Tia-Clair Toomey has injured her wrist and appeared on a video using a brace just days before the beginning of the CrossFit season with the Open 24.1 workout about to be revealed on Thursday.
So how serious is Tia-Clair Toomey wrist injury? And what exactly is it? Tia shared a video to explain in further detail what she had and how she has been coping with the injury.
Read More: How to Watch the CrossFit Open 24.1 Workout Live Announcement
Tia-Clair Toomey Wrist Injury
Tia-Clair Toomey shared her personal experience with a condition affecting many new mothers. She candidly remarked, “Who knew being a mom could actually be more intense than being an athlete? From picking up Willow so much, my wrist has actually like swelled up a lot.” This condition, while not named due to her uncertainty about its pronunciation, is commonly found in individuals who perform repetitive lifting motions, such as parents and hairdressers. It is believed to be De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. If someone has De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, it will probably hurt every time the person turns their wrist, grasp anything, or make a fist. This condition is caused by the inflammation of the sheath that surrounds the two tendons that control the movement of the thumb. These tendons run on the thumb side of the wrist. Swelling and thickening of the tendon sheath can cause pain and tenderness along the thumb side of the wrist.
The exact cause of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis isn’t known, but it’s believed to be associated with overuse of the wrist and repetitive motion, leading to inflammation of the tendons and their sheaths. Toomey said, “My wrist is swelling, and it’s just from constantly picking up Willow… Right now, just trying to obviously not inflame the wrist too much so a lot more lower body stuff, just trying to stay off the wrist because we are very close to the open, and I want to make sure that I’m able to do all the movement without any pain or any hindrance.”
This condition is more common in new mothers and may be related to the way they lift and hold their babies, which aligns with Tia-Clair Toomey’s experience. Symptoms include pain and swelling near the base of the thumb, difficulty moving the thumb and wrist when doing tasks that involve grabbing or pinching, a “sticking” or “stop-and-go” sensation in your thumb when moving it, and tenderness at the base of the thumb.
Watch Pregnant Tia-Clair Toomey Do 23.1 CrossFit Open Workout
“The wrist was pretty swollen; I couldn’t even do like a push-up or anything… My whole hand was even swollen. So, it’s just one of those things, you know, it’s a part of the whole process, nothing that I’m overly concerned about; it’s just a matter of actually getting on top of it,” Toomey stated.
According to Mayo Clinic, treatment is aimed at reducing inflammation, preserving movement in the thumb and preventing recurrence.
Treatment typically involves mobilising the thumb and wrist, avoiding repetitive thumb movements, applying ice to the area, wearing a brace, and resting. In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to open the tunnel and relieve pressure on the tendons. Physical therapy exercises may also help to stretch and strengthen the wrist and thumb, improving range of motion and reducing symptoms.
You can see her explaining her injury and how she’s coping in the video below.
How Does the Injury Affect Tia-Clair Toomey’s CrossFit Season?
Still according to the Mayo Clinic, if treatment is done early, symptoms should improve within 4-6 weeks. It is unclear when Tia-Clair Toomey wrist injury began, when she started developing the symptoms and when she initated the proper treatment.
Each individual is different, but it is possible that Tia-Clair Toomey will not be 100% by the time we finish the Open, which is March 18th.
Although Tia-Clair Toomey is the most dominant CrossFit athlete in the Sport’s history, she spent most of last year without competing due to her pregnancy. The first competition she took on was the 2023 Rogue Invitational, in late October, where she finished 2nd, just 10 points behind Laura Horvath.
It is unclear how much the injury will affect Tia-Clair Toomey’s ability to perform certain movements. As she mentioned, before, she could barely do a push-up. In the video, however, she seems to be able to do more movements that anticipated – we just can’t know for sure if these images are from before she had the wrist injury or after she started treatment.
There is only one way to know for sure – by checking out the leaderboard of the CrossFit Open after scores for workout 24.1 are closed and see how she is ranked. Although, it is important to remember, that most elite athletes do not try too hard during the Open as not to get too tired by the time Semifinals and the CrossFit Games come.
Do you think Tia-Clair Toomey wrist injury is going to pose a threat to her 2024 comeback?
Related: 2024 CrossFit Season Details
