The most debilitating injury to you, and how do you prevent it?

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

In your mind, what is the most debilitating injury to you, and why? It doesn't have to be the one that put you out of action, more like the one that frustrate you the most.

What are you doing to prevent it?

There will be no bashing of people and their practices, that crap belongs in the general pro section. I'm sure minds will think alike and we can all learn from one another!

For me, it'll have to be a lower back injury, and this is coming from someone who bounced back twice from shoulder surgeries.

There's nothing more demoralizing than playing with a stiff lower back. You're left wondering why you can't move despite having fresh legs. Its effect on serves is obvious, however, it affects my forehand as well. Standstill forehands takes maximum effort just to produce attackable balls for my opponent, stretched forehands are downright excruciating. :shock: But ultimately, the inability to initiate that first step in any direction is beyond frustration. :evil:

I'm young and I've had one memorable episode of back spasms/stiff lower back without much of a prelude. Since then, I've modified my service motion. I used to have a lot back arch in my motion, I still have some but it's greatly toned down from what it used to be. To compensate, I've introduced more knee bend so I'm still "underneath the ball". Thankfully, my legs have been indestructible so far. :twisted:

I've added more core related exercises to my workout routine. Lastly, I've learned to listen to my body even before it screams bloody murder.

Most importantly, after two shoulder surgeries and a lower back scare, I give myself adequate rest. So whenever I play, the vulnerable body parts (shoulder and lower back) are as fresh as possible. 3 - 4 days consecutive playing, 1 day of rest. If I go 5 - 6 days, minimum 2 days of rest.

What's your story?

 

[r2473]

Has to be blue balls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7GbCrREOM4

To prevent this, I only "date" Tiger Woods approved babes:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/5624938/i_am_tiger_woods/

 

[LeeD]

Well, you could break a tib/fib, get surgery, pins, plates, wire, and a hip cast, so you can sit home for 13 months.......
Or, you can break your hitting side collarbone, so you watch tennis....
Or, you could break your ankle, race motorcycles and go through summer football practices allowing it to partially heal just enough for a REBREAK, 3 pins, and plate..........
Or, you could break the pinkie and ring finger so you get pins inserted in both, of your hitting hand....
A separation of the hitting side shoulder is always fun....
How about an hitting side ankle that has a couple of torn displaced tendons that won't ever heal by themselves, no medical insurance, and no running for the past 4 years, does that count?

 

[usta2050]

Has to be blue balls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7GbCrREOM4

To prevent this, I only "date" Tiger Woods approved babes:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/5624938/i_am_tiger_woods/

or date ****s.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Well, you could break a tib/fib, get surgery, pins, plates, wire, and a hip cast, so you can sit home for 13 months.......
Or, you can break your hitting side collarbone, so you watch tennis....
Or, you could break your ankle, race motorcycles and go through summer football practices allowing it to partially heal just enough for a REBREAK, 3 pins, and plate..........
Or, you could break the pinkie and ring finger so you get pins inserted in both, of your hitting hand....
A separation of the hitting side shoulder is always fun....
How about an hitting side ankle that has a couple of torn displaced tendons that won't ever heal by themselves, no medical insurance, and no running for the past 4 years, does that count?

I'm currently playing with a slightly injured index finger. Injured it when I shanked a forehand volley.

But, good god you're a walking hospital!

 

[LeeD]

I blame it all on 2 seasons of racing roadracing motorcycles (250 production and 250GP), and 5 long seasons racing about 40 races a year in motocross to finally make the Sat. Qualis of the OaklandColiseumSuperCross only to crash out on the FIRST turn....
Fortunately, I discovered windsurfing in 1983, to replace motocross.

 

[usta2050]

for me it was the golfer's elbow I got from a prince mid racket that was strung real tightly. even holding a racket causes pain on a scale of 3/10.

i've since bought many more mids rackets for fun but I don't use them.

 

[tennytive]

Tennis elbow so bad I had to play lefty.

6 months to begin to heal, by 9 months back to playing righty.

No more poly strings… nylon or syn gut from then on. No problem since.

 

[PimpMyGame]

I suffer from gout. When an attack is coming on, it's probably only 50-50 whether getting anti-inflammatories in early will enable me to play.

Right now after a stag weekend on sailing boats and a gouty ankle (with a tourney match this Thursday) I am extremely close to giving up beer for good...

 

[Cindysphinx]

PF, for sure.

Part of the difficulty with PF is that it is easy not to take it seriously. You get this vague heel pain, so you try to play through it. I mean, it's just the heel, so how bad could it be? Answer: Bad.

I had PF in both feet, and it took a year to resolve. I actually ruptured the PF in my left foot. I hadn't even known that could happen.

 

[LeeD]

Foot injuries are horrible, because you can still play, but can't run fast or move normal.
I've had this "sprained" ankle now for 4 years. Still cannot run ONE step, or push off the bad ankle. Probably a torn ligament or tendon. I can play 4.0 doubles, and even 4.5 doubles if the serves aren't too accurate coming at me.
But singles, I'll lose to smart 3.5's who don't fear my game (my good friends whom I've beaten 50-5 in sets don't fear me).

 

[r2473]

(my good friends whom I've beaten 50-5 in sets don't fear me).

You play 99-setters Lee?

I think you deserve more prize money than those clowns playing 3 or 5 setters.

