WHAT WOULD YOU DO....IF YOU WERE INJURED AT THE TIME OF A COMPETITION - PLAY ON OR PULL OUT?

The National Tennis Championships are now over – many congratulations to Edgbaston who beat Bristol today in the final.

It was great to have a chance to see some first class doubles tennis here in Bristol at Next Generation Health Club and also to talk to and do physio on some of the players. One thing I found with almost all those I treated was great determination to play-on despite aches/pains and injuries which would normally bring people to a hobble!

As a rower both in a 'four' and an 'eight', I know how important it is not to let team mates down despite not necessarily being on top form on race day. However I recently spoke with a hurdler who said that he wouldn't consider competing if he wasn't absolutely fit for it on the day....interesting.

So here's the question - Are people in teams more likely to play-on despite injuries than people who are competing on their own and if so, why?

What are your thoughts? Email me at jemma@thephysioplace.com or post a note on this blog and let me know your sport, your level and what you would do. I’ll continue to do my own research amongst patients I treat and feedback my findings.

Thanks

Fun evening with Pat Cash vs Jeremy Bates

Last night saw the charity tennis match between Pat Cash and Jeremy Bates which was an evening of entertainment and great tennis. Excellent to see the celebs of the tennis world here in Bristol.

The rest of the week at Next Generation is now over to the National Tennis Championship Finals with the final match being played at 1pm on Sunday. If you enjoy tennis and would like to see some high quality tennis being played I recommend you make your way to Next Generation as soon as. Tickets are available from the club.

Celebrity Charity Tennis Event, Next Generation Health Club

This week Next Generation Health Club, Bristol, where The Physio Place is based, is hosting a Celebrity Charity Tennis Event to raise money for St Peter's Hospice. The first night of this 5 day event will see Pat Cash on court together with other celebrities from TV and sport. It promises to be a great event. I just want to wish everyone playing the best of luck! Don't forget to warm up and stretch out etc - I'm covering the physio so the less injuries the better please! :-)

Anyone interested in attending this great event is advised to call 01845578465 or 07870778490 for tickets.

Look forward to seeing you there.

TENNIS - ADVICE TO REDUCE/ASSIST WITH UPPER LIMB PROBLEMS

At last the sun's arrived and for many the tennis court beckons. If that's you but you're concerned that old injuries might return, or work related problems may inhibit your game, I recommend you take action and really work to strengthen both your shoulder and arm muscles and also make sure that your core stability muscles are working well.

I regularly treat racquet sports injuries and work related upper limb problems and have found that good posture, core stability and scapular (shoulder blade) control are significant contributors to long term painfree games.

For core muscle activation I recommend looking at my earlier blog on 'running and back pain'. Pilates is also a great way of getting your core muscles working.

Getting your shoulder into a good position is not easy to describe but good posture with well maintained back curves will help to achieve this. Think of a 'piece of string' pulling you up by your hair - don't stick your chest or bottom out but reach up with the imaginary piece of string. This should help to bring your good posture about.

The other thing is strength - once the shoulder and posture and core is good - making sure the muscles around your shoulder blade and arm are strong enough and not too tight. A balance between length and strength of muscles is essential.

Please note that if you're still struggling despite these tips or if you have been experiencing tingling, numbness or pain radiating down your arm and/or into your hand, headaches or other oddities, I recommend that you seek the help of a Chartered Physiotherapist to address the specifics of your problems.

None of the information given on this blog should cause you any problems but if it does stop immediately and seek the advice of a professional.