I've been out of the game for the past eighteen months with a severe case of Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis). At various points I've felt lethargic, depressed, uncommunicative, frustrated, hollow, unfulfilled, and incomplete. I've felt that I was just existing and not fully ALIVE. The appeal of sitting on the sofa every night instead of regular playing and exercising soon wore off very quickly - I would not make a very good couch potato! But, I went back to the game I love last week and it just felt so rewarding and satisfying, it was incredible. If you are currently injured and recuperating, then you may be thinking what I used to think: 1. I will never get better. 2. The injury will never fully heal. 3. That's it now for the rest of my life. Be patient! Give your body time to heal properly. Be positive and never give up. Try anything if you think it may help (I used Magnet Therapy as well as using my arm as soon as was comfortable, to aid circulation, strengthening, and recovery). And if you're reading this and you're not injured, then you are blessed. Try and be humble and grateful for your gift of good health, and enjoy doing something you love. Best Wishes to you all Derek
Cheers to that. What Derek says its true. You shouldn't give up the sport you love. I hope that every one who's injured to heal and play again. =)
Testiment. You've only got one body. I've had an experience where stupidity and blind passion for the game took over, leaving me with a slight, but PERMANENT, pain (and real enough to serve as a neat little reminder for next time). A few weeks of not playing is very difficult if you love it so much, but you thank yourself when the relatively miniscule proportion of time passes and you can function as new. Even a year is nothing when you consider the life you have ahead of you, and on that note it is so very important to nip the injury in the bud before it settles in for good. Forget winning; I think it should be everybody's prime aspiration to ENJOY THE GAME for as long as they can. That's what the game is all about. Aleik.
Tennis Elbow can take anything up to two YEARS to fully heal properly. It's an area of the body that is notoriously difficult and slow to heal. If you think about it, when you have the condition you can't grip things (like a racket) without pain. But how long do we grip things in life for? A few seconds, a minute maybe. So, the muscles are hardly ever being used apart from a few seconds in a specific way, then they lie dormant again. In a way, it was kind of good as I became very left handed and far less right sided. Kind of like a rebalancing thing, you know? Anyone reading this in their teens or twenties and in their prime of life and health is probably thinking, "what an old fart!". But I'd say - we all age and can lose the things we so easily take for granted. Take time out if you're injured. Treat your body well if you're not. And be humble and grateful for your health, because, believe me, as you get older it's all you end up talking and thinking about! Best Wishes Derek
Sometimes, prevention is better than cure. Often a racket that swings too fast will give you tennis elbow. Don't try to adapt youself to the racket, and injuring yoursef in the process. But rather get a racket that adapts to you, and gives you no pain. The cheapest and fastest fix for an over fast racket is a little of lead tape stuck to the top of the head.
It's funny isn't it? I love reading these forums, but they seem to be dominated by stuff about equipment, or techniques, or tactics. There's really not much stuff on injuries or rehabilitation or health. In fairness though, I can remember playing five evenings a week when I was in my twenties with absolutely no repercussions whatsoever. I just used to get up and play the very next day, no aches and pains at all! And I did no stretching and had a terrible diet too! I've found that my body changed once I hit 35. I suddenly started getting injuries to my back (muscle tear), knee (Medial Meniscal tear), and now my elbow. I would say that I've lost three years out through injury, out of the past seven. Previously, I'd played for 17 years without so much as a squeak! I couldn't agree more with CoolDoo6 - work on your flexibility NOW, don't let your muscles tighten up over time as you run the risk of muscle tears like me. And consider supplements - I take Fish Oil capsules, Collagen, and a good Multivitamin. I'd recommend Healthspan (www.healthspan.co.uk). Thanks for reading and contributing. Derek
I remember subscribing to this unique (and most useful) thread just yesterday in view of my latest injury. I've got an arm injury which I've rested for about a month, and the season starts next week, which is agonisingly tempting. I'm hoping to rest it another month, and declare in this thread at the beginning of next month that I am pain-free and have a full range of movements. It will serve as a kind of motivation; if I can provide a real-life, real-time example championing Derek's suggestions, it may inspire and encourage others to do the same, and will hopefully remind me how much worse off I could have been. However, if this is exploitative of this thread, please delete what I have written. I may as well also say that I'm seeing a doctor next week. Will report back in a month.
We do not heal as fast as when we were younger. Give your body sufficient time to recover after every exercise and always heed your body warning signs.
Doctor diagnosed tendonitis, advised me to keep playing, did so and now it's slowly mending. Perhaps if i'd rested it for too long like I thought was proper it would be weaker than ever now. This isn't always the case and was very particular to my injury, but i wouldn't have known what to do without medical help. Now i'm playing with almost no pain and getting back to the game i was playing 6 months ago. Rule #1: See a doctor to minimise your injury problems.
Absolutely! But what do they win? Anyways, yes, playing through the pain may be apparently worthwhile for now, but later on, you'll come to regret it. I've been lucky so far, played it mostly safe, haven't gotten any serious injuries yet.
Hey Man - I'm out too at the mo' with a foot injury, but you're comments give me hope. I really miss the whole scene and all my Badminton pals, but I guess I'll just have to be patient. I'm reading a book now which is helping me a lot: "Thinking Body Dancing Mind" by Chungliang Al Huang and Jerry Lynch - any of you come across this? BW, Smautf
Ligament tears can be bad. They can take 3, 6, 9...12...18...months to heal depending on the severity. You should definitely check with a Specialist if it's severe, some may need surgery to to help the healing process/to heal correctly.
Liagament tears don't heal!!! The tissue is avascular. Like Master Dan said, see a specialist. If you have the money, undergo the latest and greatest surgerical technique.
