Volleyball is a physically demanding sport that places a lot of stress on the muscles and wrist joints. As a result, many volleyball players usually wear wrist braces to protect themselves from injuries on the court. But should you also wear a wrist brace? In this guide, we’ll explore essential things you need to know about volleyball wrist braces to help you determine whether they’re suitable for you.
What are Volleyball Wrist Braces Used For?
Volleyball involves many repetitive motions, such as jumping, diving, and spiking the ball. These repetitive motions can put undue stress on the wrists and cause injuries.
Volleyball wrist braces are worn to minimise injury risks. By acting as a buffer between the athlete’s wrists and the volleyball or the court, wrist braces can help to prevent injuries. For instance, if a player falls on the court, a wrist brace can reduce the impact of the fall by ensuring the player’s wrist doesn’t overextend. Besides preventing injuries, wrist braces can also promote recovery from injuries.
How Do You Protect Your Forearms in Volleyball?
Besides the wrists, volleyball players are also highly susceptible to forearm injuries because volleyball involves frequent use of the forearms to pass or strike the ball.
If you want to protect your forearms from injury, consider wearing volleyball arm sleeves or compression sleeves. Arm sleeves can protect your forearms from the impact of the ball and reduce inflammation. They can also stimulate blood circulation to your muscles and keep them warm, which can prove pivotal to your longevity during a match. And if you suffer the misfortune of getting injured, arm sleeves can also promote your recovery because they promote blood circulation.
For extra comfort, look for padded arm sleeves, as they can significantly minimise the impact of the ball when it strikes your forearms.
Why Do Volleyball Players Tape Their Wrists?
Apart from wearing volleyball wrist braces, many volleyball players also tape their wrists. Like volleyball wrist braces, wrist tape provides additional support and can prevent sprains, dislocations and even fractured wrists.
In addition to providing support, wrist tape helps prevent volleyball players from getting reinjured when they return from injury.
Additionally, while wrist tape mainly provides extra support, some volleyball players also tape their wrists for aesthetic reasons.
Finally, while it may sound counterintuitive, some volleyball players also wear wrist tape for superstitious reasons — particularly if they find their performances better in games they wore wrist tape.
Bottom line on Volleyball Wrist Brace
You can wear a wrist brace in volleyball, provided it doesn’t affect gameplay or pose a safety concern. A wrist brace can protect you from injury during matches, making it an excellent accessory.
However, if you’re considering wearing a volleyball wrist brace, consult your doctor or physical therapist before you start wearing one.
Finally, if your doctor or physical therapist recommends that you should wear a wrist brace, consider wearing it during practice rather than only during matches because wrist braces can take some time to get used to.
