 Working out is great for your health — but if you’re not careful, it can lead to painful wrist and hand injuries. At our hand therapy clinic, we often see gym-goers dealing with strain and overuse injuries that impact their workouts and daily function. It is common for gym goers to push their bodies and experience some delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and it can be hard to distinguish 'good pain' from 'bad pain' Common Gym-Related Wrist and Hand Injuries |
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Other interventions your GP may recommend:
Please get in touch if you would like a customised management plan for your arthritis.
Many thanks to handyevidence.com for the informative research updates and inspiration
- Medications to manage the joint inflammation and pain,
- Injections of steroids into the affected joint
- Refer you to a hand surgeon
Please get in touch if you would like a customised management plan for your arthritis.
Many thanks to handyevidence.com for the informative research updates and inspiration
One of the most common questions I hear in the clinic is: “Is it a fracture or just a break?” And my answer is always the same: It’s both!
Despite what TV dramas or internet myths might say, the words fracture and break mean exactly the same thing. Both refer to a disruption in the continuity of a bone. Whether it’s a small crack, a clean snap, or a bone in multiple pieces — it’s still classified as a fracture (or a break). The terms are used interchangeably by doctors, therapists, and radiologists.
So why the confusion? Often, “break” sounds more dramatic, while “fracture” sounds more medical. But rest assured, if you’ve been told you have a fracture in your hand, finger, or wrist — you do have a broken bone.
Understanding this can be helpful when discussing your injury and planning your recovery. At your hand therapy appointment, we’ll assess the type of fracture, its location, and how it's healing. Some fractures are stable and heal well with splinting and protection. Others may need surgery, and we work closely with hand surgeons and your GP to ensure the best care.
Once healing has started, therapy focuses on restoring range of motion, strength, and function. Scar management, swelling control, and graded return to activity are all part of the process.
If you've been told you have a fracture — don't panic, but don’t ignore it either. Early intervention and a clear treatment plan are essential to avoid long-term stiffness, pain, or weakness.
So remember: whether they call it a break or a fracture, your bone just needs the right support — and that’s exactly what hand therapy is here for.
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HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE A FRACTURE?
Common signs of a broken bone are:
- bruising,
- swelling, pain,
- loss of motion and
- tenderness to touch.
However, as AMAZING as we are, your doctor or hand therapist does not have XRAY vision! It is impossible to know if a fracture is present without doing an Xray, or CT or MRI scan.
Occasionally your fracture may not appear on an initial Xray for a variety of reasons, so if your symptoms persist please follow up again with your health professional for further assessment
FRACTURE TREATMENT OF THE UPPER LIMB
The seriousness of any broken bone and the way your health professional decides to manage it is determined by several factors:
- the type of fracture you have,
- whether it is in a good position and
- whether it is likely to move position
Options for protecting and keeping your fracture still include:
- slings
- off the shelf splints
- custom thermoplastic splints
- plaster or fibreglass casting
- buddy tape
- displaced fractures may require manipulation of the bone position
- unstable fractures may require surgery to hold the broken segments in place with wires, screws or plates.
The length of immobilisation will depend on the bone involved (legs tend to take roughly double the time of arm bones), as well as the type of fracture and the age of the patient.
Children tend to heal faster, whilst scaphoid fractures (a bone in your hand) can take an especially long time to heal if the bone’s blood flow is affected. Most upperlimb (arm) fractures will be protected / immobilised for about 6 weeks.
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SO WHAT’S MY ADVISE IF YOU SUSPECT A FRACTURE?
- Get an Xray - we do not have superpowers
- take all finger, hand and wrist fractures seriously & see a professional who is familiar with managing these injuries such as a hand therapist
- remember even if your Xray is negative, that only excludes a bone injury.
Many soft tissues such as ligaments and tendons can be damaged during trauma. They also require expert care to ensure a full and timely recovery. Your hand therapist can help you achieve the fastest recovery and can frequently diagnose your soft tissue injury without further imaging being required.
Looking forward to helping you in your recovery
What is 'Gymnasts wrist'?
Gymnasts wrist is irritation and inflammation of the growth plate at the end of the forearm bone where it connects to the wrist. In children the bones grow from areas called growth plates which are made of softer and more vulnerable cartilage than mature bone.
What causes gymnast's wrist?
Gymnasts wrist is essentially an overuse injury that occurs in up to 40% of young gymnasts. It is most likely to occur during an intense period of activity such as when a gymnast moves to a higher competitive level.
High impact activities like tumbling and vaulting put an especially large amount of compressive force on the growth plate of the wrist.
High impact activities like tumbling and vaulting put an especially large amount of compressive force on the growth plate of the wrist.
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Does it cause long term problems?
If not treated properly, gymnasts wrist can cause the growth plate of the affected bone (radius) to close sooner than it should.
When this happens and the other forearm bone continues to grow you can end up with an asymmetry of the forearm bones and long term chronic wrist pain.
