Hitting arm wrist pain - come back after 10 yrs

[Deleted member 756272]

Hi tennis fans - I've recently developed some wrist pain on the back of my hand on my hitting arm (eastern one handed backhand, sw forehand). If I hold my hand out with the palm facing down, apply downward pressure and try to resist, I feel pain across the index to pinkie fingers on the back of my hand, near the wrist (below the wrist, closer to the fingers).

The pain first started when I over-reached for a low backhand volley and now it also hurts on the backhand slice. Normal topspin backhand and forehands are fine. I acknowledge that there were several mistakes on the volley - leading with the wrist instead of elbow, head dropped lower than handle, wrist not locked...

Has anyone else come across this type of wrist pain before and what you did to heal?

I'm 4 months back after a decade break (been powerlifting and crossfitting in the interim). Also, switched rackets from nCode 6.1 90 to the 2014 Pro Staff 95, which is -20 swingweight (330 --> 308), an ounce lighter (12.4 --> 11.6) and head heavier (-3 pts HL, 9HL --> 6 HL). Could the racket change be the issue? I've never had this problem in middle to high school playing at 5.0+ level and spending 3+ hrs a day on court with the n90. Coming back, I used the n90 for the first 2 months without pain and been having issues using the lighter, larger racket (the 2014 PS 95) during the last 2 months. Can't tell if this pain was developing over 4 months and finally manifested with the lighter racket, or if the racket is the issue.

Been reduced to one tennis session a week and try to avoid reaching for shots on the backhand side. It takes about 3-4 days for the pain to subside with NSAIDs and ice. I tried resting for 3 weeks and it immediately started hurting after a slice. Going to try a couple of different rackets with higher swingweight and see if that helps.

Also planning to see an ortho to see if there's damage. I'm wondering if this is just normal growing pains and caused by trying to hit like I'm still in high school when I'm older now and very much out of practice. Have I jumped into the deep end too fast and need my forearms and muscles to develop more? Anyone else have issues coming back to tennis after an extended time off?

Appreciate the tips and advice! Thank you!

 

[Nacho]

Yup, I have dealt with this issue.....Also have had golfers and tennis elbow as a result.

Have tried a bunch of things to cope with it and deal with the pain, written about many on here.

To sum up:
-I have had to play around with racquets to find one that doesn't kill my arm or wrist. I have been through 4 different ones, but have landed on the Wilson Ultra (CV 100) as the most arm friendly for me. Doesn't mean it will be for you, but it has taken some experimenting to get there (I with through Babolat, Technifibre, and Blade). I think the racquet makes a big difference
-String: no poly's, I used Natural Gut for awhile to initially help, and now I am comfortable using synthetic gut as an alternative.
-For a few years I was sleeping with a Carpal Tunnel Brace, this helps to ease pain on the elbow and wrist, helped a ton
-Myo Fascia release massages on a monthly basis helped, and I have had a bunch of massage work on my shoulders and back as they are all connected
-I have become a big believer in Stretching, but it is difficult to explain what I do on here. I spend about 30-45 minutes every couple of days stretching, and spend a lot of warm up time stretching. I use bands to do this, and hold stretches for minutes at a time
-One stretch that made a big difference was holding a weightlifting bar at my neck, with my elbows bent in front. This really helps to stretch your arms and wrists, I can't believe what a difference this made
-I invested in a fitness trainer and Chiropractor

Again, none of that stuff is cheap, but it doesn't break the bank and the time investment has paid off and kept me of IR.

 

[Deleted member 756272]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience!! Dang... so this is the new normal eh?

Any tips on testing new rackets? How long do you hit with them? Is 2-3 session enough? Do you swap back and forth within a session? Any particular features or racket attributes I should focus on?

I thought I had gotten the most flexible, head light racket I could find. They're strung with 17g Gosen OGSM at 45-50 lbs (pretty soft and low tension so I think I can rule out the string). Going to try my old PS 6.0 original 95s, back to the n90 and the 2014 PS 90. See if any of those help.

