What About Monkey Bars?
“Are monkey bars a concern for nursemaid's elbow?”
ANSWER- With spring here, this is a frequently asked question for some of the older kiddos as we head outside to the playground more and more!
Monkey bars are not usually a cause of an *initial* nursemaid's elbow, because a child is actively holding onto them. Nursemaids elbow occurs basically because of a quick pull on the lower arm when they’re not ready for it/contracting their muscles.
With nursemaid's elbow, repeat injuries are fairly common - so it’s not entirely impossible that using monkey bars *could* result in re-injury, but it’s certainly not super common. Because they’re active and muscles are contracting, which stabilizes and protects the main joint involved.
If you want to read my in depth blog post on nursemaid's elbow you can do so here. I also have a quick recap of nursemaids elbow and this reel that shows passive muscle activities vs. active muscle activities!
Hope this helps!
Want More?
For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.
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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.
