Soccer is a sport with a high level of contact involved, as well as a lot of movement, stopping, and suddenly changing direction. This kind of physical movement and sudden change leads to a lot of falling over for even the best players, and most people will automatically extend a hand to save themselves when falling. As a result of this, the single most common wrist injury in soccer is a wrist fracture. There are several other hand, wrist, and finger injuries that also often occur. 

At Chattanooga Non-Surgical Orthopedics, we see a number of injuries sustained by soccer players which we effectively treat. Here are a few of the most common injuries seen, as well as their main symptoms.

Wrist sprains are a very common soccer injury. This type of wrist injury happens when the ligaments connecting the wrist bones and joints are stretched too far or are torn. In soccer players, this is usually as a result of a fall on an outstretched hand during a game. The symptoms of wrist sprains are all fairly obvious. They include swelling, bruising, pain, an inability to move the wrist, or weakness of grip. Wrist sprains can be minor or major, with different levels of pain and different recovery times. In most cases, all you will need to do is simply rest and ice a sprained wrist, which should allow it to heal and get you back on the field soon enough.

Wrist fractures are less common, but far more severe. There are two different types of fractures that may occur when you fall during a soccer game: Colles Fractures and Scaphoid Fractures. 

A Colles fracture. Is the type of fracture that happens when the radius bone in the wrist is broken. Scaphoid fractures happen when the scaphoid, a small bone located under the thumb, is broken.

TFCC Tears or tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex – the structure that connects your hand and forearm bones, providing structure to your wrist. When the complex’s ligaments, tendons, or cartilage are injured, such as by tearing, it can lead to pain and swelling, immobility, or loss of grip strength – much like a wrist sprain. In most cases, the wrist will heal on its own if you simply limit activity and rest it for a few weeks.

Dislocated joints often happen in addition to other injuries. When the ligaments in your wrist are damaged, this can also pull the bones in your hand and wrist out of their normal places. The symptoms of a dislocated wrist include pain, bruising, swelling, and numbness, particularly when you try to move the wrist.

Dislocations are fixed with a procedure known as reduction, where a doctor will move the bones back into place. Then, you can expect to wear a cast for a while so the ligaments can heal properly.

Finger injuries are less common than wrist injuries but more common with goalies. This is because they have to use their hands to block shots during the game. If the ball strikes a goalie’s fingers at an awkward angle, the blow can force the fingers in a direction that they do not normally move in, which can cause injuries of various types.

The symptoms of most finger injuries include pain, lack of finger mobility, swelling, and redness. Usually, rest, icing, and elevation are the main methods for healing a finger injury. A doctor may also recommend setting the finger so it can heal.

Are you suffering from a recent injury? Make an appointment with Chattanooga Non-Surgical Orthopedics today to start your healing journey. 423-499-0003.