And good call on the stretching and physio. Going to have to commit to more of that into my routine. The last time I hit, my wrist started hurting, so I immediately started stretching on the subway ride home and it seemed to hurt less the day after, and I could, at the very least, move my wrist with pain. Before, I couldn't bend it at all. Also started immediately icing as soon as I got home.

Also, any recommendations on a carpal tunnel brace? I already ran into a 10 best list on Google, so it seems like there are a TON out there.

 

[IowaGuy]

They're strung with 17g Gosen OGSM at 45-50 lbs (pretty soft and low tension so I think I can rule out the string).

Your racket is fairly stiff. If I were you, I would try a different string to see if that helps.

Gosen 17 still fairly stiff at 163 lb/in, according to TW. Compare to many nat guts, which are <100.

I have switched to full bed nat gut to protect my wrist and elbow (ProStaff 97s). I would rather pay $20 more per stringjob than not be able to play at all (I have sensitive elbow). Plus nat gut plays better than synthetic, IMHO.

Might be worth trying. YMMV.

 

[Deleted member 756272]

Tennis has changed a lot... Used to string Gosen OGSM 16g at 65 lbs in HS and wouldn't dare go below 60!

For the Natural Gut, I'm worried about durability (* Cost = $$$$). I've only had the luxury of playing with Natural Gut once, first string job on a brand new n90. Lasted a handful of hours, but was amazing. The 17g Gosens last about 5-7 hours. I'm looking to test some multis. Have you had any experience?

Thanks for pointing out the 163 lb/in metric. I didn't know that TWU had this: http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/stringstiffnesstool.php

Will be going down that list ranked by descending stiffness.

 

[IowaGuy]

I'm looking to test some multis. Have you had any experience?

I have tried full bed Head Velocity 17g. Pretty good playability for a multi and very economical string (low cost and lasts long time). There's a long discussion on it somewhere in the forum archives.

 

[Deleted member 756272]

I have tried full bed Head Velocity 17g. Pretty good playability for a multi and very economical string (low cost and lasts long time). There's a long discussion on it somewhere in the forum archives.

Are you referring to Mikeler's 25+ string review?! ;-)

Going to try most of the ones that are <$10.

 

[IowaGuy]

Are you referring to Mikeler's 25+ string review?! ;-)

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/head-velocity.586942/

 

[Nacho]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience!! Dang... so this is the new normal eh?

Any tips on testing new rackets? How long do you hit with them? Is 2-3 session enough? Do you swap back and forth within a session? Any particular features or racket attributes I should focus on?

I thought I had gotten the most flexible, head light racket I could find. They're strung with 17g Gosen OGSM at 45-50 lbs (pretty soft and low tension so I think I can rule out the string). Going to try my old PS 6.0 original 95s, back to the n90 and the 2014 PS 90. See if any of those help.

And good call on the stretching and physio. Going to have to commit to more of that into my routine. The last time I hit, my wrist started hurting, so I immediately started stretching on the subway ride home and it seemed to hurt less the day after, and I could, at the very least, move my wrist with pain. Before, I couldn't bend it at all. Also started immediately icing as soon as I got home.

Also, any recommendations on a carpal tunnel brace? I already ran into a 10 best list on Google, so it seems like there are a TON out there.

I think everyone is a little different with racquets, so its hard to say what will work for you; take my guidance with a grain of salt

-I have found that heavy (11oz+), but head light racquets are better for my arm. Weighted head racquets such as the Blade stress my elbow too much.
-I like to buy a racquet, string it the way I would normally and play with it for a few weeks. Trying demos doesn't always help as they are strung with cheap strings, and your limited on how long you can use them. A good pro shop or club will let you use a racquet for a few weeks and string it yourself, if you are committed to buying a racquet from them.
-I like Gosen strings, and Gamma Strings. Yes, 17g works for me fine, I can get 4-5 matches out of them before they bust. But, some guys plow through 17g string. In one case I know of it has more to do with the racquet then any sort of power/spin combo. The racquet is old and the grommets are in bad shape. This is a string killer....Ashway has a crossfire hybrid string I like as well. I like Pacific's Natural gut strings, but Babolat's are solid as well if you feel you need to stick with Natural for awhile
-Wrist mobility, I am telling you you have to do some wrist mobility exercises. If your wrist and elbow are hurting your range of motion in those areas I bet is hinged. look up smashwerx on Instagram, he has some great exercises for wrist, elbow and shoulder mobility on there. But I think if you hold a barbell in front of your face, with your elbow bent back, you'll see some improvements. Have the barbell pull your hands to your shoulders as you stand there, try and do it for 2 minutes. you won't be able to at first, and it will hurt. But after trying it you'll start to feel and see improvement.
-Again, for Carpel tunnel, invest in a Thuraband, and do some of those exercises, well worth the investment. For the brace I like the futuro brace, most drug stores have it:

