16 Common Darts injuries (Prevention & Treatment)

The darts injuries covered here run from shoulder and elbow trouble to wrist sprains, back strain and hand and finger injuries.

Repeated throwing over long sessions is the common thread, and each entry explains what brings the problem on, which signs point to it and what players do to keep throwing without pain.

Overview

Injury	Body area	Typical time out
Ankle sprains	Ankle	1 to 3 weeks, longer if torn
Knee injuries (ACL, meniscus)	Knee	2 to 6 weeks, months if torn
Shoulder injuries (rotator cuff, strains)	Shoulder	6 to 12 weeks, months if torn
Hand and finger injuries (sprains, fractures)	Hand and fingers	1 to 3 weeks, 4 to 6 if fractured
Sore forearms	Forearm	Days, or 6 to 12 weeks if tendon
Wrist injuries (sprains, strains)	Wrist	2 to 4 weeks, more if fractured
Back injuries (muscle strains)	Lower back	Days to 3 weeks
Foot injuries (sprains, fractures)	Foot	2 to 6 weeks, longer for fascia
Elbow injuries (sprains, strains)	Elbow	6 to 12 weeks, longer if chronic
Sunburn	Skin	3 to 7 days, longer if blistered
Cuts and abrasions (from contact with the sand)	Skin of the hands	Days, 2 weeks or more if infected
Eye injuries (sand or ball impact)	Eye	1 to 3 days, weeks if penetrating
Groin strains	Groin	2 to 4 weeks, months if torn
Heat exhaustion/heat stroke	Whole body	1 to 2 days, weeks after stroke
Rib injuries (bruises, fractures)	Ribs and chest	2 to 4 weeks, 4 to 8 if fractured
Neck injuries (muscle strain)	Neck	Days to 2 weeks
Dart strike to the head and face	Head and face	1 to 2 days, weeks if concussed

Ankle sprains

A sprain overstretches or tears the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, most often the anterior talofibular ligament that runs from the fibula to the talus. In darts the ankle rarely gives way during the throw itself. It happens when you step off a raised stage, catch a foot on a cable or a chair leg in a crowded venue, or roll the ankle on an uneven floor while standing at the oche for hours.

Symptoms

• Sharp pain on the outer ankle at the moment it rolls
• Swelling that appears within the first hours, often in front of the ankle bone
• Bruising that later tracks down toward the toes
• The ankle feels unsteady when you shift weight onto the front foot
• Standing at the board for a long leg becomes uncomfortable

How serious it is: Sprains are usually described as grade 1 (stretched fibers, mild swelling, still weight bearing), grade 2 (partial tear with clear swelling and instability) and grade 3 (complete tear with marked instability). The dividing line that matters most is whether you can put weight through the foot and take a few steps.

Typical time out: One to three weeks for a grade 1 sprain, four to eight weeks for a grade 2, and three months or more for a grade 3 or when a fracture is found alongside it. Darts is forgiving here because you can often throw seated or with reduced standing time long before the ankle is fully recovered.

See a doctor if: Get it assessed if you cannot take a few steps on the foot, if the bony tip of either ankle bone is tender to press, or if the foot looks out of line.

What helps

• Load the ankle early within the limits of pain rather than resting it completely, since early movement restores range faster
• Brief cooling in the first hours if pain is high, then move on to gentle movement
• A lace up brace or taping for the first weeks back on your feet at the board
• Balance and single leg work once swelling settles, because poor balance control is the main reason ankles resprain
• Physiotherapy if the ankle still feels unstable after a few weeks, or imaging if bony tenderness or inability to weight bear points toward a fracture

Knee injuries (ACL, meniscus)

The anterior cruciate ligament sits inside the knee and stops the shin sliding forward and twisting under the thigh bone, while the menisci are two crescents of cartilage that cushion the joint. Darts does not produce the cutting and landing loads that tear an ACL. What the sport does produce is long static standing on a slightly bent, slightly twisted lead leg, which irritates the meniscus and the kneecap surfaces, and the occasional awkward step on or off a stage.

