David C. Rehak, MD:
… A gymnast’s wrist is inclined to injuries because many routines (1) place the body’s weight on the wrist while bending it backwards, and (2) often require fast, jolting movements to the wrists and hands. This results in injuries that are both acute, such as fractures, dislocations and sprains, and chronic (long-term).
Most acute gymnastic injuries are treated like any other sport injuries, however, two chronic injuries, dorsal wrist impingement and distal radial stress fractures, require specific treatment. …
The issue for coaches is whether or not to encourage athletes with chronic pain to use dorsal-wrist-block supports like Tiger Paws or the Ezy ProBrace.
Conventional wisdom is to delay using wrist bracing as long as possible. To take them off when possible. And to specifically strengthen the wrists to handle the impact.
Yet more and more coaches — including John Geddert — are encouraging girls to use wrist supports as part of required training equipment to prevent overuse pain.
Leave a comment if you have an opinion.
8 comments ↓
any good wrist strengthening examples?
One thing that I think that people fail to realize is that anytime that you bind up a joint, that load is going to be transferred elsewhere along the kinetic chain. In this situation, it has to be distributed more across the elbow and the shoulder. So, I try to avoid any type of bracing as long as possible for that fact. I believe that one should focus on wrist mobility/flexibility exercises as well as strengthening the forearm muscles to handle and absorb the loading as the first line of defense. When all else fails and the issue is chronic and persistent, then go to the bracing option.
Google “wrist strengthening” … or add the word Gymnastics.
Lots of wrist strengthening first, tiger paws later, and only when pain persists. I’ve had a few kids go completely off their tiger paws after I give them a wrist/forearm strengthening regimen. Some will always need it, especially at the highest levels.
When I was younger and still a gymnast myself, we always trained as much as possible without bracing. This is what I practice now as trainer too.
In my review article of last year, about chronic wrist pain in artistic gymnastics, I pointed out the need to studie the long therm effects of wearing bracing all the time (as a lot of gymnats tend to do). In my search I coundn’t find any conclusive results of wearing bracing as a preventive measure…even almost no studies about wrist bracing in gymnastics or sports whatsoever.
Do you have that review article posted online?
The article is not posted online and unfortunately written in Dutch. Maybe I can send you some relevant articles about the subject (pathology) of which you want more info? In my search I reviewed >2000 titles and abstracs and I used >150 articles to write my review (of 100p).
If you wish the article to be translated, let me know. I can certainly help you out with that.
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