Swimming Competitively

[AusMummy]

I have seen others ask about getting back into competitive swimming. My daughter will have her op in 2 weeks. Does anyone know how long before she can get back into water, even to do her own light swimming and how long before she can commence squad training again? Will she be able to swim competively and do tumbles and dives?

her surgeon has said there will be some loss of movement with fly and breast, but I don't know if this means she won't be able to do them.

She is having an anterior construct fromm T11-L3 and then a posterior thoracic fusion

[Snoopy]

Hi and Welcome!

I can't answer all your questions, but I'll answer what I can. My daughter was in the pool doing water thereapy at about 3 months. I don't remember when she was allowed to start light swimming. Jamie was not allowed to jump or dive into the pool for a full year.

Your daughter should be able to continue competing competitively after her surgery. Jamie has a very long fusion, T3-L2, and she never swam competitively until after her surgery. Because of her long fusion, she was unable to do flip turns properly. She can't do the butterfly at all. I'm not sure what position your daughter takes when on the starting block, but Jamie can't bend over and grab the edge of the starting block which puts her a little higher above the water than everyone else.

You'll be surprised at how much she can still do after surgery. Good luck.

Mary Lou

[Jennybear]

I haven't gotten back in the water yet but I can at three months. Just light swimming though. I can't dive until the 1 year mark though but I've heard of people who could do the splits after this operation so I'm sure your daughter will be able to swim and do whatever strokes she wants after she heals and can work on her flexibility. It's different for every person but to get back to the way you were before is possible it just takes time.

[emma12]

I just posted a similar response on a different section, but, here goes. My daughter was fused T2-T11 almost 1 year ago. At 3 months, she was released to light swimming (she had swam competitively in past), no flip turns or diving though. At 6 months, she was released to do everything she wanted in water. She did not want to do the summer swim team this year, too many other things going on, but is anxiously awaiting the fall swim team once school starts. This summer, she's been practicing flip turns and diving, and has had no problems with either.

It has taken awhile to rebuild her stamina, she wasn't quite up to the hard conditioning that started last Feb (about her 6 month mark), but now seems totally back to normal.

[sparklegirl59]

well, i hope all goes well...:) i'll be praying for her. :)

[laurieg6]

My son was allowed back in the water at about 6 weeks post-op but when he went into a pool that soon after surgery, he really didn't feel comfortable. It wasn't until he was about 3 months postop that he started to enjoy being in the water again. He could do crawl and backstroke right away but it took a few more months until he was comfortable with the breast stroke. Side stroke took a few more months and he's never felt like doing the butterfly since the surgery. Since his fusion goes into his lumbar spine, I don't think that butterfly stroke or flip turns are fully possible for him. Maybe it will be different with your daughter because she swims competitively and has probably been doing butterfly and flip turns already. My son was never great at butterfly and just swam for fun and exercise prior to his surgery. I don't think he ever learned how to do flip turns.

Good luck with everything and I hope your daughter's surgery goes really well.

[swimbum]

I had my surgery on Febuary 26, 2008 and at about 5 months my doctor cleared me to get in the pool and do breastroke and kicking. No butterfly, freestyle, backstroke, or flip turns. And no diving. At 6 months i can do everything in the pool. I think I can dive as well...Im fused t4-l1 and i have very litte problems doing anything. flip turns are a piece of cake. but the only thing i do notice is that im just a little stiff doin butterfly and breast. But i think thats just because ive been out of the water soo long :). Hope all goes well for you!

-Austin

[Mom37]

Check with your doctor. My daughter is 14 and just started back on the swim team this month. She is 1 year post op. She had a high curve, and high incision, so she is able to have more flexiblilty than others. She started back swimming, leisure only at less than 6 months, around 3 months, after incision healed. She didn't start trying flip turns until now, No problems, and hasn't done diving, or butterfly. Butterfly was never her event, so not worried about it. She was given full clearance to do swim team, and she doesn't do high diving. I have posted and seen other posts where people asked in the past on this forum about swimming competitively. It realy depends on the individual and your doctor's advice. Best wishes.

[txmarinemom]

... This summer, she's been practicing flip turns and diving, and has had no problems with either. ...

Emma12, I just wanted to comment that one big difference in you daughter and some of the others above is the fact her fusion stops at T11. T2 is certainly a high starting point, but doesn't have nearly the effect on flexibility a fusion down below L1 does.

Mine is T4-L1, and my flexibility/mobility was affected exactly to the extent my surgeon predicted ... really not at all (okay, so I'll probably never be able to do a backbend again ... and I'll probably live ;-). Very little bending is done through the thoracic area (even in an unfused spine) because of the ribcage, and consequently, the ramifications of a fusion in this area are minimal.

That's not to say someone who IS fused into the lumbar won't be able to compensate for any loss of mobility, it's just a little more tough, and like MaryLou wrote, I've seen several people say the butterfly stroke is particularly hard after lumbar fusion. I'll be the first to say, some of my lower fused sisters have surprised me with what they can do after surgery! You just never know until it's you or your kid ...

Regards,
Pam

[pat]

My daughter was fused four years ago to L3; she swims and has for the last two years for her high school; she does flipturns, dives. She's got great times. Didn't like the butterfly before, still doesn't. So, she doesn't do IM's or butterfly. Your daughter will be swimming before you know it.
p

[emma12]

Pam,

Yes, I certainly realize that lower fusions can cause more limited mobility, I was simply giving my two cents worth of when my daughter was given the ok to resume swimming...some of my other posts elsewhere have shown my concerns about lower fusions, as she may be faced with that, we are still trying to decide which is the better option for her future spine health.

I didn't mention the butterfly, she was never really able to do it well, it took alot out of her to get her arms and shoulders moving like they do for that stroke, perhaps her high curve caused those issues?? Anyway, I believe she is now going to use her surgery as an excuse to get out of doing it in practices, she never liked it!!!

Ausmum-hope your daughter's surgery went well, and that she is on the road to recovery by now.

[Mom37]

Pam,

Yes, I certainly realize that lower fusions can cause more limited mobility, I was simply giving my two cents worth of when my daughter was given the ok to resume swimming...some of my other posts elsewhere have shown my concerns about lower fusions, as she may be faced with that, we are still trying to decide which is the better option for her future spine health.

I didn't mention the butterfly, she was never really able to do it well, it took alot out of her to get her arms and shoulders moving like they do for that stroke, perhaps her high curve caused those issues?? Anyway, I believe she is now going to use her surgery as an excuse to get out of doing it in practices, she never liked it!!!

Ausmum-hope your daughter's surgery went well, and that she is on the road to recovery by now.

That is what we wondered, that maybe the high curve was the reason she didn't do well with the butterfly. Well take care and best wishes.