pulled abs

I pulled ab muscles about 6 wks ago and found I couldn't serve without pain due to the stretch and had trouble coming in for short balls, so I laid off since about 2 weeks ago. Still experiencing pain w/o playing. Is rest the only answer and how long should it take. I'm afraid to get back on the court too soon.

[AndyC]

sounds more like u've got a tear of the muscle.. muscle pulls typically heal a lot quicker. if it is indeed a tear (and diagnosing one can be difficult - more a diagnosis of exclusion) then u'll need to rest it till it's healed completely i.e. u're pain free.. this can take months I'm afraid but u do need to let it heal before playing again or it could just get worse. pop along to your family physician who should be able to make a diagnosis and prescribe the relevent treatment.

thanks, andyc, for responding. you're probably right and I'm seeing my orthopedic doc next week and not playing.