 

[LeeD]

I've mentioned I lost straight sets to two of my buds, both strong 3.5's who play league 3.5 doubles, with no losses.
One of them is also a windsurfer, and we've played well over 50 sets, at least 10 of which I played right handed (when he was learning the game). No fear, my record is close to 10-1 in sets over him.
The other is a fellow doubles player, a guy who's helped me out in my times of need. I don't need to beat him, he knows his place in the hierarchy at the RoseGardens in Berkelely.

 

[Pacific lefty]

Shoulder injury! The first and worst real injury. Excruciating to play a match in pain and then write off doing everyday activities for a week with your arm after it. Soleus strain, piece of cake in comparison.

Prevention: resistance band exercises, recovery and rest periods, stop when sore!!!

(from someone who learned the hard way!)

 

[LeeD]

Hi PacLefty....
How's the recovery coming along? I think it's been about 4 months since your surgery, so you should be brushing your teeth with the left arm and almost using it everyday normal.
I"m surprised you don't take up right handed tennis for a year. Most lefties can adapt pretty well pretty quickly.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Shoulder injury! The first and worst real injury. Excruciating to play a match in pain and then write off doing everyday activities for a week with your arm after it. Soleus strain, piece of cake in comparison.

Prevention: resistance band exercises, recovery and rest periods, stop when sore!!!

(from someone who learned the hard way!)

Oh I hear you. But if you can recover as well as I have, it'll become an afterthought.

 

[Pacific lefty]

Recovery is great!

Oh I hear you. But if you can recover as well as I have, it'll become an afterthought.

Hi Say Chi, that's a cryptic thought! Hey LeeD. I have to say I'm doing all everyday activities normally and playing tennis about twice a week. Friendly matches so far, and am only serving at about 80%. I find that all my strokes are way more relaxed and its not only good for my arm, but my game is going well. Truthfully it is way better than right handed tennis.

The only thing I notice is a bit of a stiff feeling along the top of my shoulder in the morning, which slowly goes away after I stretch. I am waiting about 48 hours after playing a match or hitting before I play again, so that seems to be working too.

Of course the same old people are now starting to ask me if I want to play this league or that league this winter, but for now, I am saying no!

 

[dman72]

The worst injury I can think if is tearing an achilles. This would seriously kill anyones tennis game for many years if not for good.

I'm mindful of stretching my calfs and achilles and trying to build calf strength due to a minor issue with achilles tendonitis from a pair of tennis shoes with no arch support.

I now watch my footwear and mind my achilles very carefully.

One thing I have never had an issue with is my shoulder, and I put it through hell with how I serve (wannabe Roddick type motion).

I think it's durability is due to the fact that I've been doing some sort of dumbell or millitary press weight training since I was about 16 years old. Or just lucky genetics.

 

[LeeD]

Good stuff, PacLefty. Playing for fun and being relaxed, allowing the mind to let some points go, is the way to go for us not trying to make the pros. We can play tennis a long time if we don't take it too seriously. Try our best, se la vie afterwards.
Dman.... don't know your history, but overuse, abuse, and injury is what causes our shoulders to feel distressed. If you never lifted sheetrock for a living, separated, disclocated, or broke collarbones, or don't try to impress big guys with your throwing prowess, you are lucky and your shoulder's might hold up.
Age might be a problem, accumulated stress and use. Oh, surfing 4 days a week for over 25 years helps accelerate rotator cuff impairments.

 

[5263]

For me, it'll have to be a lower back injury, and this is coming from someone who bounced back twice from shoulder surgeries.

are you stretching hamstrings after all workouts?
Tight hamstrings not only risk muscle pulls, but pull at the lower back
and can cause spasms and worse!

Protect the knees with agility drills and rotator cuff by making room for it on
serve thru using good shoulder tilt.

lift with DBs and/or cables to off set the muscle imbalances of tennis strokes.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

are you stretching hamstrings after all workouts?
Tight hamstrings not only risk muscle pulls, but pull at the lower back
and can cause spasms and worse!

Protect the knees with agility drills and rotator cuff by making room for it on
serve thru using good shoulder tilt.

lift with DBs and/or cables to off set the muscle imbalances of tennis strokes.

Very good point, I forgot to mention it in my original post. When I had that episode of stiff lower back that put me out for months, I was able to see a physical therapist. She said my tight hamstrings likely caused the back spasms. Since then, I have been stretching my hamstrings as well as strengthening my core and lower back.

 

[5263]

Very good point, I forgot to mention it in my original post. When I had that episode of stiff lower back that put me out for months, I was able to see a physical therapist. She said my tight hamstrings likely caused the back spasms. Since then, I have been stretching my hamstrings as well as strengthening my core and lower back.

Good deal! Very important and really can affect the serve oddly enough!

 

[zacinnc78]

hip labral tear caused by too shallow hip sockets (wish i wouldve known earlier in life )

 

[soyizgood]

Optic neuritis. Can only see with one eye for now. Got another condition it's tied to that could affect my nervous system. Having to play higher percentage on forehands and getting footwork improved.

 

[JLDN]

PF, for sure.

Part of the difficulty with PF is that it is easy not to take it seriously. You get this vague heel pain, so you try to play through it. I mean, it's just the heel, so how bad could it be? Answer: Bad.

I had PF in both feet, and it took a year to resolve. I actually ruptured the PF in my left foot. I hadn't even known that could happen.

Really discouraging to read. I'm on the 6th week off from any kind of running due to what I thought was PF but is actually most likely heel bursitis in right foot. Been icing, stretching, resting and also got new custom orthotics but still hurts so much some times that I can't even put weight on my foot. This might be a really long road back.