Physical Therapy for Volleyball Injuries
Volleyball is a dynamic sport that requires a high level of repetitive overhead motion and dynamic power and control, placing a great deal of stress on the shoulders, knees, and ankles. The most common volleyball-related injuries include ankle sprains, patellar tendinitis, ACL injuries, and rotator cuff tendinitis. A physical therapist can treat each of these injuries and help the athlete regain strength, range of motion, and mobility in the injured area for a safe return to sport. Physical therapists also help volleyball players prepare for a successful volleyball season and prevent injury through a comprehensive training program.
Physical Therapy for Common Volleyball Injuries
Volleyball is a dynamic sport that demands a high level of repetitive overhead motion, such as spiking and blocking, which makes players more susceptible to overuse injuries, particularly of the shoulder. Volleyball injuries can be traumatic acute events or result from overuse. With a traumatic injury, the player experiences pain and weakness in the affected area immediately upon impact, such as with ankle sprains, ACL injuries, and finger injuries. An overuse injury develops over time due to the stress placed on the muscles, joints, and soft tissues without adequate time for healing, such as rotator cuff tendinitis and patellar tendinitis.
A physical therapist can help a volleyball player recuperate from both traumatic and overuse injuries through a customized therapeutic exercise and strengthening program and a safe return to sport protocol.
The most common volleyball injuries include:
Ankle Sprains: Ankle sprains are the most common volleyball injury. An ankle sprain occurs when the foot twists, stretching the ankle ligaments that connect the leg, ankle, and foot beyond their normal range of motion. A physical therapist uses manual therapy to improve ankle mobility, therapeutic exercise to strengthen and condition all structures of the lower extremities, and balance training to challenge and train the small muscles and ligaments of the ankle to restore control and decrease the risk of re-injury.
ACL Injuries: An ACL injury can occur when a volleyball player lands awkwardly after jumping, causing a strain or tear of the ligament that leads to immediate knee swelling. ACL reconstruction surgery is recommended for athletes. Post-surgery rehabilitation with a therapist is critical to regaining strength and function of the ACL, training in proper jumping and landing technique, and a safe return to sport.
Rotator Cuff Tendinitis: Shoulder injuries are very common among volleyball players due to the repetitive overhead motions of serving, spiking, and blocking and the extreme positions of the arm to perform these movements. The most common shoulder injury is rotator cuff tendinitis, which is an inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons due to overuse. The volleyball player may experience excessive shoulder movement and instability as well as sharp pain over the top of the shoulder. Therapists guide athletes through a gradual strengthening and stretching program and manual therapy to improve range of motion and rebuild strength.
Patellar Tendinitis: Known as jumper’s knee, patellar tendinitis involves pain below the kneecap due to inflammation of the tendon that connects the kneecap to the tibia. This can develop due to repetitive, forceful jumping and landing, such as spiking and blocking. Treatment involves cross-training and stretching and strengthening of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles.
Finger Injuries: Trauma can occur to the fingers when blocking or setting, resulting in a finger muscle sprain, tendon tear, or even a fracture.
Preventing Volleyball Injuries
To prevent an acute injury from becoming a chronic recurrent injury, it is imperative that athletes receive proper medical care and a comprehensive rehabilitation program to restore function, strength, and mobility to the injured area. Common causes of injury during volleyball include imbalances in flexibility and strength that affect form and the ability to improve power and performance; poor body control when running, pivoting, jumping, or cutting; and improper landing techniques that place increased stress on the lower body. To address these common causes and prevent injury, it is recommended that volleyball players engage in a comprehensive training program pre-season and throughout the season.
A comprehensive injury prevention volleyball training program can include:
Strength training: full-body strength training is critical with targeting of the shoulder muscles, rotator cuff, gluteal muscles, and lower extremities. Rotator cuff strengthening improves a player’s power when serving and spiking and can help to withstand overuse injury by building endurance and strengthening the surrounding shoulder blade muscles to decrease stress on the rotator cuff. Gluteal muscle strengthening helps with control when jumping and landing and decreases the stress on the knee when performing these actions.
Interval Training: Volleyball requires quick intervals, so practicing ladder drills, shuffling, shuttling, and plyometrics can help train the body to engage in quick directional changes safely.
Jumping and Landing Technique Training & Plyometrics: To prevent patellar tendinitis and ACL injury, it is critical to ensure proper jumping and landing technique, bending the knees as you land to reduce pressure on the leg and knee and ensuring the knees face forward and are aligned with the hips and an upright upper body. Plyometrics involves power training to increase both an athlete’s vertical jump and explosive power on the court, training the athlete to jump and move side to side, twisting, and landing safely.
Core Strengthening: The core is used when jumping and for other explosive moments, transmitting power to the hips and shoulders when jumping or hitting and providing a foundation of stability for all movements. Strengthening the abdominals, trunk, and lower and upper back muscles is essential for a strong and stable core.
Functional movement training: Training in proper biomechanics of sport-specific skills, such as serving, spiking, and blocking that require not only correct arm swing technique and proper jumping and landing technique, but also a sequence of transmitting power from hips to knees to ankles or hips to core to shoulder.
As volleyball season begins, keep in mind these tips for injury prevention and how a physical therapist can help you both prepare for a successful season and recuperate should an injury occur!
