The speed and force necessary to jump over the vault in gymnastics increases your risk of injuries during the short duration your hands touch the vault. Whether performing a simple jump or a complicated flip, your elbows support your body while on the vault and this can quickly turn into an injury. Do not continue your gymnastics routine if you're experiencing elbow pain.
Identification
If your elbow pain from the vault resulted from an elbow sprain, the elbow may be tender to touch. You may also notice bruising and swelling surrounding your elbow. Extending and bending the elbow joint may be difficult. The pain and limited range of motion from an elbow strain can be mild to severe depending on the seriousness of the ligament injury. If the pain is associated with tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, you'll notice a burning pain that starts in your elbow and radiates down your forearm. Your wrist and hand may experience weakness resulting in difficulties grasping objects.
Causes
An elbow sprain on a vault can occur if you forcefully twist your arm. The twisting causes the ligaments that support your elbow to stretch or tear which results in the painful symptoms you experience after the vault. Gymnasts are at an increased risk for elbow sprains because of the force placed on the elbow during several types of routines. If you're slightly new to gymnastics or the vault, your balance and coordination may be poor, which increases your risk of an injury. Loose joints and poor muscle conditioning can also increase your risk of an elbow injury. Tennis elbow is often caused by inflammation of the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle in the forearm. This muscle rubs on the bony part of the outer elbow, which makes it prone to irritation from overuse.
Treatment
An elbow sprain is initially treated by resting the elbow as it heals. Ice the elbow for the first three days for 10 to 15 minutes every four hours. On day four, switch to a heating pad. You'll need to take a break from gymnastics while your elbow heals and wear a sling to restrict movement of your elbow. A forearm brace can be worn to stabilize your elbow. A massage of the elbow area can help relieve pain and inflammation. As your elbow heals, light strength training with resistance bands and stretches can be done to aid the healing process. An oral and topical pain medication can be used to relieve discomfort. If your ligament is torn completely, surgery may be necessary. Tennis elbow will also require you to rest the injury and take a break from gymnastics. Ice therapy, sports massage and ultrasound treatment are often used for tennis elbow treatments. A corticosteroid injection to the elbow can offer long-term pain relief. If no improvements are noticed within a year, surgery will be needed.
Prevention
Strength training the muscles surrounding your elbow may reduce your risk of an elbow sprain on the vault. Strong muscles can help stabilize your joints, reducing the risk of twisting your arm. Completing physical therapy from a current injury and not performing gymnastics until you have your doctor's approval will also prevent the injury from reoccurring. Not much can be done to prevent an elbow strain on a vault. You can prevent tennis elbow by discussing proper vault techniques with your gymnastics coach. Wear a forearm strap during gymnastics.
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