Symptoms

• Aching at the front or inner side of the knee that builds over a long session
• Stiffness when you straighten the leg after standing at the oche
• Clicking or catching on the inner side of the joint with meniscal irritation
• Swelling that comes up the day after a tournament rather than instantly
• A sense that the knee might give way when you turn to walk back from the board

How serious it is: A true ACL tear is graded as a partial or complete rupture and almost always follows a twisting incident with immediate swelling and a feeling of the knee giving way. Degenerative meniscal irritation of the kind darts players actually get is far milder and usually settles with load management and strengthening.

Typical time out: Two to six weeks for a load related knee irritation, six to twelve weeks for a symptomatic meniscal tear treated without surgery, and nine to twelve months after ACL reconstruction. The spread is wide because a knee that is simply overloaded behaves nothing like a knee with structural damage.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if the knee swells within an hour of a twist, locks so that you cannot straighten it, or repeatedly gives way underneath you.

What helps

• Break up static standing: shift your stance, step back between visits, and use a chair between legs where the format allows
• Progressive quadriceps and hip strengthening, which reduces the load passing through the joint surfaces
• A softer standing surface or a cushioned shoe rather than a flat hard sole on a stage floor
• Physiotherapy if symptoms persist beyond a few weeks, since exercise therapy is the first line even for many meniscal tears
• Imaging only when the knee locks, gives way or swells rapidly, not for ordinary aching

Shoulder injuries (rotator cuff, strains)

The rotator cuff is a sleeve of four tendons, mainly supraspinatus at the top, that holds the head of the upper arm bone centered in the socket. In darts the shoulder holds the whole arm up and still, throw after throw, and the cuff works constantly to stop the arm dropping while the elbow does the throwing. That sustained isometric holding at shoulder height, not the throw itself, is what tips the cuff into a tendinopathy.

Symptoms

• A dull ache on the outer upper arm that appears late in a session
• Pain when you raise the arm to the setup position and hold it there
• Difficulty sleeping on that shoulder
• Weakness when lifting the arm out to the side
• The arm feels heavy and the throw drops low as the night goes on

How serious it is: The mild form is a tendinopathy, painful but with the tendon intact and strength largely preserved. A partial or full thickness cuff tear brings clear weakness on lifting the arm and, in the full thickness form, a real inability to hold the arm up.

Typical time out: Six to twelve weeks of managed loading for a tendinopathy, three to six months for a partial tear treated with exercise, and six months or more after a surgical repair. Tendon tissue adapts slowly, so the range depends far more on how consistently you load it than on how it felt in week one.

See a doctor if: Have it looked at if you cannot hold the arm out at shoulder height, if the shoulder aches strongly at night in bed, or if there is sudden weakness after a fall.

What helps

• Cut throwing volume rather than stopping entirely, then rebuild practice length in steps
• Progressive rotator cuff and scapular strengthening, working the muscles under gradually increasing load
• Isometric holds in the setup position, which often reduce pain and rebuild exactly the capacity darts demands
• Check the setup height: a very high hold with a lifted shoulder loads the cuff more than a relaxed one
• Physiotherapy if pain is unchanged after several weeks. A corticosteroid injection may calm severe pain short term, but tendon outcomes are often worse in the longer run, so it is an exception rather than a plan

Hand and finger injuries (sprains, fractures)

The finger joints are held by small collateral ligaments and moved by long tendons that run down from the forearm. In darts the specific risks are a dart point entering the hand when someone throws while you are at the board or when a dart bounces out, and the small ligament sprains that come from gripping a thin barrel very tightly for hours. Falls onto an outstretched hand account for most true fractures.

Symptoms

• A puncture wound with surprisingly deep, throbbing pain if a point goes in
• Swelling around one joint that makes the finger stiff to bend
• Pain when you pinch or grip the barrel
• Bruising along the side of a finger after a sprain
• A finger that sits at a visible angle or will not straighten

How serious it is: A simple collateral sprain is painful and swollen but the joint stays stable and straight. A fracture, a dislocation or a tendon avulsion shows as deformity, an inability to straighten or bend the finger actively, or pain directly over bone. A dart puncture is its own category, since the risk is infection rather than structural damage.

