Why rest doesn't work (especially in gymnastics and other sports)

One of the biggest concerns for youth athletes is how to keep training while recovering from an injury. Most have consulted several doctors whose advice is simple: stop training for weeks or months. For most athletes, this advice is like telling a fish to get out of water and keep on breathing.
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Here’s a recent story from my clinic:
A young gymnasts is having wrist pain. Her doctor takes X-rays and determines there is nothing remarkable, and so he calls her injury “tendonitis” and tells her to wear a brace for 3 weeks. Three weeks later, she takes the brace off and tries to ease back into practice. Not surprisingly, her wrist still hurts. 

Here are two of the biggest problems with the “just rest” strategy:

1. It doesn’t actually fix anything. Sure, your pain may go away, but once the athlete gets back on the field it usually returns. Why? Because the MAIN CAUSE of the problem was not addressed. Rest was just AVOIDING the problem all together. 
2. Results in whole body de-conditioning. Usually the athlete’s complaint is limited to one area of the body - the back, ankle, knee, a particular muscle, etc. That doesn’t mean the rest of the body isn’t functional. By completely avoiding activity, the athlete’s entire body loses strength, power, endurance, and flexibility. This is only going to put athletes in a position to FURTHER injure themselves. Just because your ankle hurts does not mean you cannot workout. The problem is most players, parents, and coaches do not know how to adapt an athlete’s training to accommodate for the injury.

​So what’s the best thing for a parent athlete to do? Find the ultimate cause of the problem. This requires expert assistance, and is something we can help you with at Christine Walker Physical Therapy.

Additionally, a physical therapist can help you and your coaches determine what activities are safe for you to participate in during during in order to minimize the training time lost during an injury.  

Are you an athlete suffering from an injury? Have you been trying to rest but are still struggling to get back in the game? 

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​Want more information about gymnastics injuries that don't heal with rest? We have a Free Special Tips Report titled, "7 Gymnastics Injuries That Never Heal With Rest". To request a copy, click here.