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| gymnet.org |
Gymnastics, an already rigourous sport, can cause many back injuries particularly in adolescents since their bodies are still developing. These injuries come from the repetetive stressful body movements such as bending and twisting.
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| gymnasticsvfootball.blogspot.com |
Some people say this may be one of the reasons so many young gymnasts end up with minor cases of scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine to one side. This is said to be because gymnastics is so focused on developing one side of the body, the "good leg/side" that the extra development in the muscles on that side can push the spine slightly off center. While this only causes minor cases of scoloiosis it is still an issue.
In a study found from gymnastics rescue it was said that:
In a survey of 100 girls, aged 11-15, having been trained actively in rhythmic gymnastics at least for a period of 5 years, we found a fivefold higher incidence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). These data were compared to the results from a screening of 4800 students of the same age, carried out in Sofia by the same examining team in 1996.This shows that the training may have a big impact on how the young gymnast develops. It does definitely seems to be a very prevelent issue, because I among other girls on my own team end up having minor cases of scoliosis.
In more rare occurances difficult moves that aren't landed correctly can cuase major injuries, such as a diver lanfing flat on the water from a platform dive or a gymnast landing badly onto a hard surface(which is why the equipment is often completely surrounded by mats as much as possible). These mistakes will often cause the athlete some spinal trauma.
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Scoliosis
Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine to one side. In those who have the condition, the spine bends either to the left or to the right. The bend can occur at any point along the spine, from the top to the bottom. The curvature can also vary from a slight to severe. However, the chest area (thoracic scoliosis) and the lower part of the back (lumbar scoliosis) are the most common regions to be affected.
In a survey of 100 girls, aged 11-15, having been trained actively in rhythmic gymnastics at least for a period of 5 years, we found a fivefold higher incidence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). These data were compared to the results from a screening of 4800 students of the same age, carried out in Sofia by the same examining team in 1996
1 comments:
These are really interesting posts, Bre. I like the new focus on connections to health issues. But the picture you're painting of gymnastics isn't a pretty one--it seems like gymnastics is not the best sport to let your kid go into. Do you feel this way? Or are the risks worth the benefits? Certainly injuries can happen in any sport, but these seem on the extreme side of the spectrum.
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