Sore hands are a common occurrence when boxing. Boxers will often complain of their hands feeling sore and painful after boxing rounds or training sessions.
This article aims to provide information on the causes of sore hands and the treatment options available to relieve pain.
Causes of Sore Hands in Boxing
If you are finding that your hands are sore after boxing, the most likely cause of this is using insufficient hand protection.
Many boxers do not like using hand protection such as boxing gloves and hand wraps, but if you want to avoid hurting your hands or wrists, do yourself a favor and get some.
Sore hands can also be caused by poor wrist and hand conditioning. If you want to box at a high level it is important to build up your wrists and hands. You can do this by practicing punches on sand or punch bags which are designed to condition the wrist.
The cause of sore hands is usually due to repetitive striking with the hand. This can be caused by using poor technique or wearing inadequate protection (i.e using bare hands or using poor boxing gloves).
The most common injuries associated with sore hands are soft tissue damage and swelling to the hand, and possible fractures and dislocations.
Possible hand injuries include:
- Laceration (cut to the skin)
- Fracture (broken bone)
- Hands swelling up (oedema or hematoma)
- Tendonitis (inflammation or irritation of the tendons)
- Arthritis (inflammation of the joints)
Treatment Of Sore Hands From Boxing:
Take some rest to heal
Sore hands from boxing should be rested until the pain has gone. This will allow the damaged soft tissue to heal and the joints and bones to recover. Resting sore hands can include:
- Taking a break from boxing
- Decreasing or stopping boxing training activities that cause the most pain
Apply ice to the affected area
A common treatment for sore hands is to apply ice to the affected area. This is to help reduce inflammation and ease pain in the hand. Ice can be applied in various ways, including:
- Placing ice cubes into a zip lock bag
- Putting crushed ice or ice cubes into a plastic bottle and placing it at the sore location
- Freezing an ice pack in your freezer, take it out when needed, and then hold it over the affected area (this can be a commercial ice pack or one you make yourself using zip lock bags and water)
- Using a cooling glove or wrap which is cold when frozen
Soak your hands in cool water
Soaking hands in cool water can help reduce pain and swelling. This is commonly done at the end of a training session or competition. To soak your hands, simply soak your hands into cool or cold water for around a few minutes.
Get professional help
It is always advisable to seek medical advice if you think you may have a serious injury. Sore hands should not be ignored and continued boxing training should NOT take place until after the pain has subsided.
If you feel that the pain is too severe to box, then DO NOT train boxing or go into competition with sore hands.
How to prevent sore hands when boxing?
Boxers at all levels should be wearing hand wraps when boxing as this will protect the bones and joints of the hands from damage.
Quality boxing gloves should be used which provide adequate protection and cushioning.
Cheap boxing gloves will not protect your hands from injury and allow you to feel more pain when you punch. Therefore these types of gloves should be avoided.
Boxing is a high-impact sport that can put your hands at risk for injury. It is important that you handle sore hands properly to reduce pain and avoid long-term damage. Don’t ignore sore hands, take the necessary steps to relieve and prevent them from happening again.
Get help if you think your injury may be more than just sore hands or wrist pain due to boxing.
