Wrist pain help

[kr580]

I've been getting some pretty bad pain on the back of my wrist. I was curious if anyone has experienced this and maybe had some ideas to help my wrist out a bit.

I never had pain when I was doing just stick time once a week but now since I've been playing pickups twice a week (plus stick time) in the last month or two my wrist is starting to kill. It's the back of my right wrist (top hand on stick, LH shot) and it's fine if my wrist is straight but when I bend it back or forward there's some decent pain. I don't think I injured it, it seems just highly irritated from all the wrist movements.

Has anyone experienced this before? What did you do to alleviate the pain short of pain killers and taking time off hockey?

Thanks - Kevin

Click to read more...

 

[blueberrydanish]

Well before starting hockey I had bad wrists from falling on em alot when I was younger(skateboarded). So I have wrist pains come in and out especially if I do an odd snap with my wrists that kinda KINKS it during the motion I guess is a good way of explaining it. Itll be sore maybe for few days at most...cant say I ever didnt play because of it though, more one of those things Ive grown use to.

Also had a pretty bad few days when I slammed my wrist on the corner of a table and literally could not put any pressure on it without immense pain...couldnt bend backwards/forewards at all. This lasted a few days without really going away so I started to worry but just kept icing it. Within a couple days it started to feel much better and I was able to play my game with no ill effects(prob 3-4 days after the incident).

If you just got it from shooting its just more sore than anything serious Id ASSUME. Obviously if you can't put much pressure on it without having a good amount of pain then just ice it and rest it. Doesn't go away in a few days or pain doesnt start to subside then go in to one of those edumicated doctors n what nots.

 

[Jarick]

There's a few possibilities, and I've dealt with all three:

Stick is too stiff

My first composite was a very stiff 87 flex (I'm 5'8 175 and use a 65 flex now), so when I would shoot, I would put all this force into the shot, but instead of loading the stick, the force went into the weakest link, which was my wrists. Also causes tennis elbow.

Stick is too long or lie is too high

When I first started, I didn't cut the stick down, so I had to bend my top wrist to get the blade to lay flat on the ice. That actually caused me to develop a ganglion cyst (which was creepy and nasty). But when the wrist is bent, again force will transfer into the weakest link. You want those wrists locked when shooting. FWIW, the huge lump went completely away when I cut my stick 2".

Wrist was sprained and needs to heal

Unfortunately, sprains often don't fully recover, or at least are prone to re-injury. I get them from time to time on my top hand because I badly sprained my wrists as a teen. The only way to heal is RICE (rest, ice, compress, elevate). I will ice the wrist a couple times a day, take some Advil to reduce swelling and inflammation, and wear a compression wrap on it for a week or two. I got a great one at Target for about $15 that has a thick foam reinforcement so it is easier to put on than the old ACE bandage and it's sturdier too.

 

[BadHammy*]

If you're playing now more than you were than before, it's nothing to worry about really. It's simply a result of increased activity level and is because the wrist is made up of several dozen ligaments and tendons/tendon sheaths. The top hand only bothering you is because you're keeping that hand bent and those ligaments are being stretched. Just use ice and Aleve or Tylenol. Feel free to tape up your wrist before you play too.

 

[toddmanley]

I've experienced the same thing over the past couple of weeks. I'm going to play tonight with a soft neoprene brace; it's flexible and does provide some measure of support like a tape job.

 

[Ducksgo*]

Had this same issue when I first started. The muscles in my wrists never had this much pressure put on them before, so as a result I would receive some bad aching pains for a few hours before they went away. Eventually now that I play three times a week, the pain is gone. It's all about your wrists getting use to the activitity as the OP mentioned. Nothing to worry about

 

[kr580]

Alright, thanks guys. I'll give it awhile to go away on it's own.