Injury in the form of specific physical pain is a terrific feedback system. Failure to listen and respond appropriately will often lead to more pain and physical breakdown. In short, there are methodologies and systems for retraining your neuromuscular system. They involve some work and intention on your part, but the result is more pleasant and preferable to surgery. Remember, even though orthopedic surgery can produce excellent results,it should be utilized in the last resort. A hip replacement, for instance is only good for about 15 years and often requires up to 6 months of rehab. The ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure.

I confess to being guilty of ignoring injury and continuing to push myself while injured. Although an ardent tennis player since high school, I experienced no physical problems until age 53. At that time, it seemed like all hell broke out. I startled to develop some nagging pain in my elbow, knee and shoulder. Years of inefficient and dysfunctional stroke form finally caught up with me. This is all cumulative. Even though it was intellectually clear that more effortless, relaxed form would produce superior results, I continued to ignore pain and persist in the 40 years of habitual muscle memory. It was what I knew.

My first solution was to buy various types of elbow and knee elastic supports and presume the injured areas would recuperate. Didn't work. My next step was to seek out various forms of therapy, including massage, ibuprofen, supplements and antioxidants, Chinese herbal remedies (internal and external), application of cold and heat, pre-stretching and more. Although much of this was helpful and alleviated immediate discomfort,none of it was able to alleviate the deeper problem of reoccurring injury. I stubbornly kept playing.

My next, and most radical approach was to actually stop playing the game for periods of time (my usual routine was to play 3 to 5 times per week).I was frustrated and after each lay off would come back from the rest and reinjure myself. It was a vicious cycle. That could get depressing after a while. Finally, I turned to acupuncture, the Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais (a topical area to be introduced in zoomersmagazine in a subsequent issue). Some light appeared at the end of the tunnel.The functional principles of these approaches are not necessarily unique and they are commensurate with other classical methodologies such as the internal martial arts.

So, first lesson was to learn to listen to the pain. Scan your body, feel the area(s) , observe how it was created within your athletic form. For instance, my elbow and shoulder injuries resulting in over relying on these relatively small muscles of the forearm and shoulder to strike a tennis ball. Very inefficient. Through the Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais I leaned that the racquet swing best originates in the spine. In other words, the shoulder, elbow, forearm, hand and racquet become a sack of potatoes (as described in Breakthrough Tennis) which is thrown in a relaxed, hinge like fashion. I didn't realize that the best and most efficient hinge is from the spine rather than from the shoulder. What a difference, that takes the overload off the smaller muscles and transfers it to the body's larger and more powerful muscles; muscles which are much less susceptible to injury. This applies in tennis to the forehand, backhand, volleys, overhead and serve. Of course, it also applies to most other athletic endeavors (from golf to running). Paradoxically, at least to my mind, the more relaxation in a swing with proper form the more generation of effortless power. Focused relaxation not only generates power it reduces the possibility of injury and its reoccurrence.

So, listen to your pain. Use scanning to observe the source of pain; it's shape and flavor. Remember the pain is like frozen water, or blocked energy which when dissolved or melted will give relief and substantially more energy. Explore through self-discovery how to move more smoothly and comfortably in your form (whatever your sport) so that you can enjoy a lifetime of athletic pleasure.