Assessment of the impact of physiotherapy on the frequency of injuries in tennis

Abstract

Introduction and purpose of the study: Participation in competitive sport is associated with the risk of sports injuries, micro-injuries and overloads of the musculoskeletal system. Among the sports considered traumatizing, apart from contact games, which are the leaders in this ranking, tennis also appears on the list. According to many authors of scientific papers in which the topic of searching for appropriate solutions aimed at preventing and thus reducing injuries in tennis players is discussed, there is a consensus on the need to implement appropriate medical training units in the sports training process. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the impact of physiotraining on the incidence of sports injuries in young tennis players.

Material and research methods: The research covered a group of 60 girls and boys aged 13-14, training tennis in the clubs of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Tennis players were divided into two groups: group A (n=30) and group B (n=30). Both groups were characterized by a similar training load (technical and tactical), playing experience and the level of sports advancement. The training plan of the players from group A included physiotraining, while group B did not attend training with a physiotherapist. The research method used in this study was the diagnostic survey method. The research tool was a questionnaire containing questions about playing experience, tennis training load and other types of physical activity. The next part of the survey contained questions about the players' health, possible injuries, micro-injuries and their repetition. Each respondent also answered questions that provided information on the actions taken to prevent injuries.

Results: The number of injuries before the start of tennis training in both groups was at a similar level. In group A it was 6.67%, and in group B it was 13.33%. Over five years of systematic tennis training and active participation in tennis tournaments, 23.33% of all sports injuries were recorded in group A, which is an increase of 16.66% in relation to the pre-training state. On the other hand, in group B, 60% of all overloads and sports injuries were recorded throughout the training period, which is an increase of 46.67%.

Conclusions: The group of tennis players whose training plan included physiotraining was less sensitive to sports injuries. In turn, a group of tennis players not covered by medical training showed increased sensitivity to sports injuries. In order to ensure the optimization of the training process for young tennis players, physiotraining should be implemented, as it reduces the risk of sports injuries.