lower back

[Peter Samprer]

my lower back just started to hurt after playing tennis. what should i do to avoid it? it hurts after i follow through my serve. what's the best thing to do to avoid this kind of injury? what exercise do i need to make my back feel better.

Peter Samprer

[vin]

To reduce the risk of lower back injury, the muscles in your hamstrings, hips, and lower back need to be flexible, and the small supporting muscles in your lower back need to be strong.

Do an internet search for lower back and hamstring stretches and you should find plenty. You can probably also find some conditioning exercises for your lower back also.

If you want to go one step further, start a weightlifting program and include squats and/or deadlifts. But only start these exercises if you are pain free. If you are not flexible enough, these exercises can cause injury just like tennis. You also have to be careful to make sure you do them properly. Weightlifting will make your entire body tougher and more resistant to injury in addition to the strength benefits you'll gain.

Also make sure you stretch after every time you play tennis. If you don't, your muscles will get tighter and tighter until something pulls or tears.

Vin

[borisboris]

Do a superman stretch before/after matches. Lay on stomach-arms/legs spread, raise head up & lift opposite arm/leg = right arm + left leg = feel & isolate lumbar muscles then rotate. Also do a forearm/toe pushup. Raise your body w/ forearm and tip toes. Always helps.

Another tip is to change your shoes

[netman]

Check the old H&F message board. There were some good posts on low back issues.

Ken

[joe sch]

Try to improve your stroking mechanics. You are probably not keeping your center of gravity low enough when stroking thus you are forced to bend your back unnaturally for low balls, which causes strain. Try to use more legs and trunk rotation with your strokes. Stretching before, during and after tennis is also a very good idea and will help relieve muscle tightness that lead to fatigue. If you really want to get serious about improving your bodies ability to flex and improve your stroking mechanics then start doing yoga or a similar stretching form.
Best wishes, Joe

[polakosaur]

do some running to warm up your hamstring muscle remember it goes from your back to your heel, then stretch

[baseliner]

Agree with stretch and exercise suggestions. Another suggestion would be to play on clay. Softer courts=less pounding on the musculo-skeletal system. With the proper stretching before playing, some well cushioned shoes and play on clay should help.