Dave Tilley:
Issues like stress fractures, ankle sprains, growth plate inflammation, ACL or meniscus tears, Achilles injuries, and overuse cartilage break down are seen throughout all levels of gymnastics. These injuries all have a common overlap in being “impact” based….
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On the upside, all that impact results in gymnasts having very dense bones.
On the downside, every coach needs to constantly assess the training plan to minimize the risk of traumatic and chronic injuries.
Dave has some advice.
1. Temporarily Reduce Workloads and Impact Volume
2. Diagnose and Get Medical Care Quickly
3. Be Patient
4. Manage Soft Tissue Daily (Manual Therapy and Stretching)
5. Use Ice Baths and Compression Nightly
6. Land Properly
7. Slowly Rebuild Knee and Ankle Joint Strength Following Injury
8. Slowly Rebuild Impact Volume Following Rehab
9. Correct Technical Issues (Steep Take off and Landing Short)
The other more obvious piece, although it’s shockingly not addressed, is that gymnasts simply need to stop landing short and destroying their ankles all the time. Mistakes obviously happen here and there, but the reality is that far too many gymnasts are being allowed to land very short on a daily basis. …
10. Build Leg Strength with Physical Preparation Programs
11. Track Growth
Click through for details and videos:
11 CRUCIAL WAYS TO COMBAT IMPACT KNEE AND ANKLE INJURIES IN GYMNASTICS
