By:brJustin Keller, PT, MPT, OCS, Cert. MDT, CSCS
Justin Keller, Physical Therapy Director at Spine Team Texas, has treated many patients with back pain related to playing tennis. He offered the following tips to reduce the risk of spine and back injury when playing tennis.
1. Warm-Up! Don't hit cold. Stretching,brwalking and light jogging can get the body prepared for the day.
2. Warm-upbrpractice should be similar to match play. Include groundstrokes andbrserves in your training that would be similar to a match.
3. Groundstrokesbrbefore serves. Start in close with groundstrokes then slowlybrmove back, gradually increasing the intensity and power of your hits. Service places the most stress on the spine,brso serve after you are warmed up.
4. Fundamentalsbrof footwork. One of the keys to preventing back pain is tobrposition your body correctly during your swing. brProper footwork will position your body to optimize performance andbrminimize undue stress.
5. Addbrresistance. Resistance exercise that simulates tennisbrplay is key to preventing injury. Thisbrcan be done with a resistance band attached from a fence or door to yourbrracquet. Practice high and low swingsbrand at different speeds. In the gym,brvariable speed pulley systems work well too.
Spine Team Texas is a comprehensive spine center specializingbrin the treatment of neck and back pain, from simple strains to the most complexbrspine surgeries. Spine Team Texas’s philosophy is to treat patientsbrconservatively through education, spine-focused physical therapy, non-surgicalbrtreatments, and minimally-invasive spine surgery as a last resort or whenbrmedically necessary. Established inbr2004, Spine Team Texas is headquartered in Southlake, Texas. Other locationsbrinclude Rockwall, Fort Worth-Alliance, and a new clinic that opened September 8thbrin Bedford, Texas. For more information,brvisit SpineTeamTexas.com or call 817-442-9300 to schedule your spine consultation today. Follow/”Like” them on Facebook, YouTube, andbrTwitter.