Staying Injury-Free in Racket Sports After 40: What You Need to Know

Racket sports like tennis, badminton, and padel are fantastic ways to stay active and social, especially as you hit 40 and beyond. However, as we age, injury prevention becomes crucial. In tennis, two-thirds of the injuries are due to overuse and one third is due to a traumatic injury or acute injury. Common issues like knee pain, ankle sprains, and elbow pain can creep up, threatening our performance and enjoyment.

1. Protecting Your Knees: Pain, Support, and Prevention

Knee pain is a common issue among racket sports players, particularly due to the lateral movements and sudden stops these sports require. After 40, we can encounter less mobility, decreased strength and degeneration in joints.

One of the best ways to protect your knees is with proper knee support. Knee braces, knee sleeves, and knee compression products provide stability by reducing the strain on the knee joint during high-impact movements. By wearing a knee brace, it can offer mild to maximum support to reduce risk of injuries or prior existing injury. Zamst offers multiple styles for knee braces such as the ZK-Protect, which offers strong support for ligament sprains. The ZK Motion offers moderate support with light weight feeling. The ZK-X is a hinged brace with maximum support which helps with sports that have vigorous movement.

Tip: Always warm up properly before matches or practice sessions. Light jogging, dynamic stretching, and resisted activation of your muscles in a sport related movement can help get your knees ready for high-impact movement.

2. Ankle Protection: Braces and Stabilizers

Ankle sprains are another common injury in racket sports due to the sudden and quick movements that you have to make by reacting to what the other player is doing. After 40, we can lose some of our mobility and lose our proprioception which can cause the ankle to not be ready for dynamic positions.

Using an ankle brace or ankle stabilizer can offer extra protection. These devices are especially useful during play as they limit excessive motion in the ankle while allowing enough mobility for rapid directional changes. Zamst offers different level of support ankle braces from mild to strong support. The Filmista Ankle is the lightest support and feels similar to tape or sleeve to the A1 ankle brace that has moderate support and then lastly the A2-DX which offers the strongest support.

Tip: Wearing an ankle brace can help reduce ankle sprains and severity of a sprain if the ankle turns. However, combining strengthening exercises, mobility and balance training can reduce injury risk

3. Managing Elbow Pain: Support and Treatment

Lateral elbow pain, commonly known as “tennis elbow” or ‘lateral epicondylitis” (even in badminton and padel), is typically a result of overuse of the forearm muscles.

Using elbow support or an elbow brace can help to alleviate the pain and strain on the tendons, especially during play. The goal of an elbow brace is to disperse the force of the tendon of the forearm to reduce pain. Zamst offers an elbow band that can be worn during play or when doing activities that irritate the tendon.

Tip: Improving the mobility of the forearm and shoulder can help reduce load and force to the tendon which can alleviate pain.

4. Preventing Wrist Sprains: Supports and Strengthening Exercises

Wrist sprains can be particularly troublesome for racket sport players, especially when reaching for a difficult shot or hitting with power. Because of the constant wrist motion with the racket the wrist can take a lot of stress to the joint. A wrist brace or wrist support provides additional stability to the joint, especially during intense play. Wrist braces help prevent excessive motion that can lead to sprains or repetitive strain injuries. Zamst offers a Wrist Band and Filmista Wrist that provides moderate support to the wrist to reduce the load and stress.

Tip: Working on grip strength can be a key to provide adequate wrist endurance and ability to hold the racket throughout play.

Final Thoughts

Racket sports can remain a lifelong passion with the right injury prevention strategies. By incorporating knee braces, ankle braces, elbow bands, wrist supports, and strengthening exercises, you can stay active and competitive beyond age 40. Remember, consistency is key: practicing these preventive measures regularly will go a long way in keeping you healthy and injury-free on the court.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

EVAN JEFFRIES is a physical therapist with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. He is also the owner of Evolving Motion Physical Therapy and has vast knowledge of the musculoskeletal system and has treated many orthopedic conditions by bringing a proactive approach to healthcare and lifestyle. Recently he has also been active on social media as an injury analyst mainly in related to injuries NBA players have sustained. Evan can be followed on his social media accounts.

1. Hassan, I. H. I., & Elgammal, M. A. (2018). Common injuries in racket sports: A mini review. Knee, 19(11.5), 24.