Hi there! Art, here welcome to my Blog
What do I have for you today?
Wrist strain in tennis players.
What is the difference between a strain and a sprain?
Strains and sprains are considered soft tissue injuries affecting muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
A sprain is an injury to a ligament.
A strain is an injury to muscles or tendons.
How can this happen?
Both a sprain and strain can happen suddenly or slowly over a period of time.
Causes of a strain like in tennis are possibly due to repetitive movements.
Weak muscles in the forearm may cause more stress on the tendons of the wrist.
Another cause could be that tennis rackets and balls are larger and heavier than other racket sports.
What are the symptoms of a strained wrist?
- Swelling
- Pain
- Muscle spasm
- Loss of flexibility
Treatment
Most strains can be treated at home.
Here is the ATLPhysio plan of attack…
Follow the RICE protocol.
Rest. Stop any exercise for up to 2/3 weeks.
ICE. Apply ice on the wrist for 15/20 minutes every 3 hours for 5/7 days.
COMPRESSION. The use of a wrist splint at night and the use of sports tape during the day.
ELEVATION. Raise the injured area above chest height periodically during the day if possible.
Exercises
See my VLOG for the video of the exercises recommended by us!
We are going to make it amazingly simple for you when your wrist is feeling better start these exercises with your racket twice a day for 7 days.
No 1. Wrist extension exercise.
No 2. Wrist flexion exercise.
No 3. Wrist rolling left and right.
All exercises to be slowly without pain.
Aim for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Progression
Place a small weight to your racket head, not too heavy because of the length of lever.
The same exercises as before but they must be done for 2/3 weeks for the muscles to get stronger. Also, your racket is going to feel lighter giving you more control over your serves and rallies.
Good luck with your rehab!