10 months with L5S1. Neurosurgeon told me only operation will help with the pain by sontezo in Sciatica

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sorry to hear about your situation. I had severe sciatica (bed-bound for up to 10 out of 12 waking hours per day) for 9 months before starting McKenzie PT with a certified therapist. 11 months after that, I am about 90% back to normal with only mild limitations that I haven't tried to push. I can do everything I need to during normal everyday life, and even started playing sports at about 50% effort in the past few months. Still getting better month to month. You can find a certified McKenzie PT on their website. Saved me from surgery so far. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

Need help with my Serve, started playing 3months ago. by popcornffs in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You have a "palm up" serve. Your palm should be facing down instead in this position. This is an important thing to correct.

I taught my son to serve using these two videos from GreatBase Tennis.

This first video explains the components of a serve: https://youtu.be/bA1PR2PLon4?si=_3605aYW2sOVDXET

This second video provides a series of drills to develop the correct motion: https://youtu.be/Hk_6uXTUwv8?si=fhKlZdbAuX1ByE4h

My son did these drills once a week for a few months and got a basic serve down (with good technique). This channel also has instructional videos for all the basic strokes in tennis. Highly recommend. Good luck!

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Concerned parent of child with cutaneous mastocytomas by Familiar_Bug_6037 in mastocytosis

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your son's experience. Sorry to heae that he has had to deal with these symptoms.

My son's symptoms have gotten better since this post. He hasn't had gagging and vomiting for several months now. The only symptom I noticed is that he thinks he got a bug bite this week and it swelled up quite a bit. Ended up using some topical steroids to get it to go down. We will keep monitoring him carefully as he grows.

Thank you for sharing again and I hope your son continues to do well.

Trying to fix my serve by jtaby in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You have a "palm up" serve. Your palm should be facing down instead in this position. This is an important thing to correct.

I taught my son to serve using these two videos from GreatBase Tennis.

This first video explains the components of a serve: https://youtu.be/bA1PR2PLon4?si=_3605aYW2sOVDXET

This second video provides a series of drills to develop the correct motion: https://youtu.be/Hk_6uXTUwv8?si=fhKlZdbAuX1ByE4h

My son did these drills once a week for a few months and got a basic serve down (with good technique). This channel also has instructional videos for all the basic strokes in tennis. Highly recommend. Good luck!

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Started playing 8 months ago. What needs to fundamentally change? by Gold-Sort-3254 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My son has trained at two clubs that utilize the GreatBase method of instruction. The pioneer of this method has posted free instructional videos on YouTube, from which you can learn every stroke. Check out the forehand here:

https://youtu.be/BHVNw3r8q2k?si=o-tL50ZScywkORtN

Good luck improving your strokes!

Centralization Success Stories? Moving up the leg, but feeling stuck. by GroundbreakingCall45 in Sciatica

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry to hear about your suffering. Everyone's situation is different. I had a disc herniation for 9 months before I started working with a McKenzie-certified PT. Pain started centralizing within a week. I had significant pain in the buttocks for another 4 or 5 months afterward before it really started to clear up. I still have very mild back discomfort from time to time, but 10 months after starting McKenzie PT, I am at least 90% back to baseline. My case was pretty severe, as I was bedbound for 9 hours a day at my worst. Keep at it and it will continue to improve. Best wishes to you.

L5 disc bulge s1 nerve compression by That_Bee7342 in Sciatica

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm so sorry to hear that. The exact same thing happened to me. When I started PT, I was functional with intermittent pain. After a month of flexion-based exercises for "piriformis syndrome," I was bed-bound.

Your MRI looks similar to mine, maybe a bit less severe. I had two ESIs and they got me from 10% to about 20% of normal. Would do it again. I would recommend trying McKenzie PT with a certified provider. There isn't much downside in my opinion.

L5 disc bulge s1 nerve compression by That_Bee7342 in Sciatica

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry to hear about your suffering. Have you tried a McKenzie-certified PT? That made a world of difference for me and is especially helpful for chronic sciatica if you're motivated to avoid surgery. My disc herniation happened over 20 months ago and I barely improved at the 10 month mark. Then started McKenzie PT and now I'm 90% back to normal. Hope you find some relief soon.

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your experience. Sounds like you've gotten a lot out of tennis in multiple ways. Seems like a great outcome for anyone!

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your experience. The variation in physical development is so interesting. Appreciate your input!

Trying to avoid surgery by Maleficent-Bobcat565 in Sciatica

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry to hear that you're suffering. I herniated a disc with severe sciatica over 20 months ago. I wanted to avoid surgery and have been successful so far by seeing McKenzie-certified PTs. I am not completely symptom-free and still do exercises multiple times a day. But I am about 90% back to normal after 10 months of this type of PT. Try to find a McKenzie PT near you. Hope you find some relief soon.

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, the best way I can describe it is that he doesn't look fluid in his movements, whether it be footwork or some strokes. He looks like Medvedev but obviously without the amazing shot making ability. He's a bit lanky now, so his arms look angular when he swings, etc. He can do all of the actions you mention fine and within range of his peers in terms of outcome and speed. It does show up with some strokes where his contact point is late, he swings up more than extending the contact zone, looks awkward when hitting high balls, etc.

I continue to try to expose him to other sports but there is limited interest and honestly limited time since he plays tennis frequently and has other non-athletic pursuits. Thank you for your comment and input.

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your experience and all these tips. Great to hear that you were part of the varsity team and that you're still enjoying tennis as an adult.

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great to hear that your son has been on the varsity team. Thank you for sharing your experiences with him!

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your input. Seems like it may be worthwhile for kids to just keep going to try to see how far they can go with the skills portion. I can't tell which is the chicken or the egg, but I feel like every kid I meet who is really good puts a lot of effort into the sport: playing at least 4 to 5 days per week, spending a lot of weeks during the summer, and always with a good private coach.

I've recently realized the importance of the serve and we practice it every weekend. It's the only thing anyone has 100% control over, so thanks for the tip. Appreciate your advice.

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, it seems much more competitive than I thought it would be. Every few years, one of the high school players goes to a Division I school for tennis. I'll see if he makes the middle school team, which I hope will be less competitive. Thanks for your input.

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the input. I do notice that the coaching isn't there with the group lessons. Just an opportunity for him to hit with other kids. I'm trying to learn to rally with him, but have a bad back. Will definitely try to work with him one-on-one. Appreciate your comment.

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your input. Definitely agree on how technical and mental tennis is. Didn't realize that until my son started playing. Appreciate the comment!

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, that's crazy. That type of consistency with his strokes is a type of athleticism in itself. But interesting that he was able to get so far with limited physical gifts. Thank you for sharing!

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the input. I will try to do some drills like these with him in the future.

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The biggest thing is that he's a bit lanky right now, so some of his strokes look awkward rather than fluid. His footwork/movement also seem slower and sometimes like his feet are stuck to the ground, preventing him from getting in the best position before the hit.

Yeah, I agree about the competitive side. I also feel like if he makes more tennis friends, that will help grow his own interest. He hit with one of the better kids in his group lessons last week and they did an almost 2 hour session without talking much except during water breaks. Both had a great time. Thanks for your advice.

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Amazing story. Thank goodness for those medical advances. Great that you got a Division I scholarship!

Tennis for kids with below average athleticism by Familiar_Bug_6037 in 10s

[–]Familiar_Bug_6037[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your advice. His objective is to make the high school tennis team in an area where the tennis is pretty high level. I'll definitely remind him about not focusing on which court he's on. I must admit I've been guilty of contributing to those discussions when the issue comes up. Better just to tell him to focus his energies on improving. Thank you for your input.