Tennis Injuries

Tennis injuries

Here we look at some of the most common injuries in the game of Tennis, as well as what you can do to try to prevent tennis injuries. Tennis injuries are often in the upper body, especially due to the forces required to hit the ball over and over again, especially on shots like serves and smashes! Rotator cuff injuries are common, as are wrist and elbow injuries.

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But don’t forget that injuries may also happen in the lower body. Ankle sprains may occur due to quick changes of direction as well as overuse injuries such as Jumper’s knee.

Most common Tennis injuries

The most common sports injuries sustained by Tennis players tend to be knee injuries although ankle sprains, elbow pain, and back pain are also likely.

Iliotibial band syndrome

IT syndrome or runner’s knee as it is sometimes called is a gradual onset injury causing pain on the outside of the knee. Over time the pain gets progressively worse until the player must stop. Typically they will rest for a period of time until symptoms go only for them to return again as soon as they go back to playing tennis or running. Treatment is based around reducing pain and inflammation along with stretching, foam roller use, and strengthening exercises. Read more about IT band syndrome.

Patellofemoral pain

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) also known as runners knee, chondromalacia patella is a generic term used to describe kneecap pain at the front of the knee. Symptoms include an aching pain in the knee joint, particularly at the front of the knee around and under the patella. Treatment includes rest, applying ice or cold therapy to reduce pain and inflammation along with a full rehabilitation program of specific exercises along with knee taping. Read more on patella pain.

Low back pain

Back pain can be acute (sudden onset back pain) or chronic back pain (gradual onset or persistent). It can be difficult to diagnose due to the complexity and the number of structures and tissues in the lower back that can cause pain. Pain radiating down the leg is known as Sciatica. Read more on lower back pain.

Tennis elbow

Also known as lateral epicondylitis it is more of a generic term for pain on the outside of the elbow of which there can be a number of causes. A poor backhand technique where the player has a soft or bent wrist can cause tennis elbow although it is even more common through the repetitive strain in daily activities such as typing on a keyboard, using a screwdriver, or gripping heavy objects. Read more on Tennis elbow.


Should I seek professional treatment?

If you have any of the following symptoms you should seek further medical assistance.

  • Severe pain, especially on walking
  • Severe swelling (oedema)
  • Altered sensation in the foot – such as a feeling of “pins and needles” (paresthesia) or a “loss of feeling” (anesthesia).
  • Unable to complete normal daily activities after the initial 72 hours.

Further medical assistance can be sought through either your local GP or a private clinician such as a podiatrist, physiotherapist, sports therapist, osteopath, or chiropractor. If you have followed the P.R.I.C.E. principles (see below) and are still unable to walk after 72 hours or still have severe pain that is not subsiding after the first 72 hours you should visit your local A&E department for further assessment.

Secondly, if you have applied the P.R.I.C.E principle and still have a weakness that lasts a long time (more than 2 weeks) or have ongoing discomfort in your foot or heel, you are highly recommended to seek advice from a specialist expert – such as a podiatrist or physiotherapist, osteopath, or chiropractor – who can provide you with advice and an appropriate and effective recovery and rehabilitation program.

Immediate first aid for acute injuries

The PRICE principles are the gold standard set for treating acute sports injuries. The acronym stands for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation and should be applied as early as possible and continued for at least the first 24-72 hours.

Protection

Protection of the damaged tissue is vital to prevent further damage and enable the healing process to start efficiently and effectively. There are a number of ways to protect the injured area all with the same aim of limiting further movement and use of the joint/muscle/ligament/tendon. One way this can be achieved is by using a support or splint.

Rest

In the early stages, rest is one of the most important components of the P.R.I.C.E principle but is often neglected or ignored. It does not only refer to the prolonged period of time that the athlete will be out of action but also to the immediate period after the injury.

An athlete must know when to stop training and allow the injured area to heal otherwise repetitive minor injuries can often result in a more severe injury that keeps the athlete out for much longer.

If an injury is sustained during sporting activity some athletes have a tendency to ‘run it off’. This implies that by continuing to participate in the exercise, the injury will simply go away. In fact, in the majority of cases, this is not true and is not advisable.

Ice

Ice therapy, also known as cryotherapy, is one of the most widely known and used treatment modalities for acute sports injuries. It is cheap, easy to use, and requires very little time or expertise to prepare.

The application of ice to an injury, in the acute phase, can substantially decrease the extent of the damage. It achieves this in a number of different ways:

  • Decreases the amount of bleeding by closing down the blood vessels (called vasoconstriction).
  • Reduces pain (pain gate theory)
  • Reduces muscle spasm
  • Reduces the risk of cell death (also called necrosis) by decreasing the rate of metabolism

Ice is usually applied to the injured site by means of a bag filled with crushed ice which is wrapped in a damp towel. The damp towel is essential as it forms a barrier between the bag of ice and the skin and reduces the risk of an “ice burn”. DO NOT leave the ice on for more than 15 minutes as you could cause an “ice burn”.

There are a small number of areas that you should not apply ice to which include the neck, the outside bone of the elbow, the collarbone (upper end), the front of the hip (bony part), and the outer bone of the knee. The reason for this is there is a superficial nerve just below the skin in these areas that can be damaged by applying ice to it. Always check for contraindications.

Compression

Applying compression to an injured area minimises the amount of swelling that forms after an injury in two ways and should be applied for the first 24 to 72 hours from the onset of the injury. Compression can be applied through a number of methods. The most effective of these is by using a compression bandage which is an elasticated bandage that simply fits around the affected limb.

Elevation

Elevation of the injured limb is the final principle of PRICE but is equally as important as the other 4. Elevation allows gravity to drain the fluid away from the injured site. This aids in decreasing the swelling which in turn may decrease the pain associated with the oedema (swelling).

Read more on PRICE principles

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