(If you missed Part 1 talking all about Volleyball shoudler injuries, click here!)
Unfortunately, your shoulders aren’t the only body part taking a hit in volleyball—your knees are next in line! Let’s talk about those knees, specifically the patella (the kneecap) and pain around the patella . A front-row player can easily jump 100 times in a match. Now, throw in a weekend tournament with 4-5 games a day, and suddenly your knees are asking, “Do we really have to do this again?” This kind of high-repetition work often leads to that all-too-familiar anterior knee pain, known as patellar tendonitis, aka “jumper’s knee.”
Now, a quick anatomy lesson before your eyes glaze over—the patella is the largest free-floating bone in your body, hanging out between your quad tendon above and patellar tendon below. It acts as a lever to increase your jumping power (so you can spike that ball like a boss), and glides inferiorly and superiorly when you bend or straighten your knee respectively. But with all that jumping, volleyball athletes tend to get pretty quad-dominant. While it’s great for powering up at the net, it can excessively pull the patella upwards into a position where it says, “I’m just gonna stay here now,” which messes with its ability to glide back down when you land.
This upward shift, known as “patella alta,” can lead to tension and pain in the patellar tendon and, boom, you’ve got patellar tendonitis. The tendon is now constantly stretched, and with each jump and landing, it gets more and more inflamed. Once this cycle starts, your knees are ready to file for early retirement.
But don’t worry, we’ve got a couple of exercises to help. First, try a Quad Release—by loosening those overworked quads, you’ll help prevent your patella from turning into a permanent upstairs neighbor. Next up, try Anterior Knee Pain Self-Mobilizations—this fancy-sounding move helps push the patella back where it belongs, reducing tension on the tendon.
Now, let’s talk ankles. How many times have you been at a tournament and NOT seen a pair of lace-up ankle braces? Never, right? They’re everywhere, like a volleyball player’s secret handshake. But are they truly necessary, or is it just another accessory like knee pads or wristbands? Well, ankle sprains are super common in volleyball—probably because you’re constantly diving, jumping, and battling at the net like a ninja. While ankle braces can prevent sprains, wearing them all the time can actually increase your chances of injury (ironic, right?).
Here’s why: When you rely on that brace, your body gets a little too comfortable, letting the brace do all the work. It’s like your ankle muscles are saying, “Cool, we’ll take a break.” Over time, this makes the muscles weaker and more prone to injury. So, when should you wear them? Right after an injury, to help you keep playing while you heal—but don’t turn it into a permanent fashion statement.
Let’s talk further about ankle sprains – whats are the top risk factors that lead to them?
- A history of previous ankle sprains (unfortunately, we can’t undo the past).
- Lack of ankle dorsiflexion (which is fancy talk for being able to pull your toes up toward your nose).
- Weak ankle eversion strength (basically, your ability to move your foot outward).
- Poor proprioception (your body’s ability to sense where your limbs are in space—yes, that’s a real thing, and no, it’s not just for Jedi training).
While we can’t do much about past injuries, we can work on the other stuff. To improve dorsiflexion, give DF Self-Mobilization a try—it’s a go-to warm-up for volleyball players to keep their ankles happy. To boost ankle eversion strength, do Toe-Banded Side Stepping—not only will your ankles thank you, but your glutes will get a workout too (bonus points for a stronger booty!). And finally, let’s get that proprioception in check with some balance drills. Try standing on one leg on an uneven surface while tossing a ball at the wall. It’s like a game within a game!
If you recently sprained your ankle and are hobbling around like a pirate, check out our recovery video for a fast track to feeling better!
Give these tips and exercises a try, and let us know how it goes! We take pride in offering specialized care, and as athletes ourselves, we totally get the frustration of being sidelined. If you’re an athlete dealing with an injury, click here to get started! Let’s keep you healthy and on the court, and get to the root of your issues before they become season-enders!
Thanks for reading,
Dr. Marissa
PS: If you missed Part 1 talking all about Volleyball shoudler injuries, click here!