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

• Become incredibly flexible by subscribing to the Physio Edge podcast or giving it a review on iTunes
• Kingsley Gibson
• Sydney Sports Medicine Centre at Homebush
• Sydney Wests Sports Medicine at Rooty Hill
• Clinical Edge