Using the appropriate model, describe how you would perform ergonomic analysis of the following for Thea:
Thea is a 22-year-old female tennis player. She has participated in local tournaments for 10 years. She trains 4 days a week at a community tennis hard court with her coach of 5 years. The court is made of asphalt and has not been resurfaced in 6 years due to lack of funding. As a result, there are many cracks and depressions making it uneven. It is unclear who is responsible for court maintenance.
She follows a popular influencer on Instagram for diet and nutrition ideas. Her medical history does not include any chronic illnesses; however, she has had previous musculoskeletal injuries. These include ankle sprains, tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and a stress fracture in her right foot. She is right-handed. She hasn’t changed her racquet since early 2019. Her tennis shoes are brand new, but she had ordered them online rather than an in-store purchase.
During the COVID-19 pandemic her training schedule was irregular due to lockdown measures. She also caught the virus in early 2022 and complains of feeling generally tired since then.
She has resumed a normal training schedule since April 2022, but she finds it difficult to train at her usual level. She is tired and irritable, and her right shoulder and right ankle feel sore/painful. This seems to be affecting her serve and overhead smash. Her serve is slower and less powerful, and she does not place the ball as accurately as she used to. There is a competition in December 2022 which she wanted to enter but she feels uncertain. Her coach thinks she should enter and keeps telling her “You will be fine in a few weeks.”
Her part-time job as a virtual personal assistant is very demanding but does not pay well. Although part-time, her boss often calls her outside of work hours. The job requires her to use a laptop for 3-5 hours daily.
Using the appropriate model, describe how you would perform ergonomic analysis of the following for Thea:
- Upper limb and overhead range of motion as used in tennis to serve and smash
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