When this happens and the other forearm bone continues to grow you can end up with an asymmetry of the forearm bones and long term chronic wrist pain.
Common symptoms of Gymnasts wrist
Common symptoms include pain with impact activities as well as local stiffness and swelling.
Xrays can confirm diagnosis by showing widening of the growth plate.
Common symptoms include pain with impact activities as well as local stiffness and swelling.
Xrays can confirm diagnosis by showing widening of the growth plate.
What should I do to manage my wrist pain?
It is best managed by a short period of rest from impact activities as well as regular icing. Pushing through the pain will only make the injury worse and sometimes a wrist brace can be helpful to aid rest..
Once the inflammation has settled impact activities should be added back in slowly and gradually as guided by your symptoms and your hand therapist. They may also recommend taping or use of tiger paw (TM) wrist supports to limit impact and hyperextension.
Exercises to strengthen your forearm and upper body can help the body's ability to absorb impact whilst tumbling and prevent reinjury.
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Can't I just push through it?
As an athlete you are no doubt used to your muscles hurting sometimes from training. But is is really important to note that you shouldn't train with pain in your wrist.
Unlike muscle soreness after exercise, pain in a gymnasts wrist is a sign of stress and overuse and it requires rest and professional management. Your hand therapist may need to work with your coach to ensure you getting your training levels just right as you resume activity.
If you or someone you know may have gymnast's wrist- be sure to get it checked properly out.
DeQuervain's tenosynovitis
DeQuervains' is a common cause of wrist and thumb pain in the community. Traditionally you may have heard about it occurring in new mothers due to the sudden change in demands associated with caring for young children. But it can affect people of any age, who is involved in repetitive wrist and thumb movements through work, DIY, new hobbies, sports, or even moving house.
So what is Dequervain's anyway?
Inflammation of the tendons that lift your thumb out and away from the hand occurs when there is a sudden increase in use. Once the tendons are swollen, they rub on the undersurface of the anchor strap around your wrist when you move your wrist and thumb causing the inflammation to be maintained or aggravated.
This could be due to COVID lockdown knitting, a deadline at work or simply breastfeeding your new baby.
What treatments can help DeQuervain's?
The good news is the it can be managed without surgery in the majority of cases. Management typically involves:
1) avoiding aggravation through ergonomic changes,
2) resting the inflamed tendons with splinting
3) restoring flexibility and strength with exercises to ensure the issue does not recur
4) soft tissue massage
5) icing/ oral anti-inflammatory medications can also be helpful
The good news is the it can be managed without surgery in the majority of cases. Management typically involves:
1) avoiding aggravation through ergonomic changes,
2) resting the inflamed tendons with splinting
3) restoring flexibility and strength with exercises to ensure the issue does not recur
4) soft tissue massage
5) icing/ oral anti-inflammatory medications can also be helpful
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What exactly does a cortisone injection (CSI) do?
Cortisone injections use a needle to deliver anti-inflammatory medication directly to the swollen tendon (inside its sheath) to reduce swelling. This is commonly done under the guidance of an ultrasound scan.
In more chronic cases the injection will also help to break down adhesive scar tissue which causes stiffness. However many people notice the 'effects wearing off' after about 6-8 weeks as the medication gets broken down in your body.
Cortisone injections use a needle to deliver anti-inflammatory medication directly to the swollen tendon (inside its sheath) to reduce swelling. This is commonly done under the guidance of an ultrasound scan.
In more chronic cases the injection will also help to break down adhesive scar tissue which causes stiffness. However many people notice the 'effects wearing off' after about 6-8 weeks as the medication gets broken down in your body.
So which treatment should you try first?
Studies are ongoing and certainly indicate an improvement through either splinting or cortisone injection. So you can make a good argument for choosing either as an initial management strategy.
Physiotherapists can refer for ultrasound scans, however we cannot give you a referral for the CSI so you would need to discuss this choice with your GP or specialist if you wanted to explore the injection option.
I do see many patients commencing hand therapy after having had only temporary relief following a cortisone injection. The majority of these cases can still be helped without needing to resort to surgery.
Physiotherapists can refer for ultrasound scans, however we cannot give you a referral for the CSI so you would need to discuss this choice with your GP or specialist if you wanted to explore the injection option.
I do see many patients commencing hand therapy after having had only temporary relief following a cortisone injection. The majority of these cases can still be helped without needing to resort to surgery.
So what do I recommend to my patients?
There are many factors to be considered including the client's level of patience, tolerance to wearing splints and attitude to injections. Some people are very comfortable with injections and others would prefer less invasive management.
Certainly being educated by your local hand therapist to ensure that you address the underlying cause of the inflammation so that the problem does not recur is a good idea no matter which management path you decide to start with.
Author
Kate Crump- Physio,
Accredited Hand Therapist, as awarded by the AHTA
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