What are the most common bowling injuries?
Emily Ross
Published Jan 21, 2026
Common Bowling Injuries
- Elbow Tendonitis.
- Wrist Tendonitis.
- Anular ligament sprain.
- Lateral Epicondylitis.
- Shoulder Tendonitis.
- Rotator Cuff Tear.
- Shoulder Instability.
- Knee Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL)
What muscles get sore from bowling?
Most Common Tenpin Bowling Injuries
- Thumb and finger sprain;
- Carpal tunnel syndrome;
- DeQuervain's syndrome;
- Biceps tendinopathy;
- Elbow injuries, including lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and tendinitis;
- Shoulder Injuries, including rotator cuff tear or strain;
- Lower back pain;
- Adductor (groin) strain;
What are two risks of bowling?
Bowling Injury Risk Factors
- Overuse from bowling too often and/or too quickly.
- Poor warm-up.
- Poor fitting bowling ball.
- Poor conditioning.
- Poor technique.
Is bowling hard on the body?
Players who bowl every day or who bowl without a break between frames put repetitive stress on muscle groups that are engaged every time they attempt to knock down the pins. This causes muscle fatigue in the knees, back, and hips as well as the elbow, wrist, and shoulders, making bowlers more susceptible to injury.
Can you get injured while bowling?
“Bowler's elbow,” also known as epicondylitis, is a common injury amongst professional bowlers. This is when the tendons in the elbow become inflamed due to the constant movement of their wrist, which puts strain on the elbow.
18 related questions foundWhat is bowler's thumb?
Bowler's thumb is a rare perineural fibrosis involving the ulnar digital nerve of the thumb. Affected patients present with pain, neuropathy, and mass lesion. The condition is caused by chronic repetitive impaction of the ulnar soft tissues of the thumb against the thumbhole of a bowling ball.
Why do fingers hurt after bowling?
Trigger finger can be caused by repetitive strain on the fingers. It can also result from a lot of activity that requires gripping. Think of what's required to hold and throw a bowling ball over and over. That movement can cause trigger finger.
Can bowling hurt your back?
Many studies report that using a mixed bowling technique can lead to a greater risk of lower back injury than side or front techniques. Symptoms include feeling an obvious back ache on the opposite side to bowling hand dominance. Others also have tighter hamstrings than normal and a noticeable arched lower back.
Can you sweat while bowling?
“You can work up a sweat bowling,” Habhab said. “Don't bowl on a night when you aren't feeling well and might overheat.”
How fast do fast bowlers bowl?
A typical fast delivery has a speed in the range of 136 to 150 km/h (85 to 95 mph). The fastest delivery that has ever been officially recorded clocked in at 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) and was bowled by Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan during a match against England in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
Why does bowling hurt my thumb?
Bowler's thumb refers to a rare, traumatic neuropathic condition involving the ulnar digital nerve of the thumb. The condition becomes symptomatic as the thumb undergoes chronic frictional irritation. It is induced when an avid bowler repeatedly compress the ulnar digital nerve by the thumbhole of a bowling ball.
Why do forearms hurt after bowling?
Bowler's elbow results from overuse of the elbow's tendons, which are located by the epicondyle, which is a bony protrusion in the upper arm.
Why does my bicep hurt from bowling?
Injuring Your Bicep
One of many bicep injuries that can occur while bowling is biceps tendinitis. This happens due to repeated arm swings at improper form. Consult with other bowlers or research online proper technique and form to make sure you are bowling correctly.
How do you bowl properly?
First: Straighten your hand and wrist. Second: Hold your bowling arm out at a distance while you're bowling. Third: Keeping your arm straight, swing it towards your ankle. Fourth: Rotate the wrist, hand, and arm away from your body as you bring the ball near your ankle.
Can you lose weight from bowling?
Bowling increases your metabolism and therefore can aid in weight loss. Depending on the effort exerted and the weight of the bowler he/she can burn anywhere from 150 to 300 calories an hour. MayoClinic.org reveals an adult weighing 200 pounds can burn up to 275 calories an hour while bowling.
Is bowling a good form of exercise?
Bowling is an anaerobic type of physical exercise, similar to walking with free weights. Bowling helps in burning calories and works muscle groups not usually exercised.
Can you fracture your wrist bowling?
Wrist break occurs when a bowler's hand and wrist “breaks” back toward the forearm throughout the shot. It can happen during the pushaway, backswing and the release. Wrist break limits the amount of rotation that can be put on the bowling ball at the point of release.
Can bowling cause neck pain?
And when you start to lean forward, it places a tremendous amount of extra pressure on the discs in your neck and spine. This can cause increased compression and lead to pain. Even just a few inches of forward head posture can double or triple the amount of stress on the spinal joints in your neck.
Should I bowl with lower back pain?
The movements required to bowl would be very painful with a lower back injury. You have to bend forward and straighten up. The arm swing will be restricted, and it will be hard to get down into the finishing position.
How do I stop my back from hurting when bowling?
7 Ways cricketers can stop lower back pain
- Examine your technique. I don't bowl myself, but I have seen the figures from the ECB for bowling injuries. ...
- Stretch your hips. Very often with back pain, the symptom is not the cause. ...
- Strengthen your core. ...
- Warm your muscles. ...
- Stand up. ...
- Get a massage. ...
- Move your butt!
Why do bowlers tape their fingers?
Bowling finger tape is used to reshape the gripping holes of your bowling ball, especially the thumb hole. This allows you to easily adjust your bowling ball grip to a consistent and comfortable pressure no matter what external factors impact the size of your fingers during play.
How do you get rid of shoulder pain from bowling?
Thrower's shoulder: It's just not cricket
- Shoulder posture.
- External rotation. Keep your elbow tucked in by your side, turn out (1sec), return slowly (3sec). ...
- Internal rotation. Keep your elbow tucked in by your side, turn in (1sec) and return slowly (3sec). ...
- Cross body adduction. ...
- Cross body abduction. ...
- Rowing. ...
- Modified dips.
How do you recover from bowling?
5 Ways to recover from a hard day's cricket
- Compression tights. Research has show that tights increase the flow of blood to muscles in the legs, and more blood means more oxygen which leads to a quicker recovery. ...
- Foam rolling. ...
- Increasing blood flow. ...
- Sleeping. ...
- Eating.
What is bowlers tape used for?
The main purpose of bowling tape is to fill the empty space between the holes of the bowling ball and a bowler's fingers. A bowler's fingers will swell or shrink during a bowling session to adjust to the temperature and size of the holes.
Why is my hand weak after bowling?
Bowler's Thumb is an overuse injury resulting from compression or repeated friction on the inside of the thumb which causes pressure on the Ulnar nerve. As the name indicates, bowling is the main cause of this injury and causes the area to feel numb and weak.