How to avoid racquet sport injuries

The first game of tennis after a long break can feel like a revelation.

- Jen Murphy

NEW YORK — The birds sing, the air is crisp and your serve is not half bad after three months off.

The day after, however, is a different story.

If you took the winter off, you can expect some aches and pains when you get back on the court. But compared with contact sports such as soccer and basketball, recreational tennis poses a fairly low risk of acute injury, said Dr. Tiana Woolridge, a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City who has worked with collegiate players.

Even so, games like tennis and pickleball are full of repetitive and high-impact movements — such as lunging for balls and swinging the racquet — and that can put a lot of stress on the body.

A five-year analysis of 449 Austrian recreational tennis players found that acute injuries spiked in summer, especially in June. The most common involved falls or twisted joints, especially ankle sprains, usually caused by missteps.

The spine and upper extremities are also particularly susceptible to chronic wear-and-tear injuries, said Dr. David Dines, medical director of the Association of Tennis Professionals.

Here are some common tennis injuries, and how to treat and prevent them.

LOWER-BACK INJURIES

During a serve, the back is hyperextended and every stroke requires rotation. The damage can be subtle.

Back pains and strains become more frequent after age 40, when the cushioning tissues between the vertebrae can start to deteriorate, Dr. Dines said. If you feel lower-back pain, the first course of action should be rest, he said. If the pain returns, see a physical therapist or have a tennis professional assess your technique.