Ninth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Women’s gymnastics ranks second highest in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports in experiencing severe injuries, between wrestling and football. It has been found female gymnasts train 71% of the time with an injury, often with 45% of these injuries lingering at least 3 years later. Developing a way to prevent the high injury rates experienced by female gymnasts is a priority to families, coaches, and the providers who care for them. Similar to developing sport specific training programs for optimal performance, developing sport specific injury prevention screens can potentially assist coaches and providers in the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries common to that sport. The gymSAFE Movement Screen is the first assessment tool to specifically focus on identifying and addressing key common movement faults associated with mechanisms of injury in gymnastics. The gymSAFE screen, by means of a digital application, inputs the gymnasts’ screen data and provides an “injury risk score” that is easily translated to the gymnasts’ healthcare providers and coaches. Gymnasts are then taught a home exercise program by a physical therapist who specializes in gymnastics and dance. Audience members will learn the development of the gymSAFE screen, current reliability and validity data of the gymSAFE screen, and will receive hands-on practice using the gymSAFE application and score reporting system. The gymSAFE screen is a first-line step in preventing injuries and keeping female gymnasts healthy.