According to a review of the injuries occurring in the US Open Tennis Championships between 1994 and 2009, roughly 24 injuries per 1,000 matches took place for each player. Wrist injuries came out to be the second most common type out of them.
Even among non-pro players, it’s common to walk away with wrist pain after a long day of playing tennis. But, have you ever wondered why that is? And, what can you do about it? This article answers these questions in detail, so keep reading.
Why Is Tennis So Stressful for Your Wrists?
Over the years, the sport of tennis has only become more competitive. The serves have gotten faster, and the rackets are getting heavier and heavier — especially the equipment meant for professionals. While it may all seem marginal, it adds up over thousands of serves and smashes every day.
But, tennis has always been brutal on the players’ wrists. Even if you do everything right, just the intensity of the sport and the volume of your practice could hurt the wrists. But, here are a few common mistakes that can make matters worse.
Improper Grip
Wrist pain risks can increase from the very moment you pick your racket up. An improper grip — such as holding it too lightly or loosely while playing — can also cause severe pain.
Inflammation
If you’re a tennis enthusiast, you’d often play more than you originally planned to. If you overdo the volume of your playtime consistently, this can lead to wrist pain as well. During tennis, the elbows and wrist are subjected to motions that can cause muscular damage, causing microtears in the tissue. This leads to inflammation and will result in wrist pain until you let your body recover.
Improper Technique
Aside from the grip, the player’s technique can also play a role in determining injury risks. For instance, the angle of your elbow when you serve the ball can make an injury more or less likely. Similarly, if you repeat improper wrist motion over and over again, you’d most likely end up with wrist pain at the end of the day.
Not Using Wrist Wraps
So much as using the wrong or unsuitable tennis gear can expose your wrist to damage. Not wearing wrist wraps, for instance, is a mistake that directly leads to heightened risks of injury.
Balance Problems
No matter how hard you try, you will take your fair share of tumbles and falls as a tennis player. However, you can avoid many of them by working on your balance, correcting your stance, and moving with the right technique. Taking too many falls can also heighten wrist injury risks because we mostly use our hands to break the fall, exposing the wrists to excessive strain.
Here’s What You Can Do About It
Avoiding the mistakes listed above should save you from many wrist injuries, but not all. If you’re currently dealing with some annoying post-match wrist pain, here are a few treatment options to consider.
Pain-relieving Medication
Painkillers won’t technically ‘treat’ your wrist injury, but can weather the storm until any real treatment can help. Any over-the-counter medication (e.g. ibuprofen) should do the trick. With that said, you’ll have to treat the underlying cause, which brings us to these next few solutions.
Anti-inflammatory Medication
If you’re experiencing wrist pain following a heavy day of tennis practice, chances are that it’s caused by inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medication, as the name suggests, can directly counter this and help reduce symptoms like swelling and pain. You will also need to adjust your training intensity and/or volume to avoid inflammatory wrist pain in the future.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can directly address the root cause behind your wrist pain. A therapist can assess the issue through restrictions in your movement or by looking at an x-ray report, and then guide you through specialized movements to enhance your ROM (range of motion) and build muscle strength.
Depending on your goals, they can set the pace of your recovery process and support your injured and weak areas to prevent any further harm. A physical therapist specializing in tennis-related wrist injuries can sometimes even help correct problematic inconsistencies in your technique to prevent further injury.
You can also try some simple mobility exercises on your own, such as gripping a bath towel or rolling your wrists.
Supportive Devices
To avoid putting further stress on your already-injured wrist, consider using supportive devices. These include a glove or a wrist brace that can offer ample wrist support and restrict unnecessary movement in the joint.
Rest
You may have heard the saying that rest is the best medicine. It’s especially true in the case of joint injuries like wrist pain from playing tennis. Alongside medication and treatment, your body needs lots of time for recovery and healing — and that’s only possible with sufficient rest.
While you’re on meds and taking physical therapy, remember to follow all guidelines suggested by your therapist and use your wrist as little as possible during recovery. Avoid all movements that can potentially worsen the inflammation in your wrist.
Conclusion
While most tennis players will experience wrist pain at some point, the frequency and severity of such injuries can be managed by avoiding some common pitfalls. You can also accelerate the recovery process by addressing the cause of your wrist pain instead of only numbing the pain with painkillers. In this article, we’ve shed light on the causes and treatments of tennis-related wrist injuries. We hope you found the information useful and can get back inside the tennis court ASAP. Get well soon!
