the scar tissue after surgery? Since she didn't have surgery will the pain be as severe or as prolonged? I have had a really hard time finding information on non-surgical repair of a broken leg. It seems most people always get surgery. :-/

I came back from a broken hand last year (I know different body part, but still tumble related) the pain I experienced once getting out of the cast I think came from the muscle weakness, the atrophy king was talking about. My hand,wrist, and arm felt constantly tired and achey, and this was before i started back to tumble. It's really easy to hop out of the cast and want to immediately use the body part. Being patient and low reps I think is the best thing. I don't think I started tumbling for about a month after I was out of my cast and my arm had started to feel stronger, and even then it was only standing bhs. I know lower body injuries are more rough to deal with (since we literally use our legs for everything in cheer). Tell her I said she can get through it. And that bone will be stronger than ever now!

 

[njallday]

I don't know much about legs, but a few years ago I shattered my right arm. The radius shattered and the ulna bent into a U shape (and it was a compound fracture, yuck) I did have to have surgery to screw some pieces back together and they had to break it in even more places so that I would have a straight arm again. The break was up close to my wrist, but I had to have a cast from my shoulder down for 8 weeks, then elbow down for 6 weeks, and right below the elbow for another 6 weeks. Each time the cast got smaller, I basically had to relearn to use my muscles. After not being able to bend your elbow for 14 weeks, it is the strangest feeling when you finally can.. not to mention how weak my arm was. and I am right handed so on the plus side, my left arm gained some strength through this injury.

Unfortunately I was out for an entire season, but my bone is now stronger than ever. It does hurt when it rains or the weather just isn't nice, but overall you'd never know it was even broken.

I would think of not getting surgery as a positive. One less trauma for the body to have to recover from. Her leg will be stronger, even though it will not feel like it for quite some time. As everyone has said before me, patience is a virtue. She'll have to take it slow and see how it feels for her. Worlds isn't out of the question, but you won't know until you get there. Just keep her positive and you'd be surprised by what she can overcome.

 

[kristenthegreat]

I don't know much about legs, but a few years ago I shattered my right arm. The radius shattered and the ulna bent into a U shape (and it was a compound fracture, yuck) I did have to have surgery to screw some pieces back together and they had to break it in even more places so that I would have a straight arm again. The break was up close to my wrist, but I had to have a cast from my shoulder down for 8 weeks, then elbow down for 6 weeks, and right below the elbow for another 6 weeks. Each time the cast got smaller, I basically had to relearn to use my muscles. After not being able to bend your elbow for 14 weeks, it is the strangest feeling when you finally can.. not to mention how weak my arm was. and I am right handed so on the plus side, my left arm gained some strength through this injury.

Unfortunately I was out for an entire season, but my bone is now stronger than ever. It does hurt when it rains or the weather just isn't nice, but overall you'd never know it was even broken.

I would think of not getting surgery as a positive. One less trauma for the body to have to recover from. Her leg will be stronger, even though it will not feel like it for quite some time. As everyone has said before me, patience is a virtue. She'll have to take it slow and see how it feels for her. Worlds isn't out of the question, but you won't know until you get there. Just keep her positive and you'd be surprised by what she can overcome.

No way..I fractured my middle finger in 3 places doing a BHS while a gymnast. Mine always gets sore when it rains/the humidity changes rapidly.

 

[My3KidsMom]

Being the Mother of a child who broke her femur I can tell you that it was the hardest thing she ever had to go through, however she did EXACTLY what the doctors told her to do, and did all the physical therapy and waited on tumbling until the doctor released her. She had to sit out her entire High School season Freshman year because she broke it the day before her first day of Freshman year. She was however throwing her double again less than 5 months after the injury, which was about a Month maybe a little more after she was released. I definitely say make sure she does ALL the exercises they are telling her to do and be patient.

 

[a0159945]

My daughter broke ankle when she was 11 through her growth plate doing a full; because the break was so severe she had to have surgery. It happen the day before Thanksgiving and she did not return to cheer until June. She is now 16 and she tore her ACL in September doing a whip-through to double. Of course surgery was required. She will not be released to tumble (rotations) or stunt until end March, and she has no plans to compete until the 2012-2013 season. There have been several girls on my daughter's team that have ankle and leg injuries that did not require surgery and the recovery was similar to what your described. PT are the key, she needs to strengthen her leg to avoid re-injury.

 

[ufomom]

Make sure you show the doctor a video of what your daughter will be doing so that when he releases her it will be at the appropriate time. Releasing someone to walk to class is different than releasing someone to throw high impact tumbling passes.

 

[armycheermom]

My cp broke her elbow in 3 places,about 6 yrs. ago..While she didn't have surgery, she did have pins placed in. She did have some pain after the cast was removed, but a lot of it was because the muscles hadn't been worked for months, but we did physical therapy 3X a week to strengthen up her muscles back up. She went back to tumbling, 3 1/2 weeks after the cast was removed, but she went all the way back to level 1 and gradually worked her way back up to her layout, all in all, it took about 4 months for her to get back where she started. My biggest advice would to be patient and follow every rule or exercises the doctors give. Best of luck to you both!

 

[TheUltimateFan]

Make sure you show the doctor a video of what your daughter will be doing so that when he releases her it will be at the appropriate time. Releasing someone to walk to class is different than releasing someone to throw high impact tumbling passes.

Definitely agree with this. Unless they have an abundance of allstar cheerleaders as clients, our experience had been that most doctors assume sideline cheer type activity. When they see the video, the recovery plan changes. Another option, if that isn't convenient, is to tell them (at least from the tumbling aspect) that the impact activity you are concerned about should be considered more like a gymnast than their image of a cheerleader. And make sure they listen!

 

[CAMOM98]

A good balanced diet is also important along with her therapy. Good luck to Emileigh during her healing process.


HEALING FRACTURES

 

[SmileyRyleigh]

i had the EXACT same injury about three years ago. I didn't have to have surgery, but it is best to wait it out and do EXACTLY what the doctor says and don't tumble/ anything until she is released. Physical therapy helps ALOT with regaining bone strength, and try not to go right back into her throwing her highest tumbling pass. Try and take it easy the first few weeks, and once she feels the strength to do it she should be able to. Usually when you're out for awhile you don't "forget" how to throw your passes, its just the fear that you'll re -injure yourself that makes you not be able to throw it. I hope everything heals quickly and we see her right back there at worlds