ROCHESTER, Minn. — This time of year, Sanjeev Kakar, M.D., a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon, starts seeing many injuries among people inspired by watching golf and other stick-handling sports.
''The weather is changing. Major golf tournaments are on television. Local courses have opened. People are excited to be playing again,'' says Dr. Kakar, who specializes in hand and wrist injuries. ''People run to the range and hit hundreds of balls in a short period of time, and they do this without warming up and stretching. In addition, players may have poor mechanics and use old equipment, which can all lead to an injury.''
Being active is good for the body, but sports that use sticks can be especially hard on the hands and wrists. The hamate bone at the base of the palm below the little finger can be injured, especially if hitting a golf shot ''fat'' (when the club hits the ground before the ball) or with repetitive hitting with a baseball bat. Another common injury involves the extensor carpi ulnaris tendon or triangular fibrocartilage complex on the pinky side of the hand. Injuries result in wrist pain, especially with twisting and forearm rotation and loss of grip strength.
