Because of the nature of volleyball, injuries of the muscles and tendons, particularly in the shoulders and knees, are common and require your attention to decide if it's bad to play with pain in those areas. Only you can know the type and degree of the muscle or tendon pain you're feeling, so it's up to you to decide whether the pain is due to a mild strain or a more serious injury. If you think the pain is serious enough, you should get it checked out before you decide to play.
Know When to Take a Break
When you start to feel muscle or tendon pain, your first course of action should be to rest the sore area for a few days. If giving your knee, shoulder or other stressed area a break helps relieve the pain, then you should be ready to play volleyball once the pain has subsided. If you try playing and the pain is acute, or if resting does not relieve any symptoms, you should seek medical attention. A physical exam, and possibly an x-ray or MRI should help diagnose the problem. Playing with a torn muscle or tendon can make the injury much worse and prolong your recovery.
Volleyball Risks
Volleyball injuries, particularly those in the shoulders, are more often the result of wear and tear and stress on the joints from repetitive and intense activities. The pain or discomfort from these types of injuries tends to build up gradually, which means there is not a tremendous hurry to see a doctor. But you should pay attention to joint pain that doesn't go away and stop playing volleyball or doing any activity that causes you pain. Pain that comes on suddenly during volleyball should be evaluated immediately, as it is more likely to be a serious muscle pull or tear or a seriously injured tendon.
Dealing with the Pain
Sometimes overcoming muscle or tendon pain to play volleyball is a matter of stretching properly or wearing supportive braces. If you stretch your hamstrings, calves and quadriceps before and after you play, you may find that knee pain, for example, subsides. A common volleyball-related knee injury is a strain to the patellar tracking system, which keeps the knee cap in place. Wearing a form-fitting brace around your knee and being aware of what can cause the knee cap to slide out of position can help you stay in the game longer.
Watch for Impingement Syndrome
The repetitive overhead serving and striking motion with volleyball can lead to rotator cuff injuries and a condition known as Impingement Syndrome. This happens when the tendons in the shoulder become pinched and inflamed over time as they pass through a bony space in the rotator cuff known as the subacromial space. If you continue to play volleyball and leave the condition untreated, the tendons will thicken, become more inflamed and begin to restrict the function of the joint and the muscles of the shoulder. Pain related to the overhead motion of volleyball is a sign that you need to stop playing and get a physician's evaluation.