Typical time out: One to three weeks for a mild sprain, four to six weeks for a stable fracture in a splint, and eight to twelve weeks or more if surgery or tendon repair is needed. Puncture wounds that stay clean often settle within days, but an infected one can take far longer.

See a doctor if: Seek care the same day if a dart point entered the hand, if a finger looks crooked or cannot be actively straightened, or if the wound becomes red, hot and increasingly painful.

What helps

• Clean any puncture immediately and have it assessed, since a dart point carries surface debris deep under the skin and tetanus cover needs checking
• Buddy taping a sprained finger to its neighbor for the first weeks while continuing gentle movement
• Loosen the grip pressure on the barrel and consider a barrel with more grip so you do not have to squeeze as hard
• Early gentle range of motion, because finger joints stiffen quickly when held still
• An x ray when pain sits directly over bone, when the joint is deformed, or when swelling does not begin to settle

Sore forearms

The forearm holds the wrist extensors and flexors, which both grip the dart and control the wrist snap at release. Hundreds of throws in a practice session load these muscles and the tendons that anchor them at the elbow. The result is either simple exercise induced muscle soreness in the muscle belly, or a tendinopathy where the tendons attach at the elbow.

Symptoms

• A tight, burning ache through the forearm during and after long practice
• Tenderness when you squeeze the muscle belly
• Grip feels weaker toward the end of a session
• Stiffness the next morning that eases as you move
• Pain that creeps toward the elbow if it becomes a tendon problem

How serious it is: Ordinary muscle soreness is diffuse, symmetrical along the muscle belly and fades within a few days. It becomes a tendinopathy when the pain localizes to a point at the elbow, returns earlier in each session and lingers between sessions.

Typical time out: A few days for straightforward soreness, and six to twelve weeks if it has developed into a tendinopathy at the elbow, because tendon tissue remodels slowly. You usually keep throwing throughout, at reduced volume, rather than stopping.

See a doctor if: Get it checked if there is numbness or tingling into the fingers, if the pain wakes you at night, or if a specific point at the elbow stays tender for weeks.

What helps

• Manage volume: build practice length gradually and split long sessions into blocks rather than one marathon
• Grip strength and wrist extensor strengthening, done as a slow, progressive program
• Review the barrel: a very thin or slippery barrel forces a harder grip than a knurled one of comfortable diameter
• Gentle mobility and continued light use, since complete rest tends to make the tissue weaker rather than better
• See a physiotherapist if it recurs every time you return to normal practice volume

Wrist injuries (sprains, strains)

The wrist is a stack of small carpal bones tied together by short ligaments and crossed by the tendons that move the fingers and thumb. In darts the wrist snaps forward on every release, and the tendons of the thumb side, in particular those running through the first extensor compartment, are irritated by that repeated flick combined with a firm pinch grip. Falls onto the outstretched hand are what produce true sprains and scaphoid fractures.

Symptoms

• Pain on the thumb side of the wrist during the release
• A creaking or catching sensation when you flick the wrist
• Swelling on the back of the wrist after a long session
• Reduced accuracy because the snap becomes hesitant
• Pain on lifting a glass or turning a door handle

How serious it is: A strain of the tendons or a mild ligament sprain is painful but the wrist stays stable and moves fully. A more serious sprain or a scaphoid fracture shows as deep tenderness in the hollow at the base of the thumb, loss of movement and pain that does not settle over the first weeks.

Typical time out: Two to four weeks for a mild strain, four to eight weeks for a significant ligament sprain, and eight to twelve weeks or more for a scaphoid fracture, which heals slowly because of its poor blood supply.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if the hollow at the base of the thumb is tender after a fall, if the wrist will not rotate, or if there is numbness in the hand.

