Tennis requires many turns and pivots, which makes having an experienced tennis coach crucial. He or she should analyze your technique and suggest adjustments as required.
Avoid overuse injuries by taking breaks during workouts and mixing up your routines, staying hydrated and stretching regularly and taking the appropriate steps if experiencing pain or discomfort. Consult a specialist if necessary.
Shoulder Injuries
The shoulder is one of the most complex joints in our bodies. Capable of more movement than any other joint in the body and susceptible to overuse injuries, athletes who engage in repeated overhead movements such as swimmers, tennis players and baseball pitchers are particularly prone to rotator cuff damage; swimmers, tennis players and baseball pitchers in particular face increased risks from repetitive overhead movements which often leads to impingement pain (pain), impaired function and worsened damage on cuffs.
Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit, or GIRD, is one of the primary causes of shoulder pain among athletes. Other possible contributing factors may include imbalanced rotator cuff strength distributions, dyskinesis in the scapulae and hyperkyphosis in thoracic spine vertebral bodies resulting from stiffness. All these changes affect biomechanics of shoulder movement which could alter loading strategies leading to overload injuries1.
Not to forget: many shoulder injuries aren’t caused solely by repeated activities but by improper training techniques or training practices. A healthy shoulder requires specific range of motion and good mechanics in order to avoid injury, so taking breaks from overuse activities to allow muscles to recover is recommended.
Before and after participating in sports activities, it is crucial to warm up properly and stretch the shoulders properly, both before and after. This will increase joint flexibility while helping prevent injury. Incorporating shoulder strengthening exercises such as the biceps curl and deltoid pulldown into training can strengthen muscles that support shoulder motion.
Some athletes can benefit from performing plyometric exercises to simulate their sport and increase shoulder stability. These quick exercises involve high levels of power and explosiveness that may reduce injury risk in sports such as tennis, baseball and basketball.
Caring for your shoulders can ensure a lifetime of sports enjoyment. By implementing proper technique, stretching, and strengthening exercises you can reduce your risk of shoulder injury and continue playing sports that you love. Starting today to improve their health is never too late – shoulder specialists believe that small changes to lifestyle habits can have a tremendous effect in terms of preventing future shoulder injuries.
Ankle Injuries
Tennis is an Olympic sport played on courts by individuals or two-player teams, hitting a ball across a net. Tennis requires movement in all directions – running, pivoting and sliding – making it high risk activity for ankle injuries; ankle sprains, strains and fractures being among the most prevalent of injuries experienced by players.
Sprains occur from stretching or overextending ligaments in the ankle, leading to pain, stiffness, swelling and difficulty moving it in different directions. To help reduce risk of ankle sprains and avoid these injuries altogether, wearing padded tennis socks, two regular pairs of socks layered together or shoes with excellent shock absorption may help. Taping or wearing high-top shoes equipped with inflatable support chambers may also lower risk of an injury occurring.
The knees are another area vulnerable to tennis injuries, particularly among those with prior knee issues or who play aggressive styles of the game with many jumps and jerks. Such movements can put an immense amount of strain on knees and lead to conditions such as patellar tendinitis which causes pain in kneecap or shin areas – eventually becoming so painful it hinders walking, running and using stairs.
Overuse injuries are among the primary sources of tennis-related injuries and they can occur anywhere on your body. They usually come as a result of doing too much of one activity or using your body in ways it was never designed to do; performing tennis-specific strength training exercises can help build strength in joints and muscles to reduce overuse injuries and help avoid them altogether.
Most tennis injuries can be avoided through proper warming up, avoiding repetitive motions that aggravate injuries, practicing proper technique and taking breaks when necessary. If you find yourself with an ongoing tennis-related injury, speak to our orthopedist team about treatment options to relieve pain and limit further damage; these could range from physical therapy sessions to cortisone injections that could get you back out there quickly and safely.
Knee Injuries
Tennis demands fast and frequent changes of direction that strain knees heavily, including jumping, changing directions quickly and sliding across the court. When combined with its repetitive nature, this strain may lead to injury; fortunately, most knee injuries can be prevented with proper stretching of quadriceps and hamstrings and wearing well-fitted shoes.
Shoulders can also become injured while playing tennis. Rotator cuff tears and impingement/inflammation of tendons allowing arm rotation are frequent sources of discomfort and weakness in this part of the body, leading to pain in shoulder, elbow or wrist.
Shoulder and knee injuries are among the most prevalent among tennis players and can often be avoided through warming up and stretching before each match. Furthermore, taking regular rest breaks and not overtraining are both key components in helping prevent overexertion or overuse injuries from occurring.
Tennis knee, or patellar tendonitis, refers to injuries affecting the patellar tendon which connects the kneecap to the shin bone. Constant stop/start movements during tennis may cause microscopic tears in this tendon which lead to pain and discomfort over time.
Wrist tendonitis is another injury often encountered by tennis players and often caused by repetitive racket motions, leading to pain on either the side of their wrist or palm of their hand.
Blisters on both hands and feet are common injuries from playing tennis. Properly fitting shoes and grips can reduce their likelihood, while injuries to wrists and hands often arise from improper racket use or overuse; changing up workout intensity with periods of rest and recovery helps avoid overtraining which increases injury risks while improving performance; it is also important to listen to your body and not push through pain as doing so will aggravate an existing condition further; in such instances it would be advisable to consult an orthopedist or specialist for medical advice or relief from over the counter NSAIDs alone won’t offer relief; in these instances it would be wise to visit an orthopedic physician for medical advice as an orthopedist can offer professional help for ongoing conditions that might persists beyond any over time – or indeed may require medical advice –
Elbow Injuries
Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), caused by overuse of forearm muscles and tendons, is an injury common to tennis. This condition often manifests itself by pain on the outside of your elbow that spreads down your arm into your wrist tendons; over time this condition may even lead to weakness in arm and hand strength.
Cubital tunnel syndrome, another form of elbow injury, occurs when the ulnar nerve becomes compressed as it travels through an opening inside of the elbow, leading to symptoms including pain, numbness and tingling in both arms and hands.
Ankle sprains can occur due to sudden changes of direction or twisting the ankle, stretching or tearing ligaments and leading to pain. Training, stretching and wearing appropriate shoes are effective ways of helping avoid this injury from happening.
Rotator cuff injuries are also quite prevalent among tennis players, particularly those who serve frequently. The repetitive actions associated with throwing and swinging a racket can strain or tear the rotator cuff and result in pain, weakness and difficulty moving the shoulder.
Wrist tendonitis is another common tennis injury caused by excessive wrist movement or overuse of tendons, leading to clicking or snapping sensations in the wrists. To alleviate this problem, it is advised that lighter or larger rackets be used so as to decrease pressure placed upon wrists and tendons while also using correct techniques when serving and swinging racket.
Most tennis injuries can be avoided through rest, ice and physical therapy. When more serious injuries such as torn tendons or ligaments occur, surgery may be required for healing purposes. Stem cells have also proven useful in speeding healing time after these types of surgeries – if you would like more information regarding stem cell treatments contact one of the physicians at Lowcountry Orthopaedics today for more information! We can answer your queries and get you on track towards living an active and healthy life!