Injuries

Fencing is a remarkably safe sport really, and I have experience in only a few injuries, but here they are, for those who are interested.

For more info on Fencing injuries, take a look here.

Shin Splints

I can't remember the real name for these, but since they are still with me I'll have no trouble describing them.
For me it was a reasonably sharp pain along the lower shin, on the inside of the leg where the shin and calve muscles meet. For as long as I can remember this has plagued me when running for any distance (those high-school x-country runs were hell!), but after fencing almost 3 years or so, they were hurting when I walked briskly or, eventually, when I fenced.
I was a more than a little worried that I might have a stress fracture from all that lunging, which would dampen my competition plans, when I went to see the sports doctor. She diagnosed shin splints, if I recall correctly it was a tensing of the muscles around the bone, due to impact, normally seen in runners, and largely the domain of those with heavier build. She checked my walking style, and my shoes. Horrified by my $10 runners, she gave me a list of "approved" sport shoes, and sent me to the physio to get ultrasound on the offending muscles.
Massage hurt, ultrasound was much less traumatic. Shin splints do deliver a really sharp pain, and while I've never broken any bones, I imagine it must be similar (but probably worse). However I persisted, and eventually they recovered enough that my boyfriend could massage them without me jumping through the roof. I bought the cheapest shoes on the approved list, ($130, lasted 6 months, currently glued and taped together), and have fenced without them interrupting me since. However they still lurk in the background, ready to spring again if I go back to my old shoes, wear high-heels, or run for the train.

RSI

Technically this wasn't caused by fencing, but since that's where I noticed it, I'll include it. On the one and only occasion I took part in the warm-up soccer, I fell over the ball and jarred my wrist upon landing. It seemed okay, and I fenced anyway.
A week later I still had a noticable sharp pain in my wrist that shot up into my fingers upon doing such things as turning taps, and clicking mouse buttons. Again, I feared fracture.
But a comp was coming up, one with spectators, and I wasn't going to miss it just because some doctor told me to. So with right wrist bandaged to immobility, I fenced and didn't embarress myself. I then went to the doctor, who was mystified and sent me to the physio. The physio was mystified, and sent me back. Went to see a "wrist specialist" at the state institute of sport, they took x-rays, and found I had disgustingly perfect wrists.
She wanted to send me to a more expert specialist, but I put my foot down, I was a poverty stricken student and couldn't afford their fees on a regular basis. She made me a brace, I wore it in case it helped.
My chiropractor noticed the brace, and asked about it. Turns out he did a stint in sports medicine before becoming a chiropractor. He fiddled a bit much as the others had done, found nothing, and then pressed the muscles on the top of my arm. I went through the roof. He diagnosed RSI, and gave me some arm massage and pressure work at each of my visits, I taught my boyfriend to do the same. The RSI is now under control, though since I spend a minimum of 8 hours a day on computers, it's in no hurry to leave. Fencing seems to help, stretches and moves things in a way that keyboards don't, so I guess fencing in that competition was actually good for me:)

Bruised Joints

At a comp my ankle gave way mid-bout. I kept fencing and finished my last bout, then noticed it was actually a bit sore. Thinking to walk it off, I went wandering, which made it worse. I suspected a mild sprain and rested it for the rest of the day, no ice though, which was pretty stupid really.
Weeks later it was still bothering me in little ways. Occasionaly the ankle gave way, it generally felt stiff and weaker, and hurt a bit on impact. Back to the physio! She diagnosed a bruised joint, told me to rest it, gave me some exercises for it, and gave it some traction. (Exercises basicly included stretching-type things, in the directions the ankle no longer seemed to want to go.)
I was good for a week or two, but the national champs were coming up, so I had to train...

Sprained Ankle

For more detail, take a look at my diary of an incapacitated fencer.
While suffering from a bruised ankle, I continued to fence. There were competitions! Occasionaly my ankle would give way at inopportune moments, so I guess it was only a matter of time until I failed to catch myself. I sprained my ankle, and by the gods, it hurt! Ice was quickly administered, in hindsight I think I should have kept it on longer.
After an X-ray to check for breaks, the ankle was coddled for several days. A book I browsed in a store informed me that this was a "moderate" sprain, and would take 8-10 weeks to heal. It did.
Rest, bandaged at first to prevent inadvertant injury, occasional traction (ie, the chiropractor pulling on my foot while supporting the ankle), and more massage once it was up to it (about week 4 I think). I write this in week twelve, and am now lunging again, though the ankle is still noticably stiffer than the other.

Date: Sometime in 1999