Whether you’re playing competitively or just for fun, volleyball requires extensive use of multiple joints. All of the jumping, running, serving, and spiking require strong muscles and stable joints.
Joint Mobility In Volleyball
The lower body is very active throughout a volleyball game. Quick pivots and turns rely on flexible ankles. Running across the court also requires limber hips, knees, and ankles to get your legs moving. Crouching down to prepare for an incoming serve also utilizes every joint in the lower body simultaneously while waiting to spring into action.
The shoulder joint plays a huge role in volleyball play. Serving, setting, passing, and spiking all require shoulder mobilization. The elbow is also utilized in different ways for each type of hit, whether it’s locked or bent. The position of the wrists determine the ball’s direction, whether they’re flexed or braced to spike or pass the ball.
Prevent Volleyball Injuries
There are simple things every athlete can do to prevent aches, pains, and serious injuries. A proper warm-up and cool down are key to preventing strains, sprains, and joint pain. By loosening up the muscles before game play, they are more limber and less likely to succumb to quick stress injuries.
Utilizing tools like the foam roller or lacrosse ball are also important for injury prevention. These tools use myofascial release to relieve adhesions that build up on the fascia and can cause muscles to tighten and joints to ache. By using these tools often, you resolve these problems early so they don’t impact your ability to play or perform at your best.
How Airrosti Can Help
At Airrosti, we know no one wants to sit on the sidelines. That’s why we encourage our patients to stay active during treatments. Our Airrosti providers identify the source of pain and manually correct it. By treating the source rather than the symptoms, our patients are able to get back into the game faster—with little to no downtime. Our focus on outcomes and exceptional patient care combine for an essential resource for all athletes and active individuals.
If nagging aches and pains have been hindering your athletic performance or slowing your progress, contact Airrosti today to set up an appointment with a provider near you.
You can also watch this video to see how Airrosti helped University of Maryland Baltimore County volleyball player Sabrina Hoeks after her ACL surgery.
Photo courtesy: “Volleyball block” by Mike Kaplan. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons