Scaphoid Fracture

by Tom
(Florida)

I suffered a golf related injury that wasn't mentioned in your list. I had a fracture of a bone in the hand called the scaphoid. The injury occurred when I took a large divot on a wet course. I guess the force coming back up through the shaft of the club was what did it. I was able to finish the round but it definitely was sore along the back of my hand.

As far as day to day life, it really didn't bother me that much except with heavy gripping. However, it was extremely painful if pushed on! I don't think mine was very severe because I didn't need any therapy other than rest. From what read about the injury, sometimes the fractures can be very slow to heal because that bone doesn't get a good supply of blood.

Other than this, I've never had any other major golf injury.

Response From Andy:

You are right, the scaphoid bone does not have a great blood supply so when it is injured, it does take a while to heal.

For mild cases, a wrist brace may help reduce the amount of force placed through the bone. Activity modification is also important, trying to avoid anything that will aggravate your condition, which could include golf.

Also, if the pain persists, there are some specific mobilizations that a PT could do to try to help reduce pain.

In the case of a fracture, plan on taking a break from golf for a while until it fully heals.

I actually had something very similar happen to me a few years ago through the same method of injury. It lasted for about a month, but it really didn't bother me unless I pushed immediately on the area or used a really strong grip.

If it happens to you, let it rest for a few days, ice and see what happens. If it doesn't get any better I would strongly advise getting an x-ray simply to rule out a fracture.