Wrist Splints? and how to prevent them

[ScottyG978]

Hello. A few months ago I threw a very sloppy back handspring when I wasn't yet warmed up. The result was stressfractures in each arm and extreme tenderness in the muscles of the forearms (just below the wrist, on the inside of my arm on the thumbs side). I've long since let the stress fractures healed, done PT the works. But whenever I tumble I've been getting this extreme tenderness in the forearms. It's only when I do back handsprings, and more specifically, Round off back handsprings. I thought this was just my muscles not used to it, but eventually it never went away with all the conditioning I did.

Eventually after talking to a coach at a local gym, he concluded that I had wrist splints. Apparently when I do round off back handsprings, I hyperextend my wrist cauing injury to the muscles in my forearms. It usually doesn't get painful, only tender to the touch, but if I continue for too long I can feel the soreness as I'm actually tumbling. But no pain. The coach said that it's safe to work with, just irritating, and that I should keep working with them with tape and icing after practices. Does anyone know for sure if this is what it might be? Should I tape it or look for wrist support (keep in mind I'm a male cheerleader so a wrist support may not be too viable when lifting girls up). The coach also said I should fix my back handsprings as to help eliminate the problem. They're not bad, I can do several in a row and do stuff out of them (tuck, layout, full), but just apparently the way I do it causes problems. I'm not sure how to word this, but are there drills as to land with your hands not so bent back? Any feedback is greatly appreciated =)

[Blairbob]

You could work a whipback instead, possibly.

[Razz]

Are your fingers pointing towards each other? If not, try it that way. Hands above head fingers pointing towards the other arm..arms shoulder width

[ScottyG978]

I've tried whip backs. I can do them (round off first, not standing) but have trouble doing stuff afterwards to add on to the tumbling pass. But I would prefer to keep the back handspring as in my opinion builds much more momentum than the whips.

As for the fingers pointing together, is that even a viable technique? I've never heard of someone intentionally doing that. From how I see it, it be difficult to do but I could be wrong. What I really wanna know most is if other people have this problem and it is just something that isn't too major like shin splints.

[Razz]

I always do fingers together, in my world that is the correct technique..fingers out makes your elbows bend or break in the worst case and fingers back is tough on wrists and could potentially break a few fingers..

[Marlon]

yes, fingers pointing together is a very viable technique, I've almost always been told to point my fingers inward during backhand springs by coaches. not directly towards each other, but in about the same position as if you were doing diamond pushups, with your thumbs and index fingers touching, but hands shoulder width apart of course. If what is, in fact, causing your pain is wrist hyperextension, then pointing your hands inward will probably make a huge difference, because you really can't hyperextend your wrist at that angle if you keep your arms at shoulder width.