Gymnastics places some fairly unique demands on fairly young bodies. In episode 26 of the Physio Edge podcast, I discuss these demands with Kingsley Gibson, a Sports Titled Physiotherapist that has worked with Australian Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Shooting and Hockey teams at a number of Commonwealth and Olympic games, and works with elite gymnasts on a daily basis. For his services to gymnastics, in 2000 the Commonwealth awarded Kingsley with a Sports Services Medal. So Kingsley has a lot of experience to draw on, and we got into detail on a number of topics.
In this podcast we discuss:
* Common injury patterns in the various gymnastic disciplines
* Important factors to consider when returning gymnasts to training and competition
* Factors that can influence your gymnasts treatment outcome
* Communication with parents and coaches
* How to best implement load management strategies
* Various motor control patterns in gymnasts that contribute to injuries
* Screening gymnasts
* Designing specific upper limb rehab programs
* Lower limb and lumbar spine rehab programs
* Management of acute vs chronic injuries
* Stress reactions in the Lumbar spine
* Apophyseal injuries - hip flexors, hamstrings, calcaneus (Sever’s) and Osgood-Schlatter’s
* Management of apophyseal injuries compared to tendinopathy
* Motor control/“stability” patterns in gymnasts
* When to order imaging
* Growth plate injury management - particularly in the wrist
* The effect of other factors such as training surfaces and equipment on injury
Links of Interest
 
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Kingsley Gibson Sydney Sports Medicine Centre at Homebush
Sydney Wests Sports Medicine at Rooty Hill
Clinical Edge
Available online education with Clinical Edge