Wrist Problems in Golfers

Wrist Problems in Golfers

Golf has historically been viewed as a low impacted sport with a low injury rate. Despite the perceived safety of golf, golfers do injure their wrists. A study of 225 professional golfers showed a 34% incidence of wrist and hand injuries. Wrist injuries can occur not only in the average golfer but also in the high-level professional.

Golf induced wrist injury can be devastating as the hand and wrist are so integral to the game. The majority of golf induced overuse injury can successfully treated non-operatively. Some may require restriction from golf for an extended period of time of three to six months.

Wrist injuries can be either traumatic or overuse. Examples of traumatic injury are fall from a golf cart, direct impact to the wrists from hitting the hard ground or carpet and break a fall with the hands. Traumatic wrist injuries are usually caused by accidents and are hard to prevent. They include broken bones, dislocations, and sprains.

The majority of golf injuries are overuse injuries of the wrist flexor or extensor tendons. The left wrist in a right-handed golfer more likely to have an injury. Golfer with more flexible wrist joint is also more prone to injury. Excessive extension and abduction of the wrist joint increase the stress on the joint itself.

Tendinitis ( inflammation of the tendon ) is the most common injury around the wrist and hand in golfers. This overuse injury is caused by a tight grip of the club and repeated ulnar deviation during the golf swing. Most common symptoms of wrist tendonitis include pain in the front, side, back or deep inside the wrist joint. Pain can occurred after golf or during initial golf game which disappear and recur again after golf. Others symptoms are swelling, clicking noise, pain at night, morning pain or stiffness, weakness, stiffness and restriction of wrist movement.

The triangular fibrocartilage complex is a structure on the ulnar side ( outside ) of the wrist. With the increased motion of the wrist that occurs in golf swing, this structure of soft cartilage and ligaments is prone to tearing.

Golfers can break their hamate bone in the wrist. This uncommon bony injury of the wrist is fracture of the hook of the hamate. The fracture is result from a bad shot when the club strikes the hard ground or carpet and the force is transmitted to the bone. Diagnosis is usually made by physical examination and confirmed with x-rays. This injury is a source of chronic lateral side wrist pain in the golfer and is often diagnosed late or left undiagnosed.

Types of wrist injury in golfers:

• Wrist tendonitis.
• Wrist ligament sprain.
• Triangular fibrocartilage complex injury.
• Fracture hamate bone of the wrist.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Wrist joint osteoarthritis.
• Wrist dislocation and fracture.

Factors that increase the risk of wrist injury in golfers are:

• Lack of flexibility.
• Muscles weakness.
• Poor technique likes

# wrong grip ( too strong grip or over gripping )

# poor swing

• Too much too fast too quickly.
• Trauma like fall, hit tree root, carpet and hard ground.
• Wrong grip.
• Advancing age.
• Previous injury.
• Anatomic abnormalities.

Treatment for wrist injury in golfers :

• Short rest.
• Ice.
• Wrist splint or brace.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Avoidance physical or sports activities that cause pain.
• Injections.
• Physiotherapy.

Prevention of wrist injury in golfers :

• Taking it easy to avoid overuse injuries.
• Proper warming up and cool down.
• Improve your flexibility.
• Strengthening wrist muscles.
• Golf lessons.
• Use of proper equipment.
• Proper technique.