Tennis serve for someone with a herniated disc?

[trenzterra]

I have a herniated disc at L5/S1, according to my doctor it is still at an 'early' stage.

I can play tennis normally except for some occassional pain shooting down my legs, which is rather bearable.

However, serving is another issue. I tried playing a one set match with my friend, and for the first 3 service games or so my back was okay. However, after that I felt this rather sharp pain whenever I bend my back backwards to serve.

For someone with back injuries, is there any kind of tennis serve that wouldn't aggravate the back too much? I don't really want to stop tennis unless I really have to...

 

[theyhatethecans]

I've had some back issue and the key is finding a serve that will work with as little back twist as possible. I toss straight up and a little inside the court, push up with my legs(no jump), and twist my torso very little, but I still get decent pace on the ball and the shot is mostly flat (a little spin at times). All the slice and kick serves I used to like to try and do; I try no longer. I consider myself lucky. I've seen guys have to serve with the topspin forehand and I'm glad I'm not there yet, but I understand why the guys are doing it. Tennis is a fun game and it is gonna be hard to give up if I ever have to.

 

[tennisdad65]

I had a 9 mm herniated disk extrusion 8 yrs back.. Surgery was recommended but I declined. The pain was unbearable for a month but I survived it.

Anyways,
1) definitely NO back arch while serving.
2) Knee bend, torso/shoulder rotation or even hip thrust is your best bet for power
3) Limit your kick serves to topspin kicks (12 OClock tosses)..
4) Your twist days are over. Even if you only do Knee bend there is still back stress in a twist.
5) Topspin and topspin-slice kicks are still very doable without back stress.
6) I have bad knees too, so I actually use an extreme stance (mac like) to get mainly rotational torso power (and slice spin) into the serve.
7) For most people, a roddick or Fed like simple knee bend and upward explosion works..

 

[Daveyo]

Did the doctor say it was ok to play? I also have a herniation L5, pain down the leg to the top of the foot really. I serve just as the other poster said, knee bend, flat with good pace no twisting or very little. The serve is still very fast with movement, second serve is definitely slice tossing the ball the same as the first serve 12oclock.

 

[jwardb]

I have OP's problem and I also have a service motion in which I land on the 'wrong' foot (i.e., I'm right handed and land first on my right foot instead of my left). So, assuming that that's something that probably already needs to be changed, any thoughts on what effect the different landings would in the context of a lumbar disc problem?

 

[Maui19]

I would never play with a disc herniation until the disc had healed (about 6 weeks with no sports or moderate twisting of any kind). I turned a minor herniation into a huge one by playing tennis.

 

[jwardb]

I would never play with a disc herniation until the disc had healed (about 6 weeks with no sports or moderate twisting of any kind). I turned a minor herniation into a huge one by playing tennis.

Maui19, I read all of your status updates in one of the other recent disc threads. Thanks for those. May I ask: What accounted for your different treatment approaches to the L5-S1 versus the L3-L4? The pain? The MRI results? Location of the injury?

 

[Maui19]

Maui19, I read all of your status updates in one of the other recent disc threads. Thanks for those. May I ask: What accounted for your different treatment approaches to the L5-S1 versus the L3-L4? The pain? The MRI results? Location of the injury?

The old injury--the surgical one--occurred almost 20 years ago. I don't know if the protocols have changed or what, but they did a discectomy (rather than a fusion). That option was never discussed in my recent herniation, so perhaps they have learned that the success rate without surgery is quite high (80-90% according to my doc). I do know that I waited quite some time before seeking medical help, but don't know if that had anything to do with the decision to pursue surgery.

Note: I just did a little research and it looks like the surgical (discectomy) and non-surgical options have about the same long term success rate. I can see why the non-surgical approach is preferred these days.

 

[jwardb]

Hey thanks a lot. I suspect it'll be more than six weeks for me, but I'm also working very hard at PT. One last question: Did you do anything specific for the nerve-related muscle atrophy in your affected leg, or did the strength just come back from the various things you were doing in PT?

 

[LeeD]

I used to practice with an Open player who entered B's because of exactly that. His serve used to be thunderous, at 6'4" and maybe 200lbs., but his back limited his motion severely.
His solution was the low toss to the right (he rightie), kept both feet on the ground platform style (he used to jump really high pinpoint), and sliced both first and second serves. Much faster first, slower second.
Once he wasn't serving, he truly was an A or 5.5 level player.

 

[wao]

The old injury--the surgical one--occurred almost 20 years ago. I don't know if the protocols have changed or what, but they did a discectomy (rather than a fusion). That option was never discussed in my recent herniation, so perhaps they have learned that the success rate without surgery is quite high (80-90% according to my doc). I do know that I waited quite some time before seeking medical help, but don't know if that had anything to do with the decision to pursue surgery.

Note: I just did a little research and it looks like the surgical (discectomy) and non-surgical options have about the same long term success rate. I can see why the non-surgical approach is preferred these days.

Would agree as I have had the micro disectomy surgery L4. Mine was a rupture and herniation at L5. After rehab and 6 months of not playing tennis. I focused on my core strength extensivly. Also took the time to strenghten my upper and lower body.

 

[Frank Silbermann]

For someone with back injuries, is there any kind of tennis serve that wouldn't aggravate the back too much? I don't really want to stop tennis unless I really have to...

Backspin serve, hit with a western grip and a low toss. I'm sure you've seen lots of NTRP 2.5 players using it as their second serve.

 

[heninfan99]

Anyone overcome a low back herniated disc(s) on the serve?
Seems like even if I decompress my back after a few serves the disc recompresses and the pain is back, then even pushing off for forehands can hurt.

Anyone totally resolve this?(core strength, stretching & etc)

Is it time to work on the underarm serve?

 

[movdqa]

Maybe a sidearm slice serve. Not much pace but the slice keeps it low so harder to attack.

 

[pastashop42]

Maybe a sidearm slice serve. Not much pace but the slice keeps it low so harder to attack.

This. Plus the ball curves sideways in a way that’s harder to handle for the receiver than you’d think. I’ve used such serve a lot (and I S&V almost exclusively) and find that it works surprisingly well even at 4.5 level.

 

[Crocodile]

I have L5 S1 issues and work on court 6 days a week. The key is, after initial rest and ice you do this:
1. daily exercises prescribed by your phsio, and there are lots. I do them twice a day.
2. Swimming and associated hydro exercises, you can do them every day or second day.
3. Weekly phsio massage of muscles in the area and TENS machine.
4. Wear a back support when you start to get tired
5. Work out you playing schedule so you don't over do things suddenly.
6. Eat well and take fish oil, tumeric and magnesium plus CoQ10.
7. Keep your serve balanced so that each segment of the kinetic chain is correctly utilized. Keep it normal and don't over or under emphasise any segment.

 

[MajesticMoose]

Just serve underhand with a ton of side spin. Draw your opponent into net against their will and then pass and lob the hell out of them.