Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 32-year-old American tennis player, fell on the court when her right knee buckled as she moved toward the net during a singles match at Wimbledon Thursday. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club tweeted that Mattek-Sands, who is one half of the number-one women’s doubles team in the world (with Lucie Šafárová), is being treated for "an acute knee injury."
But could anything have been done to prevent such an injury?
Muscle weaknesses and imbalances can lead to injuries. Correcting these imbalances can greatly reduce the risk to injury. This applies not only to sports athletes, but also everyday people as a way to maintain total wellness.
According to WebMD, the seven most common sports injuries are:
- Ankle sprain
- Groin pull
- Hamstring strain
- Shin splints
- Knee injury (ACL tear)
- Knee injury (Patellofemoral syndrome)
- Tennis elbow (epicondylitis)
To avoid such injuries, warming up is one of the most important preventative steps, according to Joseph Trani, Regional Clinical Director and Physical Therapist at Professional Physical Therapy.
"The best ways to prevent injuries are to stretch properly before a match or contest and hydrate accordingly, especially during hot or humid days," Trani said. "On non-game days, the best ways to minimize risk of injury are to strengthen and stretch your muscles."
Physical therapy can also help avoid injuries before they occur.
"In physical therapy, we try to focus on correcting any weaknesses or muscle imbalances that can lead to injury," Trani said. "We are constantly challenging our patients, so they can return to their sport confidently, and greatly reduce the risk of injury."
As for Mattek-Sands, the Women's Tennis Association said "Bethanie is currently undergoing more scans this morning and we should know more within the next few hours. Bethanie of course thanks everyone for their kind wishes and messages of support."
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via App.com images: IndianExpress