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gymnastics

For elite gymnast Maddy, the journey to greatness wasn’t without its hurdles. But with determination and the expert care at Nemours Children’s Health, Maddy is back on her feet, ready to conquer the mat once again. Maddy’s athletic career took an unexpected turn on January 25, 2023, during a routine practice session at Temple University. A gymnast on the collegiate team, she faced a setback that would challenge her both physically and mentally—a ruptured Achilles tendon. Before receiving treatment at Nemours Children’s, Maddy experienced the full weight of her injury. “I was unable to walk, move my foot in any direction, and do everyday activities like go to class,” she recalls. “I was also in an abundance of pain every day that led to many mental breakdowns.” Having received treatment from Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville for years growing up, she knew she would get exceptional care for her new injury. […]

While performing a vault in her gymnastics competition, 14-year-old Saylor suffered a serious injury that would flip her world upside down. After completing the vault, Saylor’s ankle was immediately hurt, and she was unable to place any weight on it. With another gymnastics competition quickly approaching, Saylor sought medical attention straight away.  She visited numerous doctors and underwent several MRIs with no progress. During this time, the pain Saylor was experiencing in her foot began to spread to her leg and back. After visiting a local neurologist, Saylor was determined to have Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (excess and prolonged pain and inflammation that follows an injury). It was then that Saylor was referred to Dr. Santana-Rojas at Nemours Children’s Health. After evaluation from Dr. Santana-Rojas and her team, it was determined that Saylor also had a severe case of Functional Neurologic Disorder. “Functional Neurological Disorder had completely removed me from […]

Ryan has been a gymnast for 10 years, growing into a top competitor on her team. When she suffered a dislocated shoulder and instability injury, she met Dr. Alvin Su, sports orthopedic surgeon at Nemours Children’s Health, Deptford. She had instability in both of her shoulders, and the right shoulder bothered her more in the beginning. Dr. Su first fixed Ryan’s right shoulder with surgery in 2019. Ryan completed physical therapy and was able to return to gymnastics. To help Ryan reach her full potential, Dr. Su subsequently fixed her left shoulder in 2021. Over time, Dr. Su helped her reach champion-level caliber once again to bring home the gold. Ryan completed her physical therapy sessions and before being released, her therapist let her go back into the gym. She’s doing great now; both shoulders are healed, and she is a world, state, and regional champ! Ryan loves school, cooking, […]

With the summer Olympics underway in Rio, thousands of eyes are turning to the TV to see athletes run, swim, jump, flip and more. Gymnastics is always a highlight of the games, putting a lot of pressure and attention on the U.S.A.’s team. As a former gymnast myself, I take a special interest in gymnastics. And as a pediatric sports medicine physical therapist, I find myself treating a lot of gymnasts for back pain. A lot of gymnasts who are injured turn to self-medication too, so I have learned a lot about that over the years. For example, CBD products (from websites like OrganicCBDNugs) are a popular option when it comes to treating pain at home. These products are known to suppress aches and pains, especially in large parts of the body such as your back. Many people do attend therapy, though. So this begs the question: How do Olympic […]