	AllExperts > Gymnastics
	Search

About Karen M. Goeller
Expertise
Karen Goeller, CSCS ... http://www.KarenGoeller.com

Karen Goeller, CSCS, has written a variety of gymnastics and fitness books from 2001 until present. She has educated thousands of coaches, teachers, fitness trainers, athletes, gymnastics parents, and fitness enthusiasts with her books, articles, and in person. Karen Goeller has been training athletes since 1978 and adults since 1986. She has an education that includes training in emergency medicine, physical therapy, and nutrition. She has held certifications that include NSCA-CSCS, Fitness Trainer, EMT-D, Nutritional Analysis, and many Gymnastics Certifications among others. Karen Goeller has tremendous experience with training in a variety of settings. She is the creator and author of the Swing Set Fitness books, the author of the Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning books, and she has written numerous training programs and articles. Karen Goeller has written more gymnastics books than anyone in the USA. Her books are used by fitness experts, sports coaches, teachers, and athletes worldwide. Karen Goeller has worked for world famous gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi, owned a gymnastics club for ten years, and has been featured in several newspapers and on television many times. Karen Goeller offers sports performance training and private gymnastics training in NJ and through the web.

Karen Goeller will gladly attend events, speak for your group, help the media with gymnastics and fitness stories, and autograph her books. Please call 888-496-8749 to discuss your idea or request an interview.

Karen can help you organize your training program, aid in the prevention of overuse injuries, reduce overuse injuries, and recognize strengths and weaknesses.

Visit Karen Goeller's websites for more information on her products and services...
http://www.GymnasticsBooks.com
http://www.BestGymnasticsTraining.com
http://www.SwingSetFitness.com
http://www.KarenGoeller.com

Experience
Karen Goeller has been training athletes since 1978 and adults since 1986. She owned a gymnastics club for 10 years. Author of gymnastics drills and conditioning books, swing set fitness books, gymnastics and fitness journals. Karen hosted and directed two scientific studies in her gymnastics facility. She had the first USATT Trampoline Team in all of NY State and the 1996 USATT National Champion.
Karolyi's Gymnastics Camp: Seven summers, 1989-1996. In 1992 Karen was the First Female Karolyi Camp Director. Coached levels 6 through elite.
USAGTC: Coached all levels at camp and in 1997 held a flexibility clinic for the coaches with a sports-scientist.
International Gymnastics Camp: Instructor of athletes and coaches at training clinics for ten years, all levels. 1987 Summer camp coach, all levels.

Certifications Held…NSCA CSCS, Fitness, USAG National Safety Certification, EMT-Defibrillation, CPR, Nutritional Analysis, Counseling Techniques, Childcare Fundamentals, USAG Level 1-4 Skill Evaluator, and USAG Meet Director among others.
Books by Karen Goeller…Fitness on a Swing Set with Training Programs, Swing Set Workouts, Fitness on a Swing Set, One Swing Set Workout E-Book, Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning Exercises, Handstand Drills and Conditioning Exercises, Gymnastics Drills: Walkover, Limber, Back Handspring, Gymnastics Conditioning for the Legs and Ankles, Gymnastics Journal: Scores, Goals, Dreams, Gymnastics Conditioning: Five Conditioning Workouts, Most Frequently Asked Questions about Gymnastics, Fitness Journal: Goals, Training, Success, Strength Training Journal, Tumbling Conditioning, and many training programs... Glide Kip, Tumbling, Speed, Fitness, Legs Plus, Golf, etc.
Download training programs at http://www.LegsPlusWorkouts.com. Buy books at http://www.GymnasticsBooks.com

Organizations
USA Gymnastics (USAG) and National Strength and Conditioning Assoc (NSCA)

Publications
USA Gymnastics Technique Magazine, Cheer Coach and Advisor Magazine, and various websites.

Books by Karen Goeller
Fitness on a Swing Set with Training Programs (978-0-6151-5028-4)
Swing Set Workouts (978-0-6151-5170-0)
Fitness on a Swing Set (978-0-6151-4788-8)
One Swing Set Workout (E-Book)
Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning Exercises (978-1-4116-0579-4)
Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning for the Handstand (978-1-4116-5000-8)
Gymnastics Drills: Walkover, Limber, Back Handspring (978-1-4116-1160-3)
Gymnastics Conditioning for the Legs and Ankles (978-1-4116-2033-9)
Gymnastics Journal: My Scores, My Goals, My Dreams (978-1-4116-4145-7)
Gymnastics Conditioning: Five Conditioning Workouts (978-0-6151-4759-8)
The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Gymnastics (1-59113-372-6)
Fitness Journal: My Goals, My Training, My Success (978-1-8472-8444-0)
Strength Training Journal
Gymnastics Conditioning: Tumbling Conditioning
Countless fitness and gymnastics training programs... Glide Kip, Tumbling, Core, Advanced abs, Endurance, Fitness, Legs Plus, Golf, etc. Download at http://www.LegsPlusWorkouts.com

Visit http://www.GymnasticsBooks.com for more information!

