Sports medicine practitioners have seen their fair share of tennis-based injuries. Such athletes are susceptible to types of damage that may not be as common in other sports. Prompted by the ongoing US Open Tennis Championships currently taking place in New York, a new report takes a look at some of the typical injuries players have to deal with and how the threat can be reduced. The advice hails from the United States Tennis Association’s chief medical officer, who is also an orthopaedic surgeon at Mount Sinai.
Many injuries occur due to the simple fact that athletes are asked to conduct the same actions and movements again and again and again. This can lead to overuse and all attendant risks overuse creates.
Tendinitis is perhaps one of the most common overuse injuries that a tennis player will face. With such an injury, players will begin to feel pain because the tendons that allow for a wide range of movement in a person’s arms will begin to swell up. Tennis players are susceptible to the injury in the form of tennis elbow since they’re asking these tendons to move rapidly and repeatedly. This pain can radiate beyond the elbow.
If a player get his or her technique down pat, they’ll be far less likely to incur tennis elbow. They may also reduce their risk by minimizing how many times they swing their arms during practice or a match. If pain begins to emanate, rest is needed. A trainer can be sought by those who experience pain and want to know how they might alter their movements to reduce the sensation. A physical trainer might, for instance, help you perfect a two handed backhand that allows both arms to share the burden equally rather than one being forced to cope with all of the stress created.
The gear that you use can also play a factor in injury mitigation. It’s definitely possible that too large or small of a racquet or one that doesn’t afford a comfortable grip could put your more at risk for tendinitis. It’s also possible that the strings on the racquet don’t provide the right amount of spring. You should ask a coach or trainer what they would recommend in terms of a racquet.
Of course, tendinitis can also come in to play on a tennis player’s lower body. An injury like patellar tendinitis is common due to the simple fact that athletes are required by the very nature of the sport to jump regularly and twist their lower bodies to suddenly alter their direction. Stretching and rest are key to preventing this and other types of lower body injuries.
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