A gymnast’s wrist hurts during handstands. Another feels a sharp pain in the elbow after a fall. A third notices that the shoulder slips or aches on the bars. Each problem can have a different cause, and the place that hurts does not always tell the whole story.
Gymnastics puts body weight through the arms while athletes swing, land, and tumble. That can lead to sudden injuries after a fall or problems that build with repeated practice. Here are the injuries that can affect the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, what they may feel like, and when to seek care.
A quick guide to three injury types
Sprain, strain, and stress fracture describe what is injured. They do not tell you exactly where an injury is or how serious it is.
Sprain
A sprain affects a ligament, the tissue that helps hold a joint together. A fall or awkward landing can stretch or tear it. The joint may swell, bruise, or feel unsteady.
Strain
A strain affects a muscle or tendon, which connects muscle to bone. It can happen during one forceful movement or build with repeated use. Soreness and weakness may make a skill harder to perform.
Stress fracture
A stress fracture is a small break in bone caused by repeated force. Pain often starts in one spot during practice and may return sooner each time. It can also begin to hurt outside the gym. A growth plate stress injury is a related concern in children whose bones are still growing.
Shoulder injuries in gymnastics
Bars, rings, and handstands put repeated strain on the muscles and tendons that support the shoulder. Tendon irritation may cause an ache with overhead movement or when bearing weight on the arms. Pain that keeps returning, or weakness that changes a gymnast’s skills, deserves an evaluation.
A fall or forceful movement can also cause shoulder instability. The ball of the upper arm may slip partly or fully out of its socket. A gymnast may describe a shifting feeling, a shoulder that gives way, or a sudden loss of confidence putting weight on that arm. The labrum, a rim of cartilage that helps steady the socket, can be injured as well. An exam can help tell these problems apart; shoulder pain alone cannot.
Elbow injuries in gymnastics
A fall onto the arm can injure the elbow’s ligaments or bones. If the joint looks out of place, cannot move normally, or comes with numbness in the hand, seek urgent care. An elbow dislocation is an injury that needs prompt medical assessment.
Elbow pain can also build gradually. Repeated weight bearing may affect the bone and cartilage on the outside of a growing gymnast’s elbow. One condition, called osteochondritis dissecans, can cause pain during or after skills, stiffness, or catching and locking in the joint. Those symptoms matter because a cartilage injury may need a break from the activities that load the elbow and a closer look at the joint.
Wrist injuries in gymnastics
Handstands, vaults, and tumbling repeatedly press weight through the wrists. In a growing gymnast, that pressure can irritate the growth plate near the thumb side of the wrist. This is often called a gymnast’s wrist. Pain may first appear during weight-bearing skills, then return with each practice. Ongoing pain should be assessed because the growth plate is still developing.
A fall onto an outstretched hand raises a different concern: a broken wrist bone. A scaphoid fracture, near the base of the thumb, may cause only modest swelling and can be mistaken for a sprain. Pain on the thumb side of the wrist that remains after a fall is a reason to have the wrist examined, even if the gymnast can still move it.
“A gymnast can often still move a broken wrist, so movement alone doesn’t tell you much. What we pay attention to is pain on the thumb side of the wrist that is still there days after a fall.” — Stacey Gallacher, MD, FAAOS
When should a gymnast be checked?
Pain that changes a skill, returns at every practice, or stays in one small spot needs attention. So do swelling that does not settle, a joint that feels loose, loss of motion, or weakness with gripping or pushing. These signs do not identify one specific injury, but they tell the provider what to examine.
Seek urgent care for an arm that looks out of place, an open wound with visible bone, a pale or cool hand, new numbness, or an inability to use the arm after a fall. A head or neck injury, loss of consciousness, or trouble breathing also calls for immediate medical attention.
What happens at an orthopedic visit?
The provider may ask whether pain began with a fall or grew over time, which skills bring it on, and where it hurts most. The exam checks movement, strength, swelling, and tender areas. X-rays may help show a fracture or growth plate problem. If the exam suggests an injury that is hard to see on an X-ray, the provider may discuss other imaging.
Care depends on the diagnosis. It may include time away from painful skills, support for the injured area, physical therapy, or other treatment when needed. Returning to gymnastics is more than waiting for pain at rest to disappear. The plan should account for strength, movement, and the demands of specific skills.
Questions parents and gymnasts often ask
Can a gymnast have a wrist fracture and still move the hand?
Yes. Some wrist fractures, including scaphoid fractures, can be mistaken for sprains. Movement does not rule out a fracture. Wrist pain that continues after a fall should be evaluated.
What does it mean when an elbow catches or locks?
Catching or locking may point to a problem inside the elbow joint, including cartilage injury. An orthopedic provider can examine the elbow and decide whether imaging is needed.
Is shoulder pain after bars just soreness?
Not necessarily. Soreness can follow hard training, but pain that returns with the same skill, comes with weakness, or makes the shoulder feel as if it slips deserves an evaluation.
When Arm Pain Keeps Coming Back in Gymnastics
An athlete should not have to guess whether recurring wrist, elbow, or shoulder pain is part of training. AOSMI can evaluate the injury and discuss a care plan based on the gymnast’s symptoms and goals. Call 732-720-2555 or use Contact Us to request an appointment.
*This article is for education only and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek emergency care for severe injury or symptoms such as visible deformity, circulation or sensation changes, trouble breathing, or loss of consciousness.