THE INFLUENCE OF PLAYING SURFACES ON TENNIS INJURIES
The cold hard facts are there. The research has been undertaken globally. Biomechanical experts have published their findings, and the elite tennis players have succumbed! Tennis players start young, and want to enjoy their sport well into their retirement years, but they cannot do so on hard court surfaces. This is proven. World-wide, there is clear evidence that the trend for hard court installations is matched by a decrease of player activity, and conversely, in countries where there is an increase in clay court installations, there is a parallel of escalating player participation, activity and performance.
A paper prepared by Benno M. Nigg, Professor of Biomechanics, at the University of Calgary, Canada, emphasised that “surfaces that allowed sliding resulted in about 75% fewer injuries than surfaces which did not”.
It is important to stress the difference between “slide” and “slip”. The characteristics displayed by synthetic grass surfaces are every bit as dangerous as hard courts, maybe more so. Also, the so called “cushion surfaces” are causing even more injuries, and these damages to the muscle-skeletal system are not limited only to ankles, knees, hips and backs.
The message is clear. The warnings should be made throughout sports’ administrators, coaches, recreation officers, and of course, parents. Quite apart from the looming threats of litigation now developing through the ‘elite’ players, whose careers are being cut short, the high costs associated with public liability insurance will soon become apparent. The guardians of health and safety in sport will have to focus on the replacement of hard surfaces (including synthetic grass) with clay. Of course, this will ultimately lead to better players, and the benefit of more participants across the full age spectrum.
MEDICAL REPORT
Tennis is a sport of many and varied physical movements. It is primarily a “throwing action” sport; the service action being a vital component of tennis. The backhand and forehand shots involve different technical movements. With regard to the lower limbs, the essential element is running but you have to consider sudden stopping, momentum and thrust, as well as turning and changes of direction.
Considerations of intensity, age levels and the physical characteristics are varied. Certain exertions are relatively specific and normal whilst others are more extreme.
Articulation of the Shoulder
Nerve damage to the deltoid is particularly frequent. The nerve emanating from the C5/C6 roots, and relatively thin (about 20cm) in length, finishes in the muscle of the large deltoid, which is located on the spinal edge of the scapula. During movements of high amplitude of the scapula, which are necessary in the service motion, the position of the head and that of the arm can cause this nerve to tense-up under repetition, and can lead to temporary paralysis.
There is uncertainty in the clinical diagnosis of this symptom, which is nonconforming and is often characterised by posterior pains, a hot sensation, and some times by irritations in the upper limb and even pain in the elbow. These pains can represent neurological reactions but also elements of adaptation or compensation.
The analysis of the shoulder is not simple. Sometimes this attack of the deltoid nerve can be associated with the scapular nerve, located in the upper side of the scapular. They appear as stressed muscles or those on the level of the spine of the scapula. Only the stressed muscles are affected.
Private clinics have difficulty in assessing damage to the scapula, which remains a common characteristic. Repetitive overuse and fatigue will emphasise the inefficiency of this large deltoid. Often the clinical examination does not evaluate massage and electro stimulate. However when an operator carries it out, it is possible to identify the damage. Total rest from physical activity is imperative. A manual analytical rehabilitation, sometimes associated with electro stimulation, makes it possible to cure the problem within three to six months.
(Pat Rafter’s well documented shoulder injury is typical of the above observation.)
 |