What helps

• Reduce throwing volume for a period rather than pushing through the same practice load
• Progressive wrist and thumb strengthening once acute pain settles
• A soft wrist support for daily activities, not for throwing, since a rigid support changes the release
• Look at technique: an exaggerated wrist snap loads the tendons more than a smooth, mostly elbow driven throw
• Imaging after a fall with thumb side tenderness, because scaphoid fractures are easy to miss on an early x ray and often need a repeat

Back injuries (muscle strains)

The muscles running either side of the spine, the erector spinae and the deeper stabilizers, hold the trunk still while the arm throws. A darts stance leans the upper body forward over a planted lead foot and holds that asymmetric position for the length of a match, which fatigues these muscles and the small facet joints they protect. The strain is a tissue overload from sustained posture, not a single violent movement.

Symptoms

• A band of aching across the lower back that builds during a session
• Stiffness when you straighten up after leaning at the oche
• Pain worse the morning after a long tournament
• Difficulty holding the lean without shifting weight
• Tenderness to press on the muscles either side of the spine

How serious it is: A simple muscular strain hurts with movement, eases with position change and settles within days to weeks. It is a different problem when pain radiates down a leg, which suggests nerve irritation, or when it persists unchanged at rest.

Typical time out: A few days to three weeks for a muscular strain, six weeks or more if nerve symptoms are involved. Most players keep throwing at reduced session length, since staying active recovers a strained back faster than lying still.

See a doctor if: Get help promptly for pain running down a leg with numbness, any change in bladder or bowel control, or numbness around the saddle area.

What helps

• Keep moving and return to normal activity early, because prolonged rest slows recovery of a strained back
• Trunk and hip strengthening, including glutes, which take load off the lower back in a lunged stance
• Break up the static lean: stand upright between visits and walk during breaks
• Review stance depth. A very deep forward lean buys a little distance and costs a lot of back load
• Physiotherapy if pain recurs with every tournament, imaging only when there are nerve symptoms or a specific red flag

Foot injuries (sprains, fractures)

The arch of the foot is supported by the plantar fascia, a thick band running from the heel to the toes, and by the small ligaments between the midfoot bones. Standing still on a hard floor for hours loads the fascia continuously without the pumping relief that walking provides. Stress injuries to the metatarsals and simple midfoot sprains come from that standing load and from awkward steps off a stage.

Symptoms

• Sharp heel pain with the first steps in the morning
• Burning in the ball of the foot late in a session
• Aching arch that eases when you sit and returns when you stand
• Local tenderness over one spot on the top of the foot
• The lead foot feels worse than the back foot

How serious it is: Plantar fascia irritation and general standing fatigue are the mild end and respond to footwear and load changes. A stress fracture is suggested by pain over one precise bony point that worsens the longer you stand and does not settle overnight.

Typical time out: Two to six weeks for a midfoot sprain, six to twelve weeks or longer for plantar fascia pain, and six to eight weeks of protected loading for a metatarsal stress fracture. Plantar fascia problems have the widest range because they respond to changes in footwear and standing time more than to time itself.

See a doctor if: Have it assessed if you cannot bear weight, if one bony point stays exquisitely tender, or if the foot swells and looks deformed after a twist.

What helps

• Cushioned, supportive shoes for playing rather than flat soled fashion shoes, and a change of shoes between long sessions
• Calf and foot intrinsic strengthening, including slow heel raises, which is the best supported treatment for plantar fascia pain
• An anti fatigue mat at your home board if you practice standing for long periods
• Shift weight and move between visits instead of holding a locked stance
• Imaging when a single bony point remains tender, since stress fractures need protected loading rather than more practice

Elbow injuries (sprains, strains)

The elbow is the hinge that does most of the work in a darts throw, and the tendons of the forearm muscles anchor to the bony bumps on either side of it. Repeated extension under a firm grip irritates the common extensor origin on the outer side, the classic tennis elbow site, while the triceps tendon at the back is loaded by the snap into full extension. This is the single most common complaint players describe, and it is a tendon problem, not a joint problem.

