What part of your hand becomes most damaged in the long term when you box with no gloves or hand wraps?

A ‘boxers fracture’ is the break of either the fourth or fifth metacarpal, that’s located just below the knuckle. This injury most commonly occurs when punching a firm object, such as your opponent’s skull, with a closed first.

Probably the main reason as to why this injury happens in the ring is a lack of technique. Maintaining the correct punching technique during your bout as much as possible is key to your long-term hand health. In addition to this, another common injury in boxing is Carpal Bossing. Carpal Bossing is when a lump forms on the back of the hand at the junction of the long finger bones and the small wrist bones. This lump comes as a result of the thinning of the articular cartilage lining, which is usually caused by a knock to the back of your wrist.

Ice can be used in between fights or training sessions and can be applied to the hands to help settle inflammation caused by heavy impact, reducing the repeated damage to the tissues.