Off topic: Sports medicine type question

[rainmaker]

Only one person has talked about the difference between boys' and girls' ankles. It's a BIG DEAL!! Girls' ankles are much less strong, and much slower to heal completely. By letting your daughter continue to play, even taped, you are guaranteeing that sooner than you'll like, she'll need surgery or she'll have to quit playing completely. I know this for certain because of years of experience with my own daughter and her friends. If you plan for your daughter to continue in any athletic venue beyond the next year or two, get her to a podiatrist with lots of experience with girl athletes, PRONTO and do exactly what he says, even if it includes a year or two off all sports.

I hate to sound so harsh, but I'm quite certain I'm right, and I need to convey the message in whatever tone will work. For your daughter's sake, find the right podiatrist and get in to him or her asap. I'm quite sure you'll be glad you did.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Only one person has talked about the difference between boys' and girls' ankles. It's a BIG DEAL!! Girls' ankles are much less strong, and much slower to heal completely. By letting your daughter continue to play, even taped, you are guaranteeing that sooner than you'll like, she'll need surgery or she'll have to quit playing completely. I know this for certain because of years of experience with my own daughter and her friends. If you plan for your daughter to continue in any athletic venue beyond the next year or two, get her to a podiatrist with lots of experience with girl athletes, PRONTO and do exactly what he says, even if it includes a year or two off all sports.

I hate to sound so harsh, but I'm quite certain I'm right, and I need to convey the message in whatever tone will work. For your daughter's sake, find the right podiatrist and get in to him or her asap. I'm quite sure you'll be glad you did.

This is a good point. Girls and women are more prone to leg injuries simply because their anatomies are different from men's (see the baseball thread for some examples if you don't believe me). Don't let her play until she's been cleared by a doctor.

[grizwald]

You guys are absolutely right. You refs really know your stuff.

I hear you guys, and I'm aware of some the differences. Alot of the higher risk related stuff is related to the women having wider hips than men. And the larger angle that the legs must be at. It creates problems and higher risk (more stress) in all joints, ligaments and tendons in the legs. Girls after puberty having a much greater risk of leg and foot injuries than boys.

I don't know much about the slower healing, but I'm not doubting that you are accurate there as well.

However, perhaps I mischaracterized the problems she's having. She's had a few, maybe 3 or 4 slight sprains (first degree). Causing minor swelling and no gross instablity. Over a period of probably 3 years. None were closer than probably 6 months apart. And she plays alot of games. She probably averages between 2 and 4 games a week year round plus practices.

Believe me, having the student training background, I would not hesitate to send her to the doctor if I felt like her issues where chronic or could become chronic without treatment. And we will make a trip to the doctor to ask about shoes, braces, insoles ect... soon.

She just turned her ankle in a game Friday and they have AAU Nationals coming up next week. Although she is showing no effects of the sprain currently. I was looking at something as a preventative messure.

I am a bit concerned over the issue of giving extra support to the ankle, creating greater risk to the knee. So I'm not exactly sure what she'll end up doing.

I am a bit comforted by the fact that in the professional basketball and football world (as well as other sports), all athletes' ankles are taped no matter what issues they've had with there ankles in the past. In fact, when I was a student trainer, the team doctors told us that it is standard language in an NFL contract that a fine is imposed if a player even sets foot on a playing surface (even in street clothes) without his ankles taped.

As a side note, we visited the Indiana Pacers training room before a game at the end of the '91 season. Dave Craig, the Pacers trainer, invited us down. Those guys (professional sports trainers) are amazing. They could tape ankles without ever tearing the tape after they were finished with a strip. With all the different strips you put on an ankle taping and never have to tear the tape, Wow. And never once accidently creased the tape either. I guess that's why they make the big bucks!

But your advise is sound, and taken to heart. Girls anatomy is different and in itself causes issues not seen with boys and men. We'll go see the doctor soon.

[REFVA]

She's had a few, maybe 3 or 4 slight sprains (first degree). Causing minor swelling and no gross instablity. Over a period of probably 3 years. None were closer than probably 6 months apart. And she plays alot of games. She probably averages between 2 and 4 games a week year round plus practices. Grizwald

The key is that she has had a number of sprains over a 3 to 4 year period. Keep in mind although it has healed the ankle may not be 100%. So if the proper action is not taken. The next could be a tough one. hopefully not.

My 2 cents

[grizwald]

Originally Posted by REFVA

The key is that she has had a number of sprains over a 3 to 4 year period. Keep in mind although it has healed the ankle may not be 100%. So if the proper action is not taken. The next could be a tough one. hopefully not.

My 2 cents

You're right. We're going to go see a doctor soon. I know that even though she has had no injuries that caused structual damage, the next one is the only one that matters. And once the damage is there, there is no way (even with surgury) to get back to 100%. Even if you are lucky enough to get back to 99.9% there is always that little bit missing after a major injury.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by grizwald

You're right. We're going to go see a doctor soon. I know that even though she has had no injuries that caused structual damage, the next one is the only one that matters. And once the damage is there, there is no way (even with surgury) to get back to 100%. Even if you are lucky enough to get back to 99.9% there is always that little bit missing after a major injury.

I'd get there before the AAU thing if I were you. The other thing you should do is try taping with Elastoplast brand tape instead of the J&J standard white athletic tape. If you do the Elastoplast carefully, and since you are a trainer I expect you'll do fine, one tape job should last all weekend, which is a good thing since it's extremely expensive. Worth it though, in my book. My podiatrist recommended it to me when I insisted on playing with a bad foot, and it really made a huge difference. If we'd have had it for my daughter, it might have really saved her career.