Home > Sports Injuries > Volleyball

VOLLEYBALL

Training:

It is important that aerobic fitness is an essential part of training to be a Volleyball player. As it is crucial for both during play and recovery after, before the next match. The player should have a well-balanced training program, which includes aspects of strength training, aerobic fitness, sport specific (like jump) drills and psychological techniques like deep relaxation and positive imagery.

Injuries:

Upper limb:

It is important to have a good blocking technique at the net, as a lot of injuries are associated with not having one. Some of the injuries being mallet finger, metacarpal fractures and phalangeal fractures.

Shoulder injuries are quite common as well. These are Impingement syndrome, Rotator cuff tears, instability and labral tears. Isolated infraspinatus muscle atrophy due to entrapment of the suprascapular nerve at the spinoglenoid notch is unique among elite volleyball players. If initial conservative management fails, surgical decompression may be indicated.

Lower limb:

Acute ankle inversion injury, with a sprain of the of the anterior talofibular ligament is the commonest injury in volleyball. Anterior Cruciate ligaments Injuries are common as well.

Among the chronic ailments Patellar tendinitis leads the list followed by Patellofemoral pain syndrome, chondromalacia patella, Osgood-Schlatterr's disease. Ilio-tibial band syndrome and others like Stress fractures, Achilles tendinitis, Morton's neuroma, plantar fascitis, tarsal tunnel syndrome and retro-calcaneal bursitis. These problems should be accurately identified and appropriate treatment instituted, for the volleyball player to recover appropriately and return to play.

Among the injuries of the foot, fractures and stress fractures can occur. Jones type fractures are better treated with bone grafting and compression screw in the elite athlete. 'Sand toe' injury occurs in beach volleyball. This is due to forced plantar flexion injury of the great toe, opposite to that of the turf toe.