Any sportsman who wishes to have fun on Sunday morning or perform in competition one day meets a physiotherapist.

We are well placed to know this as physiotherapists, osteopaths and physical trainers, where we receive many amateur sportsmen who need care and / or advice in the practice of their sport.

The players of padel do not cut it, and as casual players we have seen that injuries can quickly occur and spoil the pleasure of hitting plexiglass with a yellow ball!

Our first article will therefore aim to explain the role of the health professional in sport and more specifically the physiotherapist padel.

For us, its role is threefold: preventive, curative and partner in the back to the field post injury:

-Prevention  :

The physiotherapist is important in the prevention of injuries in the padel whether in his pre-season preparation or during his training. It is there to best prepare the athlete for the constraints of his sport.

The growing interest in this sport is proportional to the growing number of injuries caused by his practice (article to come) and it will therefore be important that the health professional is trained on the injuries most frequently encountered. We will therefore integrate exercises aimed at preventing a possible new injury or recurrence as well as an adapted training schedule, all this in agreement with the coach and the player's personal constraints (professional activity, family life, etc.). ).

-In post-injury care :

Au padel, the risk of injury is high. Indeed, according to studies, we find more injuries in this sport than in other racquet sports that resemble it, namely squash, tennis or even badminton. The configuration of the court (reduced compared to the tennis court, semi-enclosed ground), the faster and more intense pace of play, favor the occurrence of various traumas.

It is necessary to consult a health professional immediately after an injury, regardless of its importance, in order to obtain an accurate medical and / or paramedical diagnosis. The sooner you pick up the pickup, the faster you'll be back on the pitch! Indeed, the rule of "it will pass" rarely works but you probably already know that!

-Return-to-play :

After a more serious injury which required a little longer distance from the grounds, the health professional is there to advise you and guide you as best as possible to avoid skipping steps with a possible recurrence of the pathology. The physical preparation, global then oriented and specific will be very important to find (and without a doubt improve!) A level of performance specific to each player of padel.

You will understand by these few sentences, the health professional is a major player in the service of the health and performance of the athlete, whether amateur or professional. The physiotherapist can become, by his skills and his additional training (in particular in physical preparation), a real partner of the player of padel.

Soon the subjects that we will approach:

- The place of warm-up, recovery as well as stretching padel.

- Overview of the most common injuries in padel, their care and prevention.

Questions ? Any special request?

Here is some additional info on the theme (in Spanish):

  • Romualdo caSTillo-loZano 1, Maria J. caSuSo-holGado; Incidence of musculoskeletal sport injuries in a sample of male and female recreational paddle-tennis players. The Journal of Sports Medicine and physical fitness 2017 June; 57 (6): 816-21
  • De Prado, F. (1); Sánchez-Alcaraz, BJ (2); García-Navarro, JN (3); Burruezo, A. Prevencion de lesiones en el padel. Trances: Revista de Transmisión del Conocimiento Educativo y de la Salud 2014; 6 (4)

Romain Pinguet is Physiotherapist - Osteopath - Physical trainer. He follows players from padel in rehabilitation and re-athletic training. He is also an amateur player and an annoying left-hander! He gives you his recipes to last over time.

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