Info needed on injury

[Dave619]

About a month ago, my 12 yo DD was on the mound and had gone about 2 innings....rain came, temperature dropped, the girls sat for about 45+ minutes. I am typically at all her games, but had to be somewhere else with other DD so I am going off of what others told me.

Rain stopped, blue called for players, DD got about 5 pitches, and game resumed. Sometime during the second part of the game she pulled a muscle in her back. She didn't really say anything...just said her back hurt a little...nothing else. She pitched the next weekend....into her first game, third inning...I asked for her to come out. Location was fine, speed was off...she told me then that her back was hurting.

Took her to sports med doctor....x-rays negative, he said he felt she pulled her rhomboid or trap...he said he didn't think it was a "tear" because she had good range of motion and strength without a lot of pain. He said anti-inflamitory meds twice a day and ice each night.

He put her out for three weeks...no pitching, overhand throwing, swinging a bat....the only thing she has done is be a base runner from time to time.

At this point she is not fully healed...she says she can still feel it, but wants to play. I won't let her play until she is healed properly. Have any of your DDs gone through something similar? How long did it take to recover? Any info. you can give me on this or your experience would be great. Thanks!

 

[Sparky Guy]

Make sure she is 100% before resuming full activities on the field. I have a girl I'm working with who severely pulled a back muscle last season. It took forever to heal. I spoke to her last week and asked her how her back felt. She said it was fine. Got an email from the dad yesterday having to cancel her next lesson. She re-aggrivated the injury over 14 months later.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Ya - what Sparky says.

Chronic muscle issues can be REALLY troublesome & disabling. One of my DD's younger spring seasons she pulled her Oblique pretty bad batting too much/too hard/too impulsively. She also had it come back from not letting it heal properly (healing = no spike pain anymore then ramped-stretching/conditioning the muscle back to competition shape. It's amazing what extremes competition can put on a muscle versus just training.....)

Trust me, in the cases of athletic injuries to the back, it's better to win the war on healing (which requires strong patience) versus ignoring the non-healed signs and returing to battle too soon....

 

[Jojo]

FULL rest--no running, no lifting.

 

[starsnuffer]

If it's an injury I agree with full rest. I'd get a second opinion to rule out a pinched nerve though.

-W

 

[Mr T]

Isn't full rest really the last option?

Seems like you want to do whatever movements you can do to strengthen, isn't that what PT is?

For big injuries, like perhaps this one is, maybe full rest is the way to go.

 

[cuzmail]

OP, I feel for you. DD (RHP) broke her right pinky finger two weeks ago at practice, but she is dying to play again. Orthopedic surgeon said probably 4 weeks out. 2 in a brace and then another 2 in a buddy cast. It is hard to keep them from trying to do too much. She wanted to do it all at practice last night. Rest is the best policy to allow the problem to heal.

Best of luck. I am off to pick up DD from school now to make the 2 week f/u appointment with the Ortho. She is hoping that he will release her since it doesn't hurt anymore, but I have a feeling she is going to be disappointed.

 

[Dave619]

Isn't full rest really the last option?

Seems like you want to do whatever movements you can do to strengthen, isn't that what PT is?

For big injuries, like perhaps this one is, maybe full rest is the way to go.

Thank you all for the info. What you all are saying is my dilemma...how much rest is too much or not enough? We go back this week to Dr. so we will see what he says. He did say last time that after this he would send her to PT so they can teach her to exercises to strengthen that area and proper stretches to do before and after pitching. Thanks!

 

[KCPRK]

Thank you all for the info. What you all are saying is my dilemma...how much rest is too much or not enough? We go back this week to Dr. so we will see what he says. He did say last time that after this he would send her to PT so they can teach her to exercises to strengthen that area and proper stretches to do before and after pitching. Thanks!

PT is a must. Anytime a muscle is intentionally not used for even 2 weeks it starts to degrade. Also when injured the body compensates meaning you are using the wrong muscle groups for certain tasks. PT is needed to correct that.

Any serious sprain or strain that needs more than 2 weeks of rest should be rehabbed at PT.

If you were out 14 months PT is a must. Many drs and orthos are not educated in this need/benefit so they do not know to refer it.

 

[carrotbun]

My DD hurt her back during a game while pitching. She ignored it for a few games but the pain got worse. I took her to the Dr. and xrays were neg...so her Dr. sent her to a PT..she had injured her SI joint in her lower back. Many factors contributed to the injury...growth spurt...her right side had become so much strong than her left...not warming up enough before games...after 2 months at the PT 2-3 times a week and doing her strengthening every day(which she hated) she came back stronger than ever. That PT taught us so much that we hope to never go back! As for down time...she always had some stretch or exercise to do but no softball...she missed state and felt bad not being there for her team...then she slowly got back to full pitching in about 3 months...she threw her first no hitter a couple weekends ago oh and the Finch Windmill helped a lot as well...good luck!