Gymnastics is a rigorous sport that involves explosive movement, tremendous balance, and heavy stress on the joints and muscles of the human body. As a result, the sport often results in injuries that must be treated by a specialist such as an orthopedic hand surgeon in Suffolk County, NY. Orthopedics involves the correction of injuries and deformations of bones, joints, and muscles, and those types of injuries are often encountered in the pursuit of excellence in gymnastics.
Though gymnastics can lead to injuries to almost any part of the body that endures the excess forces caused by athletic movements, there are a few common conditions that are routinely treated by orthopedic specialists. Read on to learn more about some of the most frequently occurring gymnastics injuries that are treated by orthopedic care specialists at your local orthopedic center.
Broken or Sprained Wrist
The wrist is a flexible, dynamic joint, but gymnastics can be quite demanding. The wrist joint has many capabilities, but it wasn’t evolved to support all of a person’s body weight, as it’s often called to do during many movements in gymnastics. Movements such as handstands and handsprings can place excessive force on the wrist, which can lead to hyperextensions that cause sprains or even fractures of the intricate system of bones in the wrist and hand. This is especially true for young participants, as the bones in the wrist, known as growth plates, haven’t fully hardened and are susceptible to damage.
Growth Plate Conditions
The legs, knees, ankles, and feet also undergo great stress during the explosive springing movements involved in gymnastics. The 
joints are traditionally weak points during these movements, but structures within those joints are also susceptible to damage during gymnastics. The growth plates of developing young gymnasts can be damaged or stressed, which can cause conditions such as Sever’s disease or Osgood-Schlatter disease. In each of these conditions, repetitive impact to the growth plates in the knees and heels can lead to painful, debilitating injuries that require rest to heal. Sever’s disease affects the growth plates in the heel, while Osgood-Schlatter disease affects growth plates in the knee.
Achilles Injury
The Achilles tendon, which connects the hell to the muscles in the calf and runs along the back of the ankle, is a major tendon that’s used repetitively in gymnastics. However, because of explosive movement and repetitive use, it can degenerate and eventually tear. Those tiny tears result in an injury known as Achilles tendonitis initially, but if left untreated it can evolve into Achilles tendinosis. Tendonitis involves severe inflammation, but tendinosis results in degeneration of the tendon itself.
Ankle Sprains
Though the ankle joint is a marvel of biological architecture, it does have its weaknesses. Unfortunately, many of the movements involved in gymnastics can push the ankle to its limits and leave it vulnerable to damage from stresses caused by springing, leaping, and landing. Though breaks do occur with relative frequency, the most common type of ankle injury that occurs during gymnastics is ankle sprain. This injury occurs when the ligaments in the ankle are stretched too far, which can cause the ankle to become destabilized. Some sprains also result in ligament tears, which may require surgical intervention.
While many of these common injuries suffered during gymnastics may require a trip to your local orthopedic clinic in Suffolk County, NY, most are easily repairable with minor treatment and rest. However, the most severe injuries may also require the skilled hand of a qualified orthopedic surgeon. If you’ve suffered an injury during gymnastics, contact Peconic Bay Medical Center at (631) 548-6000 for an appointment with a skilled orthopedic care specialist.