I Have Wrist Pain When I Play Tennis and My Wrist Feels Numb

Wrist pain and numbness when you play tennis can show up during gripping, swinging, or hitting because repeated wrist motion can strain the tendons and irritate nearby nerves.

When your wrist hurts and feels numb during tennis, the combination can be especially noticeable when you grip the racket tightly, hit repeatedly, or keep playing after the wrist has started to feel tired. The tendons that move your wrist and fingers work repeatedly during tennis, and the repeated gripping and swinging can leave the area strained. Numbness is different from ordinary soreness, though, because it can also point to irritation involving a nerve around the wrist or hand.

Repeated wrist activity can cause the area to become irritated or swollen, leaving less comfortable room for normal movement around the tendons and nearby nerves. That can make gripping and swinging harder on the wrist as a tennis session continues. If the numbness is new, persistent, getting worse, or accompanied by weakness or loss of coordination, it is important to have the wrist assessed rather than assuming it is simply overuse.

Repeated Racket Gripping Keeps Stressing Your Wrist

Repeated gripping can keep the wrist working hard through every swing.

When you hold the racket and repeatedly adjust your grip during tennis, the wrist and finger tendons stay active through a large number of movements. If those tissues become irritated or fatigued, wrist pain can become more noticeable when you continue hitting. The repeated hand and wrist activity can also increase pressure around nearby nerves, which may contribute to tingling or numbness.

The Numbness Becomes More Noticeable As You Keep Playing

Fatigue can make wrist symptoms more noticeable later in a tennis session.

As you keep gripping, swinging, and hitting, the muscles and tendons controlling the wrist and hand can become tired and less comfortable with repeated use. That fatigue can change how easily you move the wrist and may make existing irritation more noticeable with each additional swing. If numbness increases as you continue playing instead of settling quickly, stopping the activity and getting the symptom evaluated is appropriate.

Why Your Wrist Pain And Numbness Keep Returning

Your wrist has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.

Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.

When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your wrist feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.

When nerves are involved, however, numbness deserves particular attention. Persistent numbness, increasing tingling, weakness in your hand, or difficulty gripping the racket should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional because these symptoms can have causes that require more than simple activity modification.

What Can Help Your Wrist Feel Better

Your wrist starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.

Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.

Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.

If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.

If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

Why does my wrist hurt and feel numb when I play tennis?

Repeated gripping and wrist movement can strain the wrist while also irritating or putting pressure around a nearby nerve, which can contribute to pain and numbness.

Can playing tennis cause wrist numbness?

Yes. Repeated gripping and wrist motion can contribute to nerve irritation, especially when symptoms become more noticeable during continued play.

Why does my wrist numbness get worse during tennis?

Continued gripping and swinging can increase fatigue and irritation around the wrist, making numbness or tingling more noticeable as you keep playing.

Should I keep playing tennis if my wrist feels numb?

You should stop if numbness is increasing or accompanied by weakness, loss of coordination, or significant pain, and have the symptoms evaluated.

When should I have wrist pain and numbness checked?

Persistent, worsening, or recurring numbness, especially with weakness or difficulty gripping, should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.

The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.