https://www.cvs.com/shop/futuro-energizing-wrist-support-right-hand-prodid-1660047?skuId=482571

 

[Deleted member 756272]

-Wrist mobility, I am telling you you have to do some wrist mobility exercises. If your wrist and elbow are hurting your range of motion in those areas I bet is hinged. look up smashwerx on Instagram, he has some great exercises for wrist, elbow and shoulder mobility on there. But I think if you hold a barbell in front of your face, with your elbow bent back, you'll see some improvements. Have the barbell pull your hands to your shoulders as you stand there, try and do it for 2 minutes. you won't be able to at first, and it will hurt. But after trying it you'll start to feel and see improvement.

That sounds like the position between the clean and jerk. I usually have to hold the bar with my finger tips after the clean and readjust my hand position to jerk so definitely sounds like some mobility issues.

Also been doing the isolated wrist flexes and twists with 10lb dumbbells, where I rest my forearm on a bench, hold a small dumbbell and do the wrist exercises. Will continue searching for more.

On the strings front, I have a variety of multifilaments coming in to test
Velocity, Live Wire, PPC, technifibre multifeel, isospeed classic control, Wilson sensation control and the fxp. Hopefully one of these work

Ortho is in a week, so will wait for an Rx before buying a brace so I can expense it to my tax friendly health account.

Thanks so much for the advice @Nacho @IowaGuy !!! Hopefully something will allow me to get back on the courts soon.

 

[Nacho]

That sounds like the position between the clean and jerk. I usually have to hold the bar with my finger tips after the clean and readjust my hand position to jerk so definitely sounds like some mobility issues.

Also been doing the isolated wrist flexes and twists with 10lb dumbbells, where I rest my forearm on a bench, hold a small dumbbell and do the wrist exercises. Will continue searching for more.

On the strings front, I have a variety of multifilaments coming in to test
Velocity, Live Wire, PPC, technifibre multifeel, isospeed classic control, Wilson sensation control and the fxp. Hopefully one of these work

Ortho is in a week, so will wait for an Rx before buying a brace so I can expense it to my tax friendly health account.

Thanks so much for the advice @Nacho @IowaGuy !!! Hopefully something will allow me to get back on the courts soon.

Yes, the twists are good for strength, use a 5lb, hold out with your arm and twist left to right, 4 x15.....8lb if it feels better. And a Theraband really works: https://www.amazon.com/TheraBand-Re...UTF8&qid=1515611333&sr=8-6&keywords=theraband

 

[Deleted member 756272]

Thanks for the pointers guys. Dr says I have a strained wrist, no visual damage from x-rays. Wearing a brace for 4 weeks.

Also gonna incorporate those wrist exercises at the gym and the theraband. Testing out multifilaments

Funny thing is, when I switched to a heavier racket during my last hitting session before the Dr appointment, I had less wrist pain and could hit slices and volleys. Less pain even the day after! Surprising!

 

[Crocodile]

Thanks for the pointers guys. Dr says I have a strained wrist, no visual damage from x-rays. Wearing a brace for 4 weeks.

Also gonna incorporate those wrist exercises at the gym and the theraband. Testing out multifilaments

Funny thing is, when I switched to a heavier racket during my last hitting session before the Dr appointment, I had less wrist pain and could hit slices and volleys. Less pain even the day after! Surprising!

Yes, heavier racquet as long as it's moderately headlight will be better for your wrist. Soft multi filament strings and larger grips help.

