Lateral Epicondylitis: Tennis elbow in Badminton?

In badminton, when sport injuries occur, it occurs successively if you're unwise enough. "When it rains, it pours".Just as I am talking of getting fit for badminton and ankle injuries a while ago, here I am again ranting about another blunder I made.

I sustained a lateral epicondylitis or "tennis elbow" on my racket hand. It is an injury on the extensor muscles and tendons of the wrist that results from repetitive or overuse of this muscle. It is commonly seen among tennis players (who uses a wrong backhand grip or small racket grip size), but can also occur in any racket playing sports who uses wrist extensors repetitively. (For a detailed definition or description, management and prevention of this injury, read the Mayo Clinic article on Tennis Elbow) Badminton players for one, are definitely prone to this injury.

A wrong backhand clear grip plus an "under prepared" and overused wrist extensor muscles is the culprit in my case. I was so happy perfecting my past body, overhead backhand clear with a slightly altered (thumb resting on the angle of the grip rather than flat surface) backhand grip . I was also practicing a perfect cross court backhand smash with this grip. I know from the very start that this "unorthodox" grip was not the usual backhand grip taught by coaches on backhand clears. To be able to do this overhead backhand clear, you should have a sufficiently strong and warmed extensor muscles that could forcibly throw, hit the shuttlecock in front of your body and a good footwork so you can have a better stance executing the stroke. That because because Lin Dan (CHN) or Taufik Hidayat (INA)can do it perfectly, like in this picture, I can do it also.

Well TaufiK Hidayat can do this perfectly alright. But not me. I do know that superstars can get away with any unorthodox grip they invent so long as they can deliver a winning shot. This is not so in my case. At least not for now.
On grip and stroke analysis, I've been using this grip size for long now that I only had minimal wrist extensor pain before. But I'm definitely trying an unorthodox grip for a weak, wrist extensor muscle and a relatively new, unfamiliar stroke. Somehow, my slow footwork "pushed" me to use this grip to reach a shuttlecock past and up in my backhand corner, angling my racket a bit downwards (downward return) overextending my wrist extensors (contracting) and still absorb the energy from the shuttlecock! This is what sports medicine physicians call an "elbow leading" backhand stroke that demands so much power from your extensor muscles. The results, a hurting extensor mechanisms in my forearm!

So for at least two weeks, Id be off strenuous activity that will aggravate my "badminton elbow", on daily 5x 15min cold compress, until pain subsides, then will start on with wrist muscles strengthening exercise before going back to badminton. Also, I'd be using an elbow counter force band from now on, rest my wrist while typing or blogging, and moderate  my other wrist extension activities!

Knowing these, it is quite clear now, what needs to be done and corrected upon. Right grip, adequately stretched and strengthened wrist  extensor muscles, faster footwork and the right sized racket grip!

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