Wrist pain can often affect individuals who love to swim. Even though swimming is considered as a low-impact activity, the repetitive movement can trigger various forms of sore overuse injuries including injuries to the wrist. Always bear in mind that fatigue and poor swimming form can further contribute to the wrist pain and other related injuries among swimmers.
Proper management such as adequate rest, strengthening exercises for the wrist and preventive measures can help alleviate any wrist injuries as well as minimize the impact of the injury on the performance.
Overuse wrist injuries
Overusing the wrist during prolonged workouts and training drills can lead to wrist pain and inflammation. The various forms of overuse injuries on the wrist include tendinitis, tenosynovitis, nerve injury, dislocation, tunnel syndromes and overuse stress fractures.
A common sports-related injury is wrist tendinitis which often manifests as aching wrist pain and tenderness that is aggravated by activity but subsides at rest. In case pain or other symptoms manifest, it is vital to undergo medical assessment from a sports medicine physician or an orthopedic surgeon.
Management for wrist pain
The treatment usually depends on the cause of the pain and severity of the injury. It is vital to make the necessary modifications on activities and seek guidance from a swimming coach to learn the proper form and minimize stress on the wrist joints.
The doctor often recommends rest away from water during the initial treatment to allow the inflammation to subside. Other treatment measures for wrist injuries include rest, application of ice, compression, anti-inflammatory drugs and elevation. In some cases, the doctor might recommend braces, splints, physical therapy or even surgery to repair serious cases.
Exercises for the wrist
Rigid wrists can cause the radius to come in contact with the wrist bones once the wrist extends while stroking, thus resulting to impingement and succeeding wrist pain.
The individual should stretch out the wrists regularly and perform strengthening exercises to increase the range of motion as well as buildup the muscle holding the wrists in their proper alignment.
How to prevent wrist injuries
The use of wrist guards, regular stretching and frequent breaks can prevent common wrist injuries while swimming. Other measures to reduce the risk for injury include observing the correct form as well as avoiding overtraining.
Minimize strain on the wrists by utilizing the sidestroke and other similar gliding strokes where primary propulsion comes from kicking instead of pulling. Since most injuries are relatively minor, conservative treatment often work well and most are able to resume after some time. In addition, do not allow the injury to go untreated since this can lead to a decline in the performance as well as possibly lead to surgery in the future.