Eliminating back pain from playing tennis

Playing tennis is a good way to keep an active lifestyle and be healthy at any stage during our lifetime. It can help us whether as teenagers or as a mature adult. It is a no-contact sport so we avoid injuries due to impact as is the case with some other sports. Also, tennis courts are common features of communities so it is easier to find a place to play and keep on playing.

But, as with every good thing there can be some drawbacks. So, you would have to be careful. Getting carried away and being careless about over doing things will not help. You will need to keep in mind the safety of your spine. Playing involves sudden starts and stops. It also forces trunk turning and muscle stretching. So, regular players are more prone to spine problems or lower back pain from playing tennis.

Active athletes seem to be more prone to, back pain and reports show a link to sports activities. And tennis players of all ages are included among the injured. For the tennis players of all age groups, the research indicates that back pain is common. Players often complain of chronic lower back pain and miss tournaments because of it.

The injuries and resulting pain are due to the wear and tear of tennis playing on your back and its muscles. You would thus have to find ways to heal and prevent such injuries. There are ways you could reduce the impact of play on your back and reduce the chance so, we need to look at some of them.

1.  Warm up before you start

Preparation is always important for any activity and tennis playing is no different. It is important that you stretch to loosen your muscles before you start to play tennis. You also need to stretch again at the end of playing. Stretching will make it less likely for you to strain your muscles. It will also make you less likely to suffer from lower-back muscle spasms. That is common in back pain from playing tennis.

A slow jog from one end of the court to another, trunk twisting, and arm circles are all great ways of warming up. It will prepare your muscles before you start to play your game. If you suffer from chronic back pain, it may be a good idea to include some stretches in your warm up routine. Focus on the part of your back (usually the lumbar area) where the pain is often felt. If you need to find suggestions for lower back stretching exercises you can check here.

2.  Play on a softer court is better

It is generally better for your spine if you play on a softer tennis court. Hard surface tennis courts are easier to find. But it would be better for you to make the extra effort to find a soft court to play on. A soft court or a “Har-Tru” which is of a green surface, is available at many clubs. The green surface is sand-like and makes the ball move a bit slower. This allows you time to move into place for your shot with fewer sudden starts and abrupt stops. This would help you avoid the cause of back pain.

3.  Slice your serve

Another useful way to end back pain from playing tennis is to be careful in serving the ball. The serve presents you with the greatest risk for back pain from tennis playing. The way you have to rotate and stretch your body to serve the ball above the net for each serving is a risk for back pain. That is very true if you have to use a topspin serve. The topspin requires a great deal of extension of the muscles of the lower back. It also requires compressing your lumbar disks.

A better back-friendly serve is to use the slice. With this the racket hits the ball from the side instead of from above. So, to avoid back pain from playing tennis slice the ball up and you will be able to keep back pain at bay.

4.  Learn and use proper techniques

It is important to learn the right playing techniques if you are to avoid back pain from playing tennis. Besides your serves, you also need to practice volleys. Overheads and groundstrokes techniques are also useful. Your coach can take you through the best hitting positions, ways of hitting the ball. Also, best follow-through moves that will keep your back painless.

If you experience back pain you can benefit by learning one-handed backhand strokes. It can lessen the rotational strain this shot puts on your back. Your coach can also have you practice techniques that are better for your back. These include avoiding excessive repetition of one kind of shot when doing drills. This would reduce the risk of injury to any group of muscles.

5.  Use the right gear

Getting and keeping your back pain free would also depend on your playing gear. Your footwear must support multidirectional movements. You also need to use the right racquet with the right string tension. Try to avoid playing with wet tennis balls and on a wet slippery court. You can also get advice from your local tennis pro on the best gear for less stress on your back muscles.

Tennis is one of those games that gives us the physical activities needed for health. It also gives us a sense of well-being. Like any other sport it places some stress on your back muscles and spine. This makes it important that the muscles that support your back keep flexible, and strong to prevent injury and pain.

Overcoming pain and getting your muscles to support your back may need the help. If you are in Singapore you will find the physiotherapists in Singapore very helpful. If you had a back injury consult one. A physiotherapist can show you various techniques to help you reduce the stress on your back. Then drop your back pain while playing tennis.

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