Education/Credentials
Karen Goeller has an education that includes training in emergency medicine, physical therapy, and nutrition. She has held certifications that include NSCA-CSCS, Fitness Trainer, EMT-D, Nutritional Analysis, and many Gymnastics Certifications among others.

Past/Present Clients
Read client testimonials at http://www.BestSportsConditioning.com.

You are here: Experts > Recreation/Outdoors > Gymnastics > Gymnastics > stress fractures in Level 9 13 yr old girl's wrists

Gymnastics - stress fractures in Level 9 13 yr old girl's wrists

Expert: Karen M. Goeller - 7/5/2009

Question
My daughter competed all last season at Level 9 with stress fractures and abnormally widened growth plates, one bone in one of her wrists has already grown longer than the other. We didn't learn this til the season ended last month and she finally 'fessed up. She has a very high pain tolerance. She can swing bars with no pain except the occasional shoot over. Vault is the most painful. She tool a month off after we took her to the orthopedist and got her diagnosis. He seemed to think she'd feel less pain--but she resumed training this week with no improvement. How long do these injuries take to heal? Should she be casted? How much pain is "ok" and since she can't remember not feeling wrist pain, how will she know when she's ok? Her brothers had similar injuries when they competed and had wrist pain for the remainder of their careers.

Answer

Gymnastics Drills and

Hello Lisa,

I am not a medical doctor. Only your daughter's doctor should answer the questions specific to her injuries.

Your daughter might need to have her bone density checked if she does not eat healthy foods at least 90% of the time and/or if she does not drink milk. Nutrition plays a HUGE role in healing injuries and in performance. Go to the website www.MyPyramid.gov WITH your daughter and use some of the nutrition tools to see whether she is missing any nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, or any others. You should also make an appointment with a nutritionist.

Your daughter should still be in the gym, but with limitations. There are PLENTY of skills, combinations, drills, and conditioning exercises that she can do.

If I were your daughter's coach I would not allow her to vault for AT LEAST another month, but there are vaulting drills that she may be able to perform. Many vaulting drills such as running drills, board drills, and skills using a mini trampoline are necessary for vaulting. It is often best to give a serious bone injury 8-12 weeks to heal before returning to competitive skills and routines, unless the doctor gives that athlete other instructions. When your daughter vaults again she should start off very slow, a shorter run with less advanced vaults to help with recovery, conditioning, and technique. She should throw a sting mat on the vault table for the first week or two in order to absorb some of the shock.

Your daughter should only be performing tumbling drills or skills that do not require any hand contact with he floor. Whip backs, full twists, double backs, any non hand contact skill may be fine, but I would recommend she stay away from back handsprings, front handsprings, and even the most basic skills such as press handstands, walkovers, and handstands. She is on a level where she can use a whip back rather than a back handspring to set up for the salto class of skills such as a double full. She must remember to pull her hands in toward her belly if she falls towards her buttocks to prevent further arm/wrist injury. A gymnast can break an arm reaching back during a fall.

I would instruct her to stay off bars until she is 100% pain free. She can do PLENTY of conditioning exercises and drills so that she will not fall behind. For example, she can perform the motion of the skills in her bar routine with a light toning bar while standing, lying on her back, or kneeling. Her upper body will get the conditioning, but your daughter will not have all of her bodyweight on her hand. Many exercises that are performed on the hands can be performed on the forearms instead.

I would suggest she stop doing her flight series on beam if there is a back handspring in it until after she is 100% pain free. Your daughter is at a level where she can still do all of her leaps, jumps, turns, and salto type skills such as back tucks, front tucks, aerials, and layouts.

Your daughter really MUST stop doing anything where her hand is contacting the floor or equipment until she is 100% pain free for at least two weeks to allow for the complete healing. If she does not deal with this injury correctly now she is setting herself up for a life time injury. It could come bother her in her adult years if she does not deal with it correctly now.

If you are in or near NJ I can help your daughter with conditioning in person so that she will not lose skills, strength, or flexibility. If you are not, I can train her through the web by sending conditioning workouts through email. The information on my training services is at www.BestSportsConditioning.com.

A thought on overuse injuries... If three or more gymnasts on one team of ten or fewer gymnasts have pain in the same general area (ankles & legs or wrists & elbows) then a change should be made in the training program or with the equipment being used. (Sometimes only a minor change is necessary.) If only one gymnast on the team has pain in any part of her body then it is more likely an individual weakness, injury.

One more interesting note... There was a story on the news about an osteoporosis medication currently being used for fractures. You could ask your daughter's doctor if it is a good option for her.

Please let me know how your daughter is doing in the near future. And do not hesitate to contact me directly if you think I can help her. My contact information is on my websites which are listed below.

Karen
www.KarenGoeller.com
www.GymnasticsStuff.com
www.SwingSetFitness.com
www.BestSportsConditioning.com
Fundraising for your team, supplement your personal income, or start your own business, when you sign up as our affiliate. Earn up to 30% of the sales! Just add your affiliate link to your email, newsletter, or website. Click on link to sign up now... https://www.mcssl.com/SYS/?m=119612&c=s

Ask a Question