Play tennis or other racquet sports like Pickleball long enough, and there’s good chance that you’ll suffer a lower body injury. And while there’s no way to completely eliminate this risk, there are some ways you can work to greatly reduce your injury risk. One of the secrets to lowering your injury risk during racquet sports is tied to your ankle health, and we explore that training tip in today’s blog.

Ankle Mobility Is Key For Tennis Players

If you want to significantly reduce your likelihood of a lower body injury while playing tennis, work to improve your ankle mobility when you’re off the court. Targeted strengthening exercises, flexibility training or an activity like yoga can do wonders to improve your ankle flexibility, and research shows that ankle flexibility is closely tied to injury risk. A recent study published in the journal Physiology found that injury risk was closely tied to a tennis player’s ankle flexibility.

For the study, researchers tracked the biomechanical performance of 32 tennis players of different skill levels. They found that players with poor ankle mobility and control were not only more likely to lose power in their shots, but they were also more prone to overloading their feet and ankles during play. As you can imagine, repetitive overloading, especially on an ankle joint that is less equipped to handle these forces, is a significant indicator of injury risk.

The good news is that if we are aware of this association, we can work to reduce our injury risk by slowly improving our ankle flexibility and mobility. Of course, you’ll also want to follow some other smart tips when it comes to protecting your feet from injury during racquet sports. Be sure to wear shoes designed to support your feet during the athletic activity, take time to warm up before activity and gradually increase your workload so as not to overstress your feet in the short term. If you keep these tips in mind and connect with an orthopaedic specialist if a new injury develops, we’re confident that you’ll be doing what you can to keep foot and ankle injuries from keeping you off the court.

For more information, reach out to Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.

The post The Key To Lowering Tennis Injury Risk Is In The Ankles appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.

Most Common Foot Injuries In Tennis

Before we talk prevention, let’s take a closer look at what types of foot and ankle injuries most commonly sideline tennis players. A recent study on NCAA Division 1 tennis players found that the most common foot and ankle injuries include:

• Ankle sprains
• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Stress fractures
• Turf toe
• Subungual hematoma

Even though we’re looking at Division 1 athletes in this study, it’s unlikely that other populations would experience a much different injury pattern. While fracture risk may increase in older adults, especially if balance or osteoporosis risk is elevated among this population, this injury chart mirrors a lot of what Dr. Silverman has seen in his decades of practice. So how does he recommend patients work to prevent these issues?

Preventing Foot Injuries During Tennis

Tennis injuries aren’t completely preventable, but if you take some steps before, during and after you step on the court, there’s a good chance you can reduce your risk of a foot injury. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.

Stretch – Take a couple of minutes to stretch your lower body before diving into a tennis match. Tennis relies on quick movements and short bursts of speed, and if you go from an inactive state right into a game, you’ll be at a heightened risk for calf strains and related soft tissue injuries. Warm up a bit before starting a match.

Don’t Overdo It – Tennis can be a lot of fun, but you want to ease your way into the activity. Playing too much or failing to give your body enough rest between matches can increase your risk of a foot or ankle injury. Build up your physical tolerance, especially if you haven’t played tennis in a while. Build regular rest days into your schedule. Not only will this help you prevent injuries, but it can ensure your body is stronger the next time you step on the court.

Crosstrain – Many people use tennis and pickleball as a form of exercise, but try not to make it your only form of exercise. Doing some exercises or a workout routine that specifically targets the areas you use most during racquet sports – like your feet, ankles and core – can help to strengthen key areas and reduce the risk of an acute or overstress injury. Regular exercise is great, but vary the activities you pursue so that you aren’t always stressing the same muscle groups.

Wear The Right Shoes – It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing tennis on the pro circuit or recreationally at the park – you need to wear shoes that are designed to support your feet and ankles during tennis. If you aren’t wearing shoes designed for the rigors of the sport, you’ll be at a heightened risk for injury. Make sure that you wear sport-specific shoes for whatever sport you choose.

Treat Minor Injuries – Finally, always be sure to proactively treat any new or chronic injuries. Don’t try to play through a swollen ankle or ignore feelings of tightness in your calf. Your body is telling you that something is wrong, and you need to listen to it. Missing a day or a week of games can help prevent a much more serious injury like a torn Achilles or ankle ligament tear that could keep you sidelined for months or longer.

For more information, reach out to Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.

The post Preventing Common Foot And Ankle Tennis Injuries appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.

Williams has suffered ankle injuries during her career, but Tuesday’s incident looked like it might send the five-time Australian Open champion home early.

Williams held a 4-0 lead in the first set when she chased a return shot to her right.  As she struck the ball, her momentum continued to carry her laterally.  Her right foot rolled outward, bringing the majority of her weight down on the injured ankle.

The 15-time major champion stayed on the ground for several minutes while being attended to by trainers.  Williams covered her face with her hands, but looked relieved when she was able to bear weight on her foot.   She limped over to her chair to have her ankle, which was taped before the match, readdressed.

“I think I was really, really close to panicking because a very similar thing happened to me last year, almost on the same side, the same shot,” said Williams. “So I almost panicked, and I thought, ‘I can’t do that. I just have to really remain calm and think things through.'”

Williams went on to win the set, and eventually the match, but she needed trainers to adjust her taping twice more during the match.  The injury didn’t seem to slow her down, but she was clearly playing through some discomfort as evidenced by her wincing following a jump shot in the second set.  Despite the pain, Williams plans to continue her quest for a sixth Australian Open title.

“Oh, I’ll be out there,” said Williams, in reference to her second round match. “I’m alive.  My heart’s beating.  I’ll be fine.”

Williams has dealt with injuries in major tournaments before, so she’s still confident in her abilities.

“I’ve been injured before,” she said. “I’ve played this tournament with so many injuries and was able to come off pretty on top.”

Williams is favored to win the tournament, having won 35 of her past 36 matches “down under”.  She’ll rest Wednesday before returning to the court Thursday to take on Garbine Muguruza.

Dr. Silverman comments

Serena is dealing with a classic inversion sprain.

Serena was moving from side to side when she tried to push off her right ankle, which rolled even though she was on a flat surface.  This occurred because she has weakened lateral ligaments.

Now, Serena is strong as an ox and I have amazing respect for her ability to function at such a high level, but her ankle instability puts her at a greater risk to roll or turn her ankle.  With that said, she must have extremely strong peroneal muscles to accommodate for her ankle instability.

This isn’t the first time she’s suffered an inversion sprain in her right ankle, and if she doesn’t seek proper treatment she may very well suffer the sprain once again.  Serena needs to consider that long-term repetitive spraining puts her at an increased risk of arthritis and tendon tearing.

I understand that there is rarely a “convenient” time for an athlete to undergo surgery, as competing on such a high level requires nearly year-round training, but she’d be better off by undergoing ankle ligament reconstruction.  The surgery would help her build ankle strength, and she’d be less likely to sprain her ankle from routine activity like moving right or left.

Related source:  ESPN.com

The post Serena Rolls Ankle, Competition appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.