Hand Therapy for Sports Injuries

Meet Michael

At just 25, Michael’s love for football has always been a big part of his life. During a weekend match, a hard tackle led to an unexpected injury—a fractured finger on his dominant hand.

Initially, Michael brushed it off as a minor sprain, but the pain, swelling, and inability to grip the ball properly told him something was wrong.

Concerned about missing games and his ability to work as a tradesman, Michael sort help from a hand therapist. The hand therapist to assisted in diagnosis of his fracture, conservative treatment and a planned return to ball sports and work

What Sporting Injuries to Hand Therapists Commonly Treat?

I specialise in diagnosing and treating a wide range of sports-related injuries affecting the hand, wrist, and forearm.

These include:

Finger Fractures and Dislocations: Common in ball sports like football, basketball, and netball.

Wrist Sprains and Ligament Tears: Often caused by falls or excessive impact in sports like gymnastics or skateboarding.

Tendon Injuries: Including flexor or extensor tendon damage from gripping, catching, or impact.

Mallet Finger and Jersey Finger: Specific injuries affecting the fingertip tendons, often seen in rugby, cricket, or basketball.

Scaphoid Fractures: A wrist fracture common in cycling, skateboarding, or snowboarding falls.

TFCC (Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex) Injuries: Common in racket sports, golf, and gymnastics due to wrist overuse or impact.

Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow: Repetitive strain injuries affecting the tendons near the elbow.

Hand therapists provide tailored treatment plans, including splinting, exercise programs, manual therapy, and sport-specific rehabilitation, to ensure athletes recover quickly and safely, returning to the activities they love.

When should you see a hand therapist following a sporting hand injury?

If you experience a hand, wrist, or arm injury during sport—such as a fracture, sprain, dislocation, or tendon strain—it’s important to seek treatment promptly.

Signs that you should see a hand therapist include:

Persistent pain, swelling, or bruising that does not improve after a day or two.
Difficulty gripping, holding, or using your hand or wrist normally.
Limited range of motion in the affected area.
Numbness, tingling, or unusual sensations that suggest nerve involvement.
Visible deformities, such as crooked fingers or swelling around a joint.
If you feel the joint may have been dislocated, even if it has been "put back in place" as often there is a fracture or ligament injury that may need management.

Early assessment and intervention by a hand therapist can prevent further damage, reduce recovery time, and improve long-term outcomes.

At The Upper Hand Clinic, we specialize in diagnosing and treating sporting injuries to help you recover quickly and safely, so you can get back to doing what you love.

How hand therapists can help with a sporting injury

Hand therapy is a key component in managing sporting injuries.

Early Diagnosis

The key to optimising outcomes is early diagnosis of significant pathology, A hand therapis is equipped with the appropriate knowledge of how to test structures that may be involved in each specific injury. From this the hand therapist may liaise with other medical specialists to undertake further imaging or investigation

Early Referral

After an accurate diagnosis is made it can be determined whether further surgical intervention is required.

At The Upper Hand Clinic, early referral can be organised to appropriate specialist medical or surgical providers to ensure optimum outcomes are achieve through timely intervention.

Customised supports or splints may be fabricated by your hand therapist to allow you to continue with activities or modify the way in which you perform them to limit strain on inflamed joints.

Exercises to improve mobility and strength

While rest/ immmobilisation may be important in the early stages of an injury, your hand therapist will provided a structured range of movement and when appropriate strengthening program.

Heat and cold therapy

Heat therapy can be used to relax the muscles and reduce stiffness in the tissues while cold therapy can help reduce inflammation and numb pain.

Your hand therapist will guide you when it is appropriate to use which modality.

Manual therapy

Manual therapy techniques, including soft tissue mobilization and gentle joint manipulation, can help improve circulation, reduce stiffness, and relieve pain.

Your hand therapist will use these techniques to promote healing in the surrounding tissues and help you regain function in your thumb.

Splints/ Supports an Guards

During your consultation a customised splint may be fabricated to immobilise fractured bones, protect sprained ligaments or joint dislocations.

Supports may be provided to facilitate return to sport and guards may be formed to protect against injury in future sporting endeavours.

