Thumb Sprains in Volleyball Players

As mentioned in last week’s blog, there are a variety of injuries that can occur depending on where the injury site is. Every joint is stabilized by muscles, tendons, bones, fascia, and ligaments, however, out of the anatomy just mentioned ligaments are more susceptible to injury. More specifically, in this blog we are going to be discussing sprained ligaments within the thumb.

Finger and thumb injuries are likely to occur due to “wrong contact” from the ball during the game or practice.1 These mechanisms can happen at any time during the game but are more likely to occur on an attempt to block the ball.1 In the event that this happens, the ball either bends the thumb backwards or the ball makes a direct impact to the thumb “jamming” it into the joint.1 Once the injury occurs only a few symptoms become present such as swelling in the palm, severe pain, and limited movement within the joint.1,2 These symptoms demonstrate the severity of the ligament damage within the thumb joint therefore an x-ray may be needed to rule out any possible fracture that could have occurred alongside this injury.2,3

Consequently a doctor’s visit would be helpful to make sure no further damage has happened as well as getting the thumb immobilized by a splint so that the joint can rest, as well as be protected.2,3 Rest followed by rehabilitation for the joint is the best protocol to follow when dealing with a thumb sprain.1,2,3 Another treatment that would be helpful would be compression wraps as well as cold therapy to reduce the inflammation process and minimize the pain throughout the initial injury.2

In summary, thumb sprains can be hard to manage because volleyball players use their hands for everything, therefore initial rest is crucial to get the jump start on minimizing pain and swelling. If you take the correct primary steps following the injury, the athlete is less likely to re-injure that thumb and has a better chance at a quicker recovery.

References:

1. Volleyball. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2015.
2. Volleyball Thumb Injuries | BetterBraces.com Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2015.
3. Thumb Sprain. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2015.