Amanda Knapp
Breaking your wrist can be a painful and frustrating experience, especially if you're an avid basketball player. Returning to the court too soon can lead to further complications and a prolonged recovery process. So, what should you do after breaking your wrist? Firstly, it's important to seek medical advice and follow professional treatment plans, which may include the use of splints, casts, or physical therapy. During recovery, you can work on dribbling drills with your healthy hand to keep your skills sharp. Once you're ready to return to basketball, start slowly and consider protective taping to support your wrist. Remember, it's crucial to be patient and cautious to ensure a safe and full recovery.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Treatment | Splint or cast, physical therapy, and in complex cases, surgery |
| Recovery Time | Typically 6-8 weeks, but may be longer for scaphoid fractures |
| Rehabilitation | Work on dribbling drills with the healthy hand, protective splints or taping, and exercises with a hand therapist |
| Performance Impact | Overall efficiency following return to play appears to be decreased, but pre-injury performance may be predictive of increased productivity after recovery |
| Prevention | Practice proper technique with a coach, strengthen wrists, and avoid falling on outstretched hands |
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What You'll Learn
Recovery and rehabilitation
For the first few weeks, you should focus on regaining your range of motion and building strength. This can be done through gentle exercises and stretching, with a gradual progression to more intense activities. It is important to monitor your pain levels and not exceed a threshold of around 3/10 on a pain scale.
In more severe cases, surgery may be required to repair ligament tears or fractures. Rehabilitation can begin just a few days after surgery, with a custom orthosis fabricated to protect the wrist and allow for early digital range of motion. At this stage, unrestricted active and passive range-of-motion exercises can be initiated. Proximal strengthening of the shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist can begin around one week post-surgery, with hand strengthening and basketball-specific skills retraining introduced after two weeks.
For athletes, it is important to work with a qualified professional to devise a personalized rehabilitation protocol. This may include graded sport-specific exercises, such as dribbling, passing, catching, and shooting, with variations in ball size and weight. Protective splints or taping can be used initially, and gradually reduced as the wrist regains strength and function. Returning to basketball too early can cause further injury, so it is important to be cautious and only resume gameplay when you feel no pain at rest and can grip objects without discomfort.
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Returning to play
Recovery Time and Medical Clearance:
Fractures typically heal within 6 to 8 weeks, but it's important to consult your doctor to determine your specific recovery timeline. Scaphoid fractures, for example, often take longer to heal. Ensure you get medical clearance from your doctor before resuming any basketball activities.
Initial Return to Play:
When you first return to basketball, focus on drills and exercises that don't require intense wrist movement. For example, you can work on dribbling drills with your healthy hand to maintain your skills and fitness while giving your injured wrist more time to heal.
Protective Measures:
As you reintroduce activities, consider protective measures such as bracing, taping, or protective splints to support your wrist. These measures can help stabilize your wrist and prevent re-injury. Gradually wean off these protective measures as your wrist regains strength and mobility.
Pain Management and Range of Motion:
It's important to manage any pain and discomfort during your recovery. If you experience persistent pain or discomfort that lasts longer than a few weeks, consult a medical professional. Additionally, focus on regaining your range of motion. You can perform wrist extensor stretches to help with this process: extend your arm with your palm facing up, then use your other hand to gently pull your fingers down toward your elbow.
Gradual Progression:
Gradually increase the intensity of your basketball activities over time. Start with light drills and exercises, then slowly reintroduce more dynamic movements and eventually full practices and games. Be mindful of high-impact plays and potential contact with other players, as these can pose a risk for re-injury.
Prevent Future Injuries:
Work on strengthening your wrists and hands to prevent future injuries. Consult with a coach to ensure you're using proper technique, and consider establishing care with an orthopedic specialist who can provide guidance on injury prevention and treatment.
Remember, every recovery is unique, so listen to your body and adjust your return-to-play plan as needed in consultation with medical professionals.
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Orthopaedic specialists
When you first visit an orthopaedic specialist, they will typically start by taking your medical history and understanding your symptoms and needs. This helps them match you with the specialist best suited to treat your condition. Orthopaedic specialists may recommend nonsurgical treatments such as hand therapy, splinting, injections, medication management, rest, or activity modifications. These conservative treatments aim to relieve pain and restore function with the least invasive methods.