Symptoms

• A precise sore point on the outer bump of the elbow
• Pain that starts a certain number of throws into a session and returns earlier each time
• Pain when gripping, lifting a kettle or shaking hands
• Aching at the back of the elbow at the end of the throw
• Stiffness in the elbow the morning after practice

How serious it is: The mild form is a reactive tendinopathy that hurts during and after throwing but leaves strength intact and settles with load changes. The stubborn form has been present for months, hurts with everyday gripping and comes with visible loss of grip strength. A true ligament sprain from a fall is a separate injury with swelling and instability.

Typical time out: Six to twelve weeks for a recent tendinopathy managed properly, and six months or more when it has been present for a long time before anything changed. The range is wide because tendons respond to a structured loading program, not to time passing, so a player who only rests can stay symptomatic indefinitely.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if there is numbness or tingling into the ring and little fingers, if the elbow will not fully straighten, or if it swelled rapidly after a fall.

What helps

• Reduce throwing volume to a level that does not flare the pain the next day, then add back gradually
• Progressive strengthening of the wrist extensors, including slow eccentric work, which is the best evidence based treatment for this tendon
• Isometric holds when pain is high, since they often reduce symptoms enough to keep training
• A counterforce brace on the forearm can reduce pain during play, but it is a support and not the treatment
• Physiotherapy if it recurs each time you return to full practice. Corticosteroid injections relieve pain in the short term but are associated with worse outcomes later in tendinopathy, so they are a last resort rather than a starting point

Sunburn

Sunburn is inflammation of the outer skin layers after ultraviolet radiation damages the DNA in skin cells. It applies to darts only in the outdoor and holiday settings where boards get set up in gardens, at campsites and in beer gardens. The throwing arm, the neck and the back of the hands take the most exposure because they are held out and forward for long stretches.

Symptoms

• Skin that turns red and feels hot to the touch some hours after exposure
• Tightness and stinging, worse when clothing rubs
• Itching and peeling several days later
• Blistering where the burn was deep
• Chills, headache or nausea when a large area is burnt

How serious it is: A superficial burn is red, painful and heals without scarring. A deeper burn blisters, and a widespread burn with fever, chills, dizziness or confusion is a systemic problem that needs medical attention rather than a moisturizer.

Typical time out: None as far as playing is concerned in a mild case. Skin comfort improves over three to seven days, and blistered areas take one to two weeks to close over.

See a doctor if: Seek medical help for widespread blistering, fever, confusion or dizziness after sun exposure.

What helps

• Get out of the sun and cool the skin gently with cool water or a damp cloth
• Bland, fragrance free moisturizer while the skin is tight and dry
• Drink fluids, since a large burn pulls water into the skin and away from circulation
• Leave blisters intact and cover them loosely rather than opening them
• Prevent the repeat: broad spectrum sunscreen reapplied through the day, a hat, and a shaded position for the board

Cuts and abrasions (from contact with the sand)

In darts these are not surface grazes from rough ground but small puncture wounds and skin splits caused by the equipment. A dart that bounces out of the wire can catch the hand of the person retrieving it, points scratch the fingers when three darts are gripped together, and aggressive knurling on a barrel abrades the pads of the thumb and index finger over a long session. The wound is small, so the concern is contamination rather than blood loss.

Symptoms

• A small deep puncture that hurts more than its size suggests
• Bleeding that stops quickly with pressure
• Raw, tender skin on the finger pads from grip knurling
• Stinging when you grip the barrel afterward
• Redness spreading around the wound in the days after, which is a warning rather than normal healing

How serious it is: A superficial graze or scratch is trivial and heals on its own. A puncture from a dart point is more serious than it looks because it carries surface material deep into tissue, and any wound that becomes red, swollen and increasingly painful after a day or two is infected.

Typical time out: None to a few days for a graze. A puncture that stays clean settles within about a week, while an infected wound needs treatment and can keep you off the board for two weeks or more.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if a dart point went deep into the hand, if redness spreads outward from the wound, or if you cannot recall when you were last covered for tetanus.