Frequently asked questions about sporting injuries

What are the most common fractures in the upper limb caused by sport?

The Most Common Sporting Fractures in the Hand

Sporting activities place significant stress on the hands, making fractures a common injury.

The most frequent fractures treated by hand therapists include:

Finger Fractures: Often caused by direct impact, such as catching or deflecting a ball in football, basketball, or cricket.

Metacarpal Fractures: Also known as "boxer’s fractures," these occur in the bones of the hand and are common in sports involving punching, falls, or high-impact contact.

Scaphoid Fractures: A wrist fracture often caused by falls onto an outstretched hand, frequently seen in cycling, skateboarding, or snowboarding.

Thumb Fractures: Common in skiing, rugby, and contact sports where the thumb may get caught, pulled, or bent back.

Distal Radius Fractures: Fractures of the lower arm bone near the wrist, frequently resulting from falls in sports like gymnastics or skating.

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of these fractures are critical to prevent long-term complications and loss of function. Hand therapists play a key role in managing fractures, ensuring proper healing, and guiding athletes back to their sport with restored strength and mobility.

At The Upper Hand Clinic, we take a holistic and individualized approach to managing rheumatoid arthritis in the hand and upper limb. Our treatment focuses on reducing pain, improving function, and preventing joint deformities through tailored splinting, targeted exercises, and joint protection education.

What are the most common hand joints injured in sport?

Joint injuries in the hand are common in sport due to high-impact collisions, falls, and repetitive movements.

The most frequent joint injuries include:

Sprains: Ligament injuries are common in the fingers, thumb, and wrist, often resulting from overstretching or impact. Examples include thumb UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) sprains, also called Skier's Thumb.

Dislocations: Finger and thumb joints can dislocate when forced out of position, typically from catching a ball or breaking a fall.

Jammed Fingers: A compression injury causing swelling and pain at the finger joints, often from sudden impact.

Gamekeeper’s Thumb: A tear of the ligament at the base of the thumb, caused by forceful sideways movement, common in contact sports like rugby.

Wrist Hyperextension Injuries: Often occurring from falls onto an outstretched hand, leading to ligament sprains or joint instability.

Joint injuries can significantly impact hand function, strength, and stability. Early assessment and treatment from a hand therapist ensures proper healing and minimizes the risk of long-term damage. Through splinting, manual therapy, and tailored exercise programs, hand therapists help athletes recover and safely return to their sport.

When is it safe to return to sport following a hand fracture?

The timeline for returning to sport following a hand fracture depends on the severity of the fracture, the type of sport, and the individual's healing progress.

Generally, the process follows these stages:

Initial Healing (0–6 weeks):
- During this period, the fracture should be immobilized with a splint or cast, and the focus is on pain management, swelling reduction, and preventing further injury.
- High-impact sports or contact sports should be avoided during this phase to protect the healing bone.
Early Rehabilitation (6–8 weeks):
- Once the fracture has started to heal (usually around 6 weeks for most hand fractures),
- Gentle range-of-motion exercises and strengthening activities can be introduced. A hand therapist might work with the individual to restore function.
- Sports that require minimal hand involvement (e.g., cycling, swimming, or running) may be considered if cleared by the healthcare provider, but contact sports should still be avoided.
Late Rehabilitation (8–12 weeks):
- The individual may gradually progress to more advanced rehabilitation exercises focusing on strengthening and functional movement.
- By 8–12 weeks, if the fracture is healing well, the athlete may begin returning to sport-specific activities, though full participation is still usually restricted.
- A custom splint or protective gear may be recommended for certain activities to prevent re-injury.
Return to Full Sport (12–16 weeks):
- In most cases, full return to high-contact sports can occur around 12–16 weeks after the fracture, assuming that the fracture has healed, strength has been restored, and function is near normal.
- The return to sport must be gradual, with careful attention to protective measures (splints, padding) to minimize the risk of re-injury.

It's important that the athlete works closely with their therapist to determine when it is safe to return. Returning too early can risk re-fracturing the bone or developing complications, such as stiffness or weakness.

The specific timeline can vary based on the type of fracture (e.g., comminuted, displaced, or stable fractures), the type of sport, and individual healing progress. Always follow the guidance of the treating therapist