Sports Injuries Of The Hand, Wrist & Elbow
We often take for granted how the upper limb, including fingers, hands, wrists and elbows play an integral role in our enjoyment of sport, whether it is holding a racquet, bowling an off-spinner or swimming laps.
However, fingers, hands, wrists and elbows are frequently injured during sporting activities. And injuries and upper limb conditions can either severely limit, or completely stop us from carrying on playing our favourite sport.
There are various causes of these upper limb sports injuries including
- acute & traumatic (eg strains, tears, direct trauma / impact, injuries to the bone, including fractures & dislocations);
- overuse & wear related
Common Sports Injuries
Common sports injuries to the fingers, hands, wrists & elbows include:
- Strains, tears or the complete rupture of ligaments of the fingers, thumb, wrist and elbow (eg. volar plate / jammed finger)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome and other nerve injuries
- Bone fractures or dislocations (eg broken wrists & fingers)
- Shoulder injuries (eg rotator cuff injuries & shoulder dislocations)
- Soft tissue injuries (eg tendonitis, tendinosis, tennis elbow and golfer's elbow)
- Closed tendon injuries (eg. mallet finger or baseball finger)
Other conditions that may affect your ability to play sports include:
- Arthritis
- Nerve compression conditions
- Joint instabilities
How are Finger Hand, Wrist and Elbow Sports Injuries Treated?
At Central Victorian Hand Therapy, we understand that even a small hand injury can considerably impact on your ability to participate in sports or leisure pursuits. Our goal is to help you overcome and recover from your sports injury to achieve the best possible outcome after any hand, wrist, or elbow condition affecting your ability to play sports.
Treatment plans and recovery time for sports injuries to the fingers, hands, wrists & elbows vary greatly and depend on a range of factors, including:
- the type of injury & severity
- how long ago the injury occurred
- your age & general health
We will undertake a comprehensive assessment of your injury or condition, and work with you to design the optimal treatment plan to allow you to achieve your rehabilitation goals.
Treatment of sports injuries to your hand could include:
- exercises to improve joint stiffness or build strength
- or a custom made orthosis to help support or repair damaged tissues
- education on how to rehabilitate the injury and how to prevent injury in the future
Book an appointment with our experienced Hand Therapists by either calling us on 03 54425288 or through our online booking system now
I Have An Upper Limb Sports Injury - What Should I Do?
If you have a sports related injury that is affecting your ability to continue to play sport or is hindering your ability to play sports at the level you wish to be able to, do not hesitate to contact Central Victorian Hand Therapy.
You can contact us directly via phone, email, or contact us via our online booking system.
Please note, patients who want to refer themselves are welcome to do so. You only need a referral if you are funded under Workcover, TAC, The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), or you are on a Management Plan such as the Enhanced Primary Care Plan from your doctor.