What helps

• Wash the wound thoroughly with running water and cover it with a clean dressing
• Direct pressure until bleeding stops, and check for anything left in the wound
• Keep the dressing dry and change it daily while the skin closes
• Tape or a light finger cover over abraded finger pads so practice can continue
• Have any deep puncture assessed rather than treating it as a scratch, and check tetanus cover

Eye injuries (sand or ball impact)

The cornea is the clear front surface of the eye and is exceptionally sensitive, so even a shallow scratch is intensely painful. In darts the realistic mechanism is a dart bouncing off the wire and flying back, or someone walking in front of the board while another player is throwing. A steel point at the eye is a penetrating injury, and even a plastic tip can abrade the cornea.

Symptoms

• Immediate severe pain and a feeling that something is in the eye
• Watering and an inability to keep the eye open
• Strong sensitivity to light
• Blurred vision or a dark spot in the field of view
• Visible blood in the white of the eye or a pupil that looks misshapen

How serious it is: A superficial corneal abrasion is very painful but heals fully. A penetrating injury from a dart point, blood inside the front of the eye or any change in vision is a sight threatening emergency and belongs in an emergency department the same hour.

Typical time out: One to three days for a simple corneal abrasion, and weeks to months after a penetrating injury, depending entirely on what the eye specialist finds.

See a doctor if: Go to an emergency department immediately for any change in vision, a visible object in the eye, blood in the eye or a pupil that no longer looks round.

What helps

• Rinse the eye with clean water or sterile saline only if the problem is dust or a loose particle
• Do not rub the eye and do not try to remove anything embedded in it
• Cover the eye loosely without pressing on it and get to medical care if pain or blurring persists
• Prevent the mechanism: a clear throwing lane, an agreed rule that nobody approaches the board until all three darts are thrown, and a bounce out mat
• Protective eyewear is worth it in cramped venues where players stand close to the board

Groin strains

The adductor muscles run from the pubic bone down the inner thigh and pull the leg inward. They are strained by fast sideways movement and long lunged positions. In darts the relevant load is the split stance itself, where the lead leg is placed forward and out and the trunk leans over it, holding the adductors in a long, loaded position for the length of a match rather than tearing them in one movement.

Symptoms

• A pulling ache high on the inner thigh after long standing
• Tenderness when you press near the pubic bone
• Discomfort bringing the legs together against resistance
• Stiffness getting out of a car after a tournament
• Sharp pain if the leg slips outward on a smooth floor

How serious it is: Adductor strains follow the usual grading: grade 1 is a painful but functional pull, grade 2 involves partial tearing with weakness and bruising, and grade 3 is a complete tear with marked loss of strength. Static overload from a wide stance almost always stays at the mild end.

Typical time out: Two to four weeks for a grade 1 strain, four to eight weeks for a grade 2, and three months or more for a complete tear or a tendon avulsion. Groin strains recur readily, so the range depends on whether strength was rebuilt before full return.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if you felt a pop with immediate weakness, if bruising spreads down the inner thigh, or if pain is centered on the pubic bone and persists for weeks.

What helps

• Adductor strengthening, particularly slow lengthening work such as the Copenhagen exercise, which is the best studied prevention for groin problems
• Narrow an excessively wide stance, since a slightly shorter split reduces the sustained pull without costing accuracy
• Return to full standing time in steps rather than in one tournament
• Hip mobility work so the load is shared rather than parked on the adductors
• Physiotherapy if groin pain keeps coming back, because recurrent groin pain has several possible sources that need telling apart

Heat exhaustion/heat stroke

Heat exhaustion is what happens when sweating and blood flow to the skin can no longer keep up with the heat load, leaving the circulation short of volume. Heat stroke is the point at which core temperature control fails and the brain is affected. For darts the setting is a packed indoor venue under stage lighting, or an outdoor summer event, where players stand for hours, drink alcohol and sweat without noticing that they have not replaced fluid.

Symptoms

• Heavy sweating with clammy, pale skin
• Dizziness or lightheadedness on standing up to throw
• Headache, nausea and cramping
• A racing pulse and unusual fatigue
• Confusion, slurred speech or collapse, which mean heat stroke rather than exhaustion

How serious it is: Heat exhaustion leaves the person alert and oriented and improves with cooling and fluids. Heat stroke involves altered mental state, confusion or unconsciousness with very hot skin and is a medical emergency in which minutes matter.

