PHYSICAL THERAPY and EXERCISES for the Top 10 POOL PLAYER AILMENTS

Best shoulder stretch what i know. In this video. Best part is that you can grab on pool table rail and do it before you start play. This one helped me so much.

Thanks! That is a good one. I'll add it to my routine until I get rid of the shoulder impingement problem I am currently having.
 
Am I the only one on AZB who has experienced many of these ailments? I've had to deal with all of them over the years. The ones currently giving me trouble are 2 and 5. Which ailments have caused the most trouble for you guys?
An exercise for the sore shoulder is called the "open book" shown to me by a physical therapist. Here is the link for this wonderful stretch.
It seems too simple to work but work it does!
 
hip abduction should be safe, it's a very natural movement. not safe: doing lumberjack work with a 5 hp chainsaw the day after injuring your back..
Thank you for this one. As a result of my further research I also learned of hip adduction (note the "b" to "d" exchange). Abduction has to do with muscles on the outer upper leg, while adduction concerns itself with the inner upper leg. Remember this, too, for most muscle "action", there is a related muscle "reaction" -- I am thinking that this is what flexors and extensors are all about.
My pelvis alignment problem has literally caused me problems from head to toe, including what I thought was a terrible tooth ache once. That was some of the worst pain I have ever experienced. It wasn't a tooth ... it was my bad hip alignment pulling on everything all the way up through my neck and up to the nerve in my jaw!
It is amazing to learn where muscles "begin" and "end". Even more amazing is that where the pain seems to come from ain't necessarily where the problem is.
 
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What is really needed is primary prevention to minimize injury risk. Current pool equipment was designed for people who were 5' 6" tall and drove Model -T cars to the poolhall, and is about as anti-ergonomic as can be imagined. Mitigating the inherent risk in playing the game would be difficult. However, speaking as someone who abandoned pool 15 years ago due to neck and back issues and recently returned to the game as a septuagenarian , I do think the game could be accessible to more people with some adaptations. Such as...

1. Get the playing surface off of the floor. 29 inches is way too low. Snooker tables are huge, but the surface is at 34". 36-38" for pool perhaps.
2. Develop offset cues (drop of a few inches at the joint). I know some of these exist, and they would greatly facilitate a more upright stance while allowing a pendulum stroke.
3. Shadow-free lighting. Diminish eyestrain and time spent craning your neck. Perimeter lighting is a good recent innovation, but still room for improvement.
4. Change the way pool is taught. I recently saw a Youtube video of Mark Wilson and Jerry Brieseth instruction. Their upright stances are less likely to cause injury, so it can be done. Sustained forward bending with locked knees is commonly taught, but decidedly non-ergonomic.
5. Better bridging tools, and not stigmatizing those who use them.

Better to prevent, or at least minimize risk, than to deal with the outcome.
 
Wow ... thx!

Have attempted different stances to lower my head over the cue, similar to many better players.

No luck, probably because I'm 79. Ideas most welcomed.

thank you.
 
the most trouble for you guys?
Lol, I am just starting the read and will view the videos.
The most trouble for me came when the left turning car launched me from my motorcycle.
My therapy as soon as the hospital released me included the pool table. 🤷‍♂️
With my left arm in a sling I could still hit balls with the right. Finding and improving my movement limits was accomplished while the foundation and structure were solidified. As soon as the left arm ditched the sling it was giving the cue a swing. Since the physical therapy was critical I prefered doing it at the table.
Years later lefty is all right now. 😉 The change in the weather reminds me of the broken and repaired areas.
Keeping my mind right includes using the term discomfort rather than pain.
Guess I should hang up now and go see what the therapy experts prescription is.
 
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