Table 4.
Injury classification a
| Nonserving arm injury | After medical clearance, begin with step 1 and advance 1 step daily, following soreness rules and performance capability |
| Serving arm injury: bruise or bone involvement | After medical clearance, begin with step 1 and advance every other day, following soreness rules and performance capability |
| Serving arm injury: tendon/ligament (mild) | After medical clearance, begin with step 1 and advance program to step 6 every other day, following soreness rules; advance program as soreness rules allow until the end of the program |
| Serving arm injury: tendon/ligament (moderate, severe) | After medical clearance, begin with step 1. For steps 1-6, advance no more than 1 step every 3 days, with a day of active rest b after each workout day. For steps 7-18, advance no more than 1 step every 3 days, with 2 days of active rest after each workout day. Advance program following soreness rules and performance capability |
a
Adapted from Axe et al.2
b
Active rest may include cardiovascular activity and short-game work from the service line to the net. Avoid overhead activity.