Typical time out: Typically the rest of the day and often one to two days for heat exhaustion once fluids are replaced. Heat stroke requires hospital care and a return to activity guided by a doctor, usually over several weeks.

See a doctor if: Call emergency services immediately for confusion, slurred speech, seizure or loss of consciousness in the heat.

What helps

• Move to a cool place, lie down with the legs raised and loosen tight clothing
• Cool actively with cold wet cloths, fanning and cold drinks if the person is fully alert
• Replace fluid with water and something containing salt rather than water alone after heavy sweating
• Limit alcohol during play, because it both dehydrates and masks early warning signs
• For suspected heat stroke, call for help first and start cooling while waiting rather than waiting to cool

Rib injuries (bruises, fractures)

The ribs are connected to the spine and breastbone by small joints and joined by the intercostal muscles that move the chest with each breath. Darts itself does not produce rib impacts. What does occur is a bruise or fracture from a fall in a crowded venue, from a stage edge or a table, and irritation of the intercostal and serratus muscles from the sustained twisted lean of the throwing stance.

Symptoms

• A sharp catch on one spot of the rib cage when you breathe in deeply
• Pain on coughing, laughing or sneezing
• Tenderness when you press over the rib
• Shallow breathing because full breaths hurt
• Pain when you twist to lean into the throw

How serious it is: A bruise or muscular strain hurts sharply on movement but breathing is otherwise normal. A fracture is suggested by pain over one precise point after impact, and it becomes serious when breathlessness, coughing blood or several ribs are involved.

Typical time out: Two to four weeks for a bruise or intercostal strain and four to eight weeks for a fractured rib, which is longer simply because a rib cannot be rested while you breathe.

See a doctor if: Get urgent care for shortness of breath, coughing up blood, or increasing pain in the chest or upper abdomen after a fall.

What helps

• Pain relief good enough to allow deep breaths, since shallow breathing after a rib injury leads to chest infections
• Deep breathing exercises several times a day, hugging a cushion to the chest to make them tolerable
• Do not strap or bind the chest, which restricts the very breathing you need
• Keep moving and walking rather than lying still
• A medical review if breathing worsens rather than gradually improving

Neck injuries (muscle strain)

The muscles at the back of the neck, mainly the upper trapezius and the deep cervical extensors, hold the head still while the eyes fix on the board. A darts stance often tilts and holds the head slightly forward and rotated toward the throwing side, and holding that position throughout a match fatigues these muscles and irritates the small facet joints of the cervical spine.

Symptoms

• Aching and tightness across the top of the shoulders and up the neck
• Stiffness turning the head after a long session
• A tension type headache that starts at the back of the head
• Discomfort holding the aiming position toward the end of a leg
• Tender bands of muscle at the base of the skull

How serious it is: A postural strain is a muscular ache that eases with movement and position change within days. It is a different matter when there is pain, numbness or weakness running into an arm, which points to nerve involvement rather than tired muscle.

Typical time out: A few days to two weeks for a postural neck strain, longer if arm symptoms are present. Most players continue to throw and simply shorten sessions.

See a doctor if: See a doctor for numbness, pins and needles or weakness in an arm or hand, or for severe neck pain after a fall or blow to the head.

What helps

• Change position often: look away from the board and move the neck between visits
• Neck and upper back strengthening rather than stretching alone, because tired muscles need capacity, not more length
• Check the board height and lighting, since squinting or tilting to see the treble bed drives the head position
• Heat and gentle movement for a stiff, aching neck in the first days
• Physiotherapy if stiffness recurs with every tournament or if headaches become regular

Dart strike to the head and face

A steel tip dart falling from the board or bouncing out of the wire arrives point first, and the scalp, forehead and the area around the eye have thin skin directly over bone with a rich blood supply. The usual mechanisms are retrieving darts while another player throws, a dart deflecting off a wire back into the throwing lane, and a dart dropping onto the head of someone bending to collect darts from the floor.

