Newswise — CHICAGO, IL, January 15, 2024 – Played outside in the cold weather on a heated, elevated court surrounded by chicken wire, platform tennis has been growing rapidly in pockets around the country since it began in the 1960’s. While the game is a great way to exercise, socialize, and enjoy fresh air in winter, it comes with its share of injuries. A 2018 first-ever national survey of platform tennis injuries revealed that 66% of players sustained an injury attributed to playing the game. The survey also found that of the players reporting an injury, more than half sustained two or more injuries.
The most common conditions reported were:
- Tennis elbow
- Calf strain
- Meniscal tear
- Ankle sprain
- Rotator cuff injuries
Sixty percent of the reported injuries were caused by overuse and 40% were due to an incident that occurred during play. The survey was based on online responses from more than 1,000 platform tennis players nationwide and was coordinated by Dr. Leda Ghannad, a sports medicine physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, with help from the APTA and approval from the internal review board at RUSH.
“We see a lot of racquet sport patients in our clinics,” explains Dr. Ghannad. “At this time of year, we frequently treat upper and lower body injuries to platform tennis players. The sport involves a mix of speed, agility, and quick energy bursts, which makes athletes more susceptible to injury. In addition, some players are middle-aged ‘weekend warriors’ who don’t strengthen or stretch their muscles and ligaments before games or practices.”
Dr. Ghannad recommends that players of all ages and ability perform a simple series of stretches and warm-ups before playing. These can be found at https://www.rushortho.com/news/preventing-platform-tennis-injuries.
“Platform tennis is a great way to exercise in the winter and I don’t want to discourage anyone from playing it,” says Dr. Ghannad. “However, due to the high injury rate, it is critical to take care of your body before even stepping on the court.”
About Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH
MOR is an international leader in musculoskeletal health consistently ranked among the top ten in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. It is comprised of renowned orthopedic and spine surgeons pioneering the latest advances in surgical and non-surgical care. Visit www.rushortho.com.
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