The Most Common Padel Injuries as seen by a Physiotherapist

Physiotherapy Services Ballito.

Amy Stranack is a physiotherapist who provides physiotherapy services Ballito. If you are looking for the best physiotherapy services Ballito you’ve come to the right place. Here physiotherapy services Ballito include: 

 

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Physiotherapy Insights

Padel has taken off at such a rate around the world as well as in South Africa. And I have been seeing so many patients with padel injuries this year! When I watched a webinar which covered padel injuries in particular I realised I’m not alone.

Padel has taken off largely because of the social element which so many people are craving especially after being deprived during the pandemic. It is also very competitive and the apps like Playtomic definitely boost incentive to improve. Then there is the fact that it makes exercise fun! With this comes great enthusiasm and at times this causes trouble. Going too fast from never having played Padel to playing four games in a week or two in a row because you are having so much fun or want to get better at it quickly, often leads to overuse injuries which I’m seeing mostly in the elbow and shoulder. These are due to the weight of the padel and slightly wider handle compared to a tennis racquet and incorrect technique or just getting into it too quickly. This, as I have mentioned in other posts, is what causes overuse injuries and conditions in many other activities too.

People also injure themselves when they have not been very active before or had a long break from exercise and then they discover Padel and go full steam ahead. You need to be realistic with where you are at with your fitness, age and level of skill. You also need to remember that you are using muscles that haven’t been used or minimally used for a long time and now they are working hard and the older we get the more difficult it is for our muscles to recover or get accustomed to strain or use.

Another very important thing to remember is to warm up! You may have been sitting at the computer all day and then suddenly you expect your muscles to stretch quickly when you get on the court and when they don’t that leads to, for example, achilles, calf and hamstring tears as well as low back injuries. The best way to avoid this is to arrive a few minutes early and do some light, dynamic stretching. Keep in mind which movements you will be doing during a game and try to do a few repetitions of those movements. For example, gentle jumping or jogging on the spot, some small side to side and forward lunges, lifting your arms horizontally and swinging them in circular movements, wrist and hip circles, crossing your arms in front and behind you, reaching your arms and body forward and then upwards and hugging your knees to your chest. These are just some ideas but you can always find some more online or on YouTube. Remember to make it about 5 minutes and get those who you are playing with you to join in so that it is sustainable.

It is better to take longer to start the game and to progress your level and points gradually and be able to play for a long time to come continuously, than to rush into Padel and therefore into injury which will set you back lots of time in recovery.

So what will you be the wise tortoise or the hare at the physio!

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