Symptoms

• A sharp sting followed by bleeding that looks dramatic for a small wound
• A puncture or short split in the scalp or forehead
• A tender lump under the skin over the following hours
• Headache after the impact
• Dizziness, nausea, confusion or blurred vision, which point beyond a skin wound

How serious it is: Most strikes are a superficial puncture or laceration that bleeds freely and closes without difficulty. It becomes serious when the point lands near the eye, when the wound is deep or gaping, or when there are any symptoms of concussion such as confusion, repeated vomiting or drowsiness.

Typical time out: A day or two for a superficial wound, one to two weeks while a deeper laceration closes, and longer after a concussion, where return is guided by symptoms resolving rather than by a fixed date.

See a doctor if: Get medical help for any wound near the eye, a wound that will not stop bleeding with pressure, or confusion, repeated vomiting, drowsiness or memory loss after the impact.

What helps

• Firm direct pressure with a clean dressing, since scalp wounds bleed heavily but stop reliably under pressure
• Clean the wound and have any deep puncture assessed, including tetanus cover
• Stop playing and have the person watched for several hours if there was any confusion, headache or nausea
• Prevent the mechanism: nobody walks to the board until all three darts are thrown, and a mat under the board catches droppers
• Have a wound near the eye or eyebrow checked the same day rather than treating it as a graze

First Aid for Soft Tissue Injuries: PEACE and LOVE

Sports medicine has moved on from RICE. The current guidance, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2019, splits care into the first days after the injury and everything that follows.

PEACE, the first two to three days

• Protect: unload the area and limit movement that hurts, but only briefly.
• Elevate: keep the limb above heart level when you can.
• Avoid anti-inflammatories: they may blunt the healing you need.
• Compress: a bandage or taping limits swelling.
• Educate: your body heals this on its own; passive treatments rarely speed it up.

LOVE, from day three onward

• Load: return to movement as pain allows, early loading builds tissue.
• Optimism: expectations shape recovery more than most people assume.
• Vascularization: easy cardio that does not hurt brings blood to the area.
• Exercise: restore strength, mobility and balance before returning to play.

Ice still helps with pain in the first hours. What changed is the evidence that long icing and routine anti-inflammatory drugs slow tissue repair.

How to Lower Your Risk in Darts

• Build practice volume gradually. Most elbow, shoulder and forearm complaints in darts follow a sudden jump in throwing hours before an event, not a single bad throw.
• Do a short strength routine twice a week for the grip, wrist extensors, rotator cuff and upper back, since these are the tissues that hold the arm up and control the release.
• Break up static standing. Step back from the oche between visits, change weight from foot to foot and stand upright between legs instead of holding the lean the whole match.
• Wear supportive, cushioned shoes and put an anti fatigue mat under your home board, because hours of standing on a hard floor is what irritates heels, arches and knees.
• Choose a barrel you do not have to squeeze. A grip that keeps slipping forces constant forearm tension, which is what turns into elbow pain.
• Agree a throwing lane rule in any venue: nobody approaches or crosses in front of the board until all three darts have landed, and use a mat to catch droppers.

When to Stop and Get Medical Help

Most of the injuries on this page are treated at home. These signs are not.

• A dart point that has entered the hand, face or any part of the body, particularly near the eye, needs same day medical assessment rather than a plaster.
• Any change in vision, blood inside the eye or a pupil that no longer looks round after an impact means an emergency department immediately.
• Confusion, repeated vomiting, drowsiness or memory loss after a blow to the head means stop playing and get assessed.
• Visible deformity of a finger, limb or joint, or a joint that cannot be moved or straightened at all, points to a fracture or dislocation.
• Numbness, pins and needles or weakness running into an arm, hand or leg is a nerve sign and needs looking at rather than stretching.
• Confusion, slurred speech or collapse in a hot venue is possible heat stroke: call emergency services and start cooling while you wait.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are hurt, a doctor or physiotherapist who can examine you is worth more than any web page. Last reviewed: August 2026.

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