A Guide for Gymnasts and Parents
Gymnasts are used to being sore.
Between tumbling, vault, bars, beam, and hours of practice each week, occasional muscle soreness is expected. But when does normal soreness become something that deserves a closer look?
At Breathe in Motion, we work with gymnasts throughout Brookfield, Mequon, Milwaukee, and the surrounding communities, and we encourage families to pay attention to patterns rather than waiting until pain becomes severe enough to stop gymnastics altogether.
When Pain Keeps Coming Back
One of the biggest signs that your gymnast may benefit from physical therapy is pain that repeatedly returns during the same skills or practices.
Maybe her back hurts every time she works extension skills, her ankle bothers her after landings, or her wrist consistently hurts during tumbling and vault. Even if the pain improves with rest, symptoms that return as soon as training resumes may mean the body is struggling to tolerate a specific demand.
Other signs worth paying attention to include swelling, recurring ankle sprains, pain that changes technique, decreased strength, or hesitation with skills that previously felt comfortable.
You don’t necessarily need to wait until your gymnast can’t participate before getting help.
Physical Therapy Is About More Than Where It Hurts
If a gymnast comes to us with knee pain, we aren’t only looking at the knee.
We want to understand how she lands, how well her hips and ankles control movement, whether she has enough strength for the skills she’s performing, and how her body responds as she becomes fatigued.
The same whole body approach applies to shoulder, wrist, back, hip, ankle, and foot pain.
Sometimes the area that hurts is simply the area absorbing extra stress because something else isn’t doing its job efficiently.
Finding that connection early can help us create a plan that addresses the root cause rather than repeatedly calming down the same symptoms.
You Don’t Have to Be Injured to See a Physical Therapist
Physical therapy can also be preventative.
Growth spurts, increasing practice hours, progressing to more difficult skills, or moving up a competitive level can all change what a gymnast’s body needs.
A physical therapist who understands gymnastics can assess strength, mobility, balance, landing mechanics, and movement control to identify areas that may need additional support.
Our goal isn’t to unnecessarily pull athletes out of gymnastics. Whenever appropriate, we want to help them continue training while making thoughtful modifications and building the strength their bodies need.
Gymnastics Physical Therapy in Brookfield & Mequon
If your gymnast has pain that keeps returning, is changing the way she moves, or simply doesn’t seem to be resolving with rest, it may be time for a closer look.
At Breathe in Motion, we help gymnasts throughout Brookfield, Mequon, and the greater Milwaukee area address injuries, build strength, and stay active in the sport they love.
You don’t have to wait until pain puts your gymnast on the sidelines.
Sometimes addressing a small problem early is the best way to keep it from becoming a bigger one.
