Defending Your Guard

Boxers face numerous risks when training and in the ring. But there’s one injury that rings truly rings bells of fear in the Mike Tysons and Alis among us – that’s right, an injured hand. Not only does damaging these tools mean you can’t box anymore, it is also the least glamourous of all the boxing injuries. And nothing seems like more of a cop-out than missing a fight because your hand hurts. This week, we are going to focus on how to make sure you guard is always up by showing you the best ways of looking after the most undervalued asset of any boxer – their hands.

The most common fracture in boxing is a break between the small bones in the palm of your hand, usually located between the ring and pinkie. This damage is usually the result of punching immovable objects. While the larger bones in the hand absorb blunt trauma well, the smaller, more fragile bones don’t. The sportsman will feel a sharp pain in the hand immediately after the punch before it becomes swollen, discoloured, and immobile.

Another injury we often see here at Mount Sinai is carpal bossing, identifiable by a massing at the back of the palm. Patients tend to report some discomfort depending on the repetitive strain put on your head prior to your injury. Interestingly, this injury seems to occur mostly in males above the age of 20 but under the age of 40.

To prevent these common hand issues, it is imperative that you take care of your hands. Having good equipment will ensure you minimize the risk of severely damaging an area or extremity. This applies mainly to good boxing gloves that appropriately fit your hand and quality wraps (and wrapping) that support your wrists and smaller bones. Finally, ensure you give your body enough rest between sessions and after bouts. You should ice the damaged area immediately and speak to your coach.

In some cases, it may be necessary to seek medical attention and ensure you get an X-Ray to confirm the diagnosis, and the sooner you get this done the better. If you have damaged a few smaller bones in the hand you can be saved with ice and rest and usually broken fingers that are immobilized will be allowed to heal. Most recovery takes between 6-10 weeks. Although you may experience slight loss in grip strength, the rate of recovery is excellent at around 85%.

In extremely rare cases your doctor will prescribe anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections, and in rare cases surgery.

If you believe you are suffering from one of the problems discussed in this piece and would like to speak to one of our physicians, please contact our switchboard at (212) 241-6321