[Badminton Physio] Injury Prevention in racket sports: Part 3/4 - Wrist and Shoulder Injuries

By Jackie Lu @badminton_physio

Welcome to Part 3 of our blog series on badminton injury prevention! In this blog, we'll focus on some of the common wrist and shoulder injuries we see in badminton athletes.

Wrist

The wrist is important to position and transfer power from the body to the shuttle. It is not where the power is generated.

Common wrist injuries include wrist muscle strain and tendon inflammation (tenosynovitis). Most wrist injuries are caused by incorrect grip of the racket and technique.

When it comes to the wrist everyone often thinks of using flexion and extension (see image on the left below). However doing this can cause wrist pain and decreased power. Instead, it is the supination and pronation (see the right hand side image below) movements of the wrist that helps transfer and generate force into the shuttle. By learning to strengthen and incorporate more pronation and supination it can help you increase your power, speed, and control.

Wrist strengthening exercises

Shoulder

The shoulder is a massive part of injuries in any sport, especially badminton. We often hear people telling us that their shoulder clicks, cracks, or has sharp pain after a smash. Below are some common conditions we see and the symptoms that come along with them.

Common conditions and symptoms

Acromioclavicular impingement. You feel: pinching feeling in the tip of the shoulder.

Rotator cuff strain/dysfunction. You feel: deeper shoulder pain that can cause a mild ache in the shoulder and towards the shoulder blades.

Forward translation of the humerous. You feel: Pain in the front of the shoulder during a smash or full-court clear.

Shoulder strengthening exercises

Half kneeling rotator cuff internal rotations: 3 sets of 15

• For rotator cuff stability and humeral head positioning

Dumbbell overhead press: 3 sets of 8

• For shoulder strength and stability

ATYT/ Bent-over Row: 3 sets of 15

• For midback and rear shoulder strength

• Balances out the forward force of badminton

If you have any questions about badminton injuries and skills, give us a shout!