If nonsurgical treatments are ineffective or if your condition requires a more invasive approach, orthopaedic surgery may be recommended. Orthopaedic hand and wrist surgeons are highly trained experts in their field. They perform procedures to treat fractures, tendon repair, and the intricate network of tendons, muscles, bones, and ligaments in the hand and wrist.
After surgery, rehabilitation is crucial to help restore function and enhance your participation in sports and daily life. Orthopaedic specialists offer personalized rehabilitation programs that may include functional activity training, custom splinting, manual therapy, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and exercises to strengthen the affected area.
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Impact on performance
Wrist fractures can have a significant impact on basketball performance, and the recovery process can be challenging for athletes due to the importance of the wrist joint in playing the sport. The wrist is a highly mobile joint that enables various activities, including many of the fundamental movements in basketball, such as shooting, passing, rebounding, and playing defence.
Performance-wise, a study of NBA players who sustained wrist joint fractures found a significant decrease in win shares before their injury compared with after their return. The study also found that increased points per game and win shares before the injury were predictive of increased productivity after the players' return. This suggests that while wrist fractures can negatively affect performance, pre-injury performance levels may indicate a player's potential for a successful return.
The recovery process for a wrist fracture typically involves rest, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. During this period, athletes can focus on drills with their non-dominant hand to improve their overall game. Returning to play too early can be detrimental, as it may impact the full recovery of the wrist's range of motion. Bracing, taping, and protective splints can aid in stabilising the wrist upon an athlete's return to play.
The time needed to return to play after a wrist fracture can vary. Some players may miss a significant number of games, while others may return sooner, depending on factors such as the severity of the injury, access to care, and the specific bone fractured. Studies have reported a mean of 11.6 to 16.3 missed games for various hand and wrist fractures in the NBA.
Overall, wrist fractures can have a noticeable impact on basketball performance, and the recovery process requires time and dedication. While a decrease in performance after returning to play is possible, pre-injury performance levels can be indicative of a player's potential for a successful comeback.
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Preventing wrist injuries
Wrist injuries are common in basketball due to the shooting, dribbling, catching, and rebounding that puts the hands at risk. The most common wrist injury is a sprain, which occurs when the ligament is overstretched, resulting in micro-tears that cause inflammation, pain, and limited range of motion. More severe injuries, like fractures or broken bones, can also occur due to blunt force trauma when catching a ball improperly or breaking a fall.
Practice Proper Technique
Learn and practice the correct form and technique for playing basketball. This includes the proper technique for shooting, dribbling, catching, and rebounding. Bad technique is often the cause of injuries, so it's important to work with a coach to ensure you are using the right form.
Strength Training
Engage in strength training to improve muscle strength, endurance, body composition, bone density, and flexibility. Strength training also helps to strengthen tendons and ligaments in the wrists and hands, making them more resilient and less prone to injury.
Warm-up and Stretching
Always warm up and stretch before playing basketball or any other sport. A proper warm-up routine helps to improve blood flow, loosen muscles, and prepare the body for the demands of the sport, reducing the risk of injury.
Protective Equipment
Consider wearing recommended protective equipment, such as wrist guards, to provide extra support and protection for your wrists during play. This is especially important if you have previously suffered a wrist injury.
See a Specialist
If you experience any pain, swelling, or stiffness in your wrists or hands, don't ignore it. See an orthopedic specialist to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. They can also provide advice on injury prevention and help you establish a care plan to keep you safe during play.
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Frequently asked questions
If you suspect that your wrist is broken, you should consult a medical professional as soon as possible. They may recommend that you treat the injury using the PRICE method: Protect, Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate.
Fractures typically heal in 6-8 weeks. However, scaphoid fractures often take longer to heal. Your doctor will be able to advise you on your expected recovery time.
You should only resume physical activity when your doctor advises it is safe to do so. You may need to wear a protective splint or taping when you first return to playing basketball. To regain your previous skill level, you may need to re-learn certain techniques, such as shooting.
Wrist injuries are common in basketball due to shooting, dribbling, catching, and rebounding. To prevent wrist injuries, you should practice proper technique with a coach.
