Professional consultant／Hsu Chih-Chung, Physical Therapist Li-Kong Ortho Clinic, New Taipei City

Frequently asked question 1 :
Mother’s wrist (de Quervain's tenosynovitis)

“Mother’s wrist” isn’t only suffered by mothers. It’s not only caused by holding a baby or pet for a long time; repeatedly cutting vegetables, carrying plates, mixing, stapling documents together or typing can also cause the abductor pollicis longus muscle and extensor pollicis brevis muscle on the outside of the thumb to become inflamed or be slightly torn, affecting the left and right movement of the wrist, with the sufferer having no wrist strength and swelling; when the wrist radialis muscle tendons (Flexor carpi radialis) are seriously torn the sufferer will have difficult holding a pen or will tremble. When the symptoms are slight, first apply a hot pack to the wrist and, after doing stretching exercises, massage the wrist for five minutes, and then apply an ice pack for five minutes; if the pain is severe, apply an ice pack to prevent the inflammation worsening.
 

Stretching the abductor pollicis longus muscle and extensor pollicis brevis muscle Press the right upper arm firmly against the body with elbow bent and palm open, then tuck the thumb into the palm and then make a fist with the other four fingers wrapped around the thumb; then lightly turn the wrist towards the ground and maintain the position for 30-60 seconds, relax, then repeat 10-20 times. Stretching the abductor pollicis longus muscle and extensor pollicis brevis muscle

Frequently asked questions 2 : Tennis Elbow

Likewise, Tennis Elbow isn’t just the preserve of tennis players; people who regularly play badminton, table tennis and golf, or who often lift heavy objects or overuse their wrists are also high risk groups for tennis elbow.

Sufferers of tennis elbow feel pain when they lift things or straighten the wrist. The epicondyle on the outside of the elbow (the protruding bone) can also be painful due to inflammation and, when serious, the pain can spread to the upper arm, leaving the sufferer unable to straighten their elbow and they have a feeling of resistance when turning the wrist upwards. Daily stretching exercises can help prevent and ease slight pain but, if the symptoms are serious, deep massage and physical therapy are also recommended in addition to stretching.
 

Elbow stretching Elbow stretching Lift up the right arm so it is parallel to the floor with palm facing down and relaxed, then take hold of the outside of the fingers of the right hand with the left hand and lightly apply force until you feel a slight tightening of the wrist; keep the position for 30-60 seconds, relax, and then do same with other hand, doing 5-10 times for each hand.

Some badminton players suffer tennis elbow because the ways they strike the shuttlecock and exert power are wrong for a long period of time. This makes them unable to hit the shuttlecock with any force and even suffer unusually severe elbow pain after playing. When this happens, be sure to stop playing. If symptoms are light then a period of rest and wrist stretching exercise are sure to improve the situation.

The above content represents the author’s views alone and not those of this company.
( Edit by VICTOR Badminton )