 

[spun_out]

Thanks for the pointers guys. Dr says I have a strained wrist, no visual damage from x-rays. Wearing a brace for 4 weeks.

Also gonna incorporate those wrist exercises at the gym and the theraband. Testing out multifilaments

Funny thing is, when I switched to a heavier racket during my last hitting session before the Dr appointment, I had less wrist pain and could hit slices and volleys. Less pain even the day after! Surprising!

Was this an acute injury? Is the pain constant, throbbing? I would find a new doctor or at least go see a PT. I mean, no damage he/she can see but wear a brace for 4 weeks? That's a long time to immobilize a joint. It's safe a doctor to say though.

Once, my knee got so bad (I initially hurt it serving too much one day) that I went to a doctor (after a month or two of trying to play through the pain and compensation making the other knee hurt too). I was sure by then (I never go to the doctor) that I had something serious. He took an x-ray, checked for meniscus tear, and after both were negative, told me to get a serve lesson. And after I started foam rolling and stretching out the various parts of the leg, the injury got better (and I did keep playing with pain as he suggested).

I'm not saying you should play through the pain. Just saying that doctors prescribe different treatments for similar conditions. Of course, if you are young, I would rest. You got a long life ahead of you.

 

[Deleted member 756272]

Was this an acute injury? Is the pain constant, throbbing? I would find a new doctor or at least go see a PT. I mean, no damage he/she can see but wear a brace for 4 weeks? That's a long time to immobilize a joint. It's safe a doctor to say though.

Once, my knee got so bad (I initially hurt it serving too much one day) that I went to a doctor (after a month or two of trying to play through the pain and compensation making the other knee hurt too). I was sure by then (I never go to the doctor) that I had something serious. He took an x-ray, checked for meniscus tear, and after both were negative, told me to get a serve lesson. And after I started foam rolling and stretching out the various parts of the leg, the injury got better (and I did keep playing with pain as he suggested).

I'm not saying you should play through the pain. Just saying that doctors prescribe different treatments for similar conditions. Of course, if you are young, I would rest. You got a long life ahead of you.

Agreed, I've been doing more mobility and stabilizing wrist exercise. If the last ten years of weightlifting and crossfitting has taught me anything, its that all problems originate from poor form leading to compensation and the solution always seems to be mobility. Fixed my squat, deadlift, bench, cleans, snatches, running, ...

I didn't hear a pop or had one really bad shot that caused it. It started on a bh volley that got progressively worse over the next 3-4 hitting sessions to the point where I had to use a 2hbh volley and stop slicing. The brace helps me sleep b/c I used to wake up in the middle of the night with a dull throbbing pain. That freaked me out, but xrays showed nothing was torn or damaged.

Its probably caused by the come back. I was playing like a junior ripping balls with poor form b/c its been a decade! My brain wants to play like how I used to, but my body just isn't the same and had forgotten the basics. Back to basics, incorporating warmup, post-stretching and mobility. All things I never did as a kid.

The lighter racket also enabled me to be super wristy. There were some forehands where my stroke path ended with the racket head pointing at the ground on finish (think almost 360 degree rotation starting from the racket drop to follow thru or like a windshield wiper that spins in a circle). Same thing with the backhand - the follow thru sometimes ended up with the buttcap pointing above the player across from me. I have no idea how my body did that, but heavier rackets prevent me from whipping that hard.

 

[toby55555]

Unlikely to go wrong with a Pro Kennex Ki5 320 or Q plus 5 310 and any multifilament string. Lots of folk have got rid of arm issues with these models. Avoid their Tour model though.

 

[spun_out]

Unlikely to go wrong with a Pro Kennex Ki5 320 or Q plus 5 310 and any multifilament string. Lots of folk have got rid of arm issues with these models. Avoid their Tour model though.

You understand that if your issue is gripping the racquet too tight, then the flexibility of the racquet or the string used doesn't matter too much.

 

[toby55555]

You understand that if your issue is gripping the racquet too tight, then the flexibility of the racquet or the string used doesn't matter too much.

Indeed, our team coach has us rallying with a three finger grip, a death grip is not necessary for power if you use the kinetic chain correctly.