Tkd joint pain

[gerardfoy50]

My kid started tkd in April and now has trouble walking due to hip pain all tests are clear, she’s 11 and they docs say it’s tkd making growing pain worse, I’m not expecting cures but has anyone heard of this before, I did tkd for years and know older guys had joint issues but never heard of kids experiencing this.

 

[skribs]

I've had a few students with joint pains, but it's hard to tell how much of it is from TKD and how much is from other things (other activities, genetics, etc.).

Every form of exercise is going to have its drawbacks, and in most cases the benefits outweigh them.

 

[gerardfoy50]

I've had a few students with joint pains, but it's hard to tell how much of it is from TKD and how much is from other things (other activities, genetics, etc.).

Every form of exercise is going to have its drawbacks, and in most cases the benefits outweigh them.

Yeah it’s hard to knoW doc got her to show a few kicks and said it’s a lot of hip involved so made a connection.

 

[skribs]

The go-to advice when someone asks medical questions like this is "talk to your doctor". At least you're already doing that.

Any martial art is going to strain your hips, because that's where power comes from. One idea might be to have her take a break and see if that helps.

If it does help, then you can bring her back and see if it comes back, and/or try a lighter load. For example, instead of kicking at 100%, maybe kick at 80%. Or 20%. It's possible that with a recovery period she'll be back on the mat without any issues. It's also possible that she'll recover, and then going back will bring the pain back.

If it doesn't help, then it means either she has a longer-lasting injury from TKD, or the pain is unrelated to TKD. I would get her back to the doctor; maybe even a different one if they can't find anything wrong. It would also be worth considering whether to do TKD if it's going to continue to be uncomfortable to do so, if it's not the source of the pain. (Obviously, if it gets worse, then stop).

It can be tough trying to find the right balance. Some things it's worth pushing through. Others it's not.

 

[WaterGal]

At that age, her body is growing and changing a lot, so it might just be related to that. But, it could also be a sports injury.

Is her pain more like muscle soreness or sciatica type pain, or is it more like sharp pain in the joint? If it's the former, it might just be that she's overdoing it a bit, asking her body to do more/different movements than it's used to. Things like hot packs, stretching, using a foam roller, etc may help. If it's the latter, I'd be more concerned. Personally, I have had to have surgery due to torn cartilage in my hip. Apparently it's something that can occasionally happen with martial arts, dance, soccer, anything where you're making a lot of big kicks, though it's not common. After the initial injury, any time I was physically active, I would feel clicking in my joint and afterward I would feel like someone was stabbing me with an ice pick all the way from the front iliac crest to the back, through the joint. If that sounds like what she's dealing with, IMO push for an MRI if she hasn't gotten one already.

 

[tkdroamer]

My kid started tkd in April and now has trouble walking due to hip pain all tests are clear, she’s 11 and they docs say it’s tkd making growing pain worse, I’m not expecting cures but has anyone heard of this before, I did tkd for years and know older guys had joint issues but never heard of kids experiencing this.

What is her activity level background and her physical makeup (over/underweight, couch potato, active, etc...)? I ask since anyone, kids included, can jump into something too hard and too fast. Especially if they are not physically inclined (an active kid). Very few people are accustomed to the stretching involved in things like TKD, gymnastics, or dance.
Since you have already had her checked out by a physician, talk to the instructor and let them know what is going on. Ask that she reduce her level of effort for a time and see if the pain subsides. Some people just have to ease into it slower than others and this is totally normal.
Usually, there is a learning period about 'discomfort' and actual 'pain' for both student and parent.
I hope she gets better.

 

[Dirty Dog]

My kid started tkd in April and now has trouble walking due to hip pain all tests are clear, she’s 11 and they docs say it’s tkd making growing pain worse, I’m not expecting cures but has anyone heard of this before, I did tkd for years and know older guys had joint issues but never heard of kids experiencing this.

I've had any number of students around her age with similar issues, and as it happens I also have some small understanding of human physiology (40+ years as an ER/Flight nurse and an MS in Human Physiology). It is, as your Dr says, quite likely a combination of "growing pains" and TKD training. Not much can be done about the first, really.

The way martial arts teach movement is, at least in theory, optimized. But that assumes "normal" anatomy is universal (it isn't) and that the production tolerances for human anatomy are as tightly controlled as the finest mechanical devices (it isn't). So tiny, otherwise unremarkable, variations in anatomy can cause these "optimized" movements to be anything but, especially given the added force and extended range of motion MA students strive for.

So how do you fix it? Technique. The instructor needs to work with the student to find what it is in the various movements that is causing the pain, and work with them to modify those movements for their unique physiology. Once those modifications are identified, they need to work with the student to ingrain them into muscle memory.

In short, if it hurts, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

 

[gerardfoy50]

What is her activity level background and her physical makeup (over/underweight, couch potato, active, etc...)? I ask since anyone, kids included, can jump into something too hard and too fast. Especially if they are not physically inclined (an active kid). Very few people are accustomed to the stretching involved in things like TKD, gymnastics, or dance.
Since you have already had her checked out by a physician, talk to the instructor and let them know what is going on. Ask that she reduce her level of effort for a time and see if the pain subsides. Some people just have to ease into it slower than others and this is totally normal.
Usually, there is a learning period about 'discomfort' and actual 'pain' for both student and parent.
I hope she gets better.

Hey she 11 but 5,7 and 50 kg, pretty thin makeup, always been active, judo since 4 and always running around outside, but before starting tkd she was stiff, couldn’t touch anywhere near her toes,

 

[gerardfoy50]

I've had any number of students around her age with similar issues, and as it happens I also have some small understanding of human physiology (40+ years as an ER/Flight nurse and an MS in Human Physiology). It is, as your Dr says, quite likely a combination of "growing pains" and TKD training. Not much can be done about the first, really.

The way martial arts teach movement is, at least in theory, optimized. But that assumes "normal" anatomy is universal (it isn't) and that the production tolerances for human anatomy are as tightly controlled as the finest mechanical devices (it isn't). So tiny, otherwise unremarkable, variations in anatomy can cause these "optimized" movements to be anything but, especially given the added force and extended range of motion MA students strive for.

So how do you fix it? Technique. The instructor needs to work with the student to find what it is in the various movements that is causing the pain, and work with them to modify those movements for their unique physiology. Once those modifications are identified, they need to work with the student to ingrain them into muscle memory.

In short, if it hurts, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

Pain in both hips, even when immobile but much worse when mobile, she fell in love with tkd right away and got into hard, 3 times a week and had to get a punch bag in the house for days off, mybye to hard to fast

 

[Dirty Dog]

Pain in both hips, even when immobile but much worse when mobile, she fell in love with tkd right away and got into hard, 3 times a week and had to get a punch bag in the house for days off, mybye to hard to fast

Certainly seems likely. At this point, it's going to require hands-on work to find the needed tweaks.

 

[tkdroamer]

Hey she 11 but 5,7 and 50 kg, pretty thin makeup, always been active, judo since 4 and always running around outside, but before starting tkd she was stiff, couldn’t touch anywhere near her toes,

I would also suspect some of it is engrained motion from years of Judo that will have to be 'trained out'. I have lots of kids come over from dance/ballet (next door) and they usually struggle with the different stretches and kicks for a while.