At Performance Edge Physiotherapy we treat a wide range of sporting injuries. Many people who play tagging and touch football sports such as Oztag, League Tag, Touch Football, Tag 20 and Tag Rugby sustain hand and finger injuries. Fingers can get injured when reaching for a tag or trying to touch a player in the unpredictable environment of the game. Finger injuries also commonly happen when colliding with a ball and can happen in other sports like Rugby, AFL, Basketball, Netball, Cricket, Volleyball, Baseball and Waterpolo.
Common sporting finger injuries include fractures, ligament tears and tendon tears. Did you know that there are 25 bones in each hand! Fingers and thumbs are so important in tag/touch sports and also in everyday life. It is important to see a physiotherapist about your hand injury early because some injuries can lead to longer-term damage if not managed properly early on. Conditions such as osteoarthritis are very common later in life in tag/touch players when the injury wasn’t managed correctly in the first place. This can cause a lot of grief and pain down the track and stop players from playing the game that
they love.
The more serious injuries to look out for are conditions such as jersey finger, mallet finger and complicated fractures. Jersey finger occurs when a player is gripping something, eg. a tag or jersey, and then the fingers are forced backwards. This causes the flexor tendon(s) in the hands to rupture from its attachment points on the fingertip. These injuries need to be managed by a Physiotherapist and surgeon ASAP as if left untreated can cause lots of complications. The common ligaments in the finger that get damaged in sports include the collateral ligaments and the volar plate which support each joint (knuckle) in your finger.
Mallet finger is another common injury in tagging and ball sports. These injuries commonly happen when the fingertip is struck by a ball. In tagging sports, these can also happen when reaching for a tag and hitting your finger on another player’s hip. A mallet finger is where the tendon that straightens the finger is torn. If left untreated you can lose the ability to straighten the tip of your finger. It is important to see a Physiotherapist who can make a splint for your finger. At performance Edge Physiotherapy we can assess your injury and make you a custom-made thermoplastic splint that fits you perfectly. Most often you will need to wear the splint and keep your finger straight for 6 weeks.
If you have a new or old hand or finger injury book an appointment today at Performance Edge Physiotherapy for a full assessment and treatment to ensure you can get back to playing the sports that you love.
