Neck / Wrist / Lower Back pain

[getagrip]

So this is something that I'm troubleshooting with my doctor.

I am a casual tennis player, usually playing on synthetic courts
My Gear:
Wilson Prostaff 90 - Primary Choice + Regular Dampener
Babolat Pure Drive 2013 - Backup + Regular Dampener
Wilson KBlade 98 - Rare usage when I want to rotate rackets + Regular Dampener
I also keep experimenting with Guts.
Currently strung with Solinco Outlast - Which I feel are very stiff and sending shocks up my shoulder

Post a game or a session of hitting, I have sore body parts.
1. My wrist hurts, to the point where I cant grip properly. and I have a pinching sensation which takes a couple of days to go away.
2. I usually wake up with a stiff neck, I have to massage my shoulders to get some movement
3. My Lower back is usually stiff and I have to do some twisting to get mobile.

I understand that there could be many factors like posture/warming-up/mattress/stick stiffness.. but on a whole, are there other people who faced a similar situation and how did they fix it ?

Currently with my doctor, I am getting IFT for Back and TENS for my neck. but today (I played last eve) the pain is back.

As a first measure, I am considering re-gutting my stick with a soft synthetic gut and no polyester.

My aim is to find a cure for this and not a quick fix..

I am also reading further on the suggested thread - http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/great-fitness-sites-ii-aches-and-pains.52165/

 

[Surion]

Wow, I was (and am still to a lower degree) in a similar situation.
First of all:

DON'T change rackets, if your frames are that different. That confuses your whole body, your system. PS90 and Pure Drive...hard to choose racquets, that are even wider apart.

Well, my wrist was hurt pretty badly for a few months, but happily it was just a blockade after all. So I went to a very good physio, who unblocked it a few times and it's gone now.

But your issue sounds more serious. Did you ever visit a good physio? Did you ever take a few weeks off?

I had to stop playing for approximately 2 years.

For the back:

Mobility is key! Build up some muscles in your core AND move a lot.

After waking up it's the first thing I do before everything else.
I have a morning routine with stretching excercises, that takes about 15-20 minutes every single day, but lord, it helps.

That's it, strenghtening and stretching. It took me many many months to get back on track, but I was in a position, where I was totally unable to even think of playing tennis, so it was far worse than your situation, so I think you could handle it more easily.


And, sorry for my english...

 

[getagrip]

Thanks Surion!
This is helpful, I reckon that a daily fitness routine is important, now that im 31.

What do you mean by unblocking ? I did go to a Physio but I guess I need to go to someone who can diagnose better.
I did take some time off to heal my shoulder and it is fit now, though I avoid serving kick serves.

 

[ollinger]

1) no mention here of any diagnoses, so the idea of a fix for any of these problems is a little moot since we don't know anything except that you have some pain.
2) you speak of neck, wrist, and back pain as "a" problem and seek "a" cure. These are three problems requiring separate attention.
3) your choice of gear could possibly relate to your wrist issues but I doubt it has anything to do with your back and neck problems.
4) a TENS is a symptomatic approach that does not deal with causes. I have no idea what IFT is.
5) lay off tennis for a month or two and enjoy the holidays.

 

[Surion]

I don't have enough knowledge to really explain, what exactly my physio did with my wrist.
He said my middle carpal bone was blocked and moving my wrist beyond a certain degree (laying back to hit a forehand) caused pain.
He just took my hand and rapidly shook it or whatever...don't really know, sorry.
But it worked.

 

[RogueFLIP]

I don't have enough knowledge to really explain, what exactly my physio did with my wrist.
He said my middle carpal bone was blocked and moving my wrist beyond a certain degree (laying back to hit a forehand) caused pain.
He just took my hand and rapidly shook it or whatever...don't really know, sorry.
But it worked.

Most likely did some sort of wrist mobilization to loosen up the carpal joint.

4) a TENS is a symptomatic approach that does not deal with causes. I have no idea what IFT is.

IFT - most likely interferential therapy, a type of electrical stimulation.

 

[getagrip]

IFT is interferential therapy.

1. I had to start somewhere, thats why the current description of the situation I am in and seeking people who faced something similar.
2. I feel these are connected, I see a pattern of occurrence.
3. Choice of gear seems like a key here. Ofcourse they are related, an under powered stick will make you rotate more to generate the power.
4. thats what I wrote, TENS and the treatment is NOT helping me
5. Well I can do that, or get on with finding the solution, I prefer the second

 

[snvplayer]

So this is something that I'm troubleshooting with my doctor.

I am a casual tennis player, usually playing on synthetic courts
My Gear:
Wilson Prostaff 90 - Primary Choice + Regular Dampener
Babolat Pure Drive 2013 - Backup + Regular Dampener
Wilson KBlade 98 - Rare usage when I want to rotate rackets + Regular Dampener
I also keep experimenting with Guts.
Currently strung with Solinco Outlast - Which I feel are very stiff and sending shocks up my shoulder

Post a game or a session of hitting, I have sore body parts.
1. My wrist hurts, to the point where I cant grip properly. and I have a pinching sensation which takes a couple of days to go away.
2. I usually wake up with a stiff neck, I have to massage my shoulders to get some movement
3. My Lower back is usually stiff and I have to do some twisting to get mobile.

I understand that there could be many factors like posture/warming-up/mattress/stick stiffness.. but on a whole, are there other people who faced a similar situation and how did they fix it ?

Currently with my doctor, I am getting IFT for Back and TENS for my neck. but today (I played last eve) the pain is back.

As a first measure, I am considering re-gutting my stick with a soft synthetic gut and no polyester.

My aim is to find a cure for this and not a quick fix..

I am also reading further on the suggested thread - http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/great-fitness-sites-ii-aches-and-pains.52165/

I used to (still do) have neck, shoulder, wrist (more like hand), and hip problems. Lower back was probably affected as well.
At one point, my hand did not have enough grip strength to hold onto a racket after I played a point. And, I had very poor range of motion in my neck and shoulder (right side). And, they would be very stiff. I received about a dozen massage therapy and all of them asked if I was OK and my neck, upper back, and shoulders were very stiff. On the X-Ray, my c1 and c2 were subluxated, and I believe my scapula was pulled forward from hitting forehands.

One exercise that made a lot of difference was rotator cuff, rhomboid, and upper and lower trapezius exercises. No weights, just resistance band. Surprisingly ESR, ISR and other shoulder exercises made a lot of difference, and I could feel my right scapula was coming back to its position after being pulled forward...

I thought I just share what worked for me since our experiences seem to have some commonalities.