Chiropractic Treatment For Tennis Injuries

Tennis is an intense sport that requires strength, agility, flexibility, stamina, endurance, and conditioning. And it’s a great way to stay in shape. However, with all of this intensity is the risk of injuries. Although they are lower compared to other sports injuries, injuries are more cumulative/repetitive based on wear and tear over time type. Tennis injuries can be painful and impair daily life. They can be treated and prevented with chiropractic medicine and strength training. Chiropractic can help the body heal quicker and address underlying issues that led to the injury. This will help to worsen and prevent re-injury. The most common tennis injuries include…

Wrist Tendonitis

This injury can happen to beginner players who lack arm/wrist strength, use a too-heavy racquet, and begin developing improper form to compensate. However, it can also be caused by repetitively using the wrist instead of the whole arm. Symptoms are chronic stiffness and pain in the area surrounding the wrist joint. Chiropractic sports massage, physical rehabilitation, and learning proper form will help alleviate the pain and prevent worsening or developing new injuries.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is a condition caused by inflammation of the outside muscles in the forearm and tendons. This is usually an overuse injury from all the swinging and hitting, but using improper technique could also be a cause. Chiropractic adjustments are highly recommended instead of steroid injections and other anti-inflammatories. The adjustments and massage relieve the discomfort and pain by naturally relaxing, stretching, and strengthening the muscles and tendons.

Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

The rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles surrounding the shoulder joint. This allows the shoulder to perform 360-degree arm circles and is what stabilizes the shoulders. Tendonitis happens when the tendons inside the rotator cuff become inflamed. The inflammation causes pain with movement, especially overhead motions, which decrease the range of motion in the shoulder. This injury is often caused by improper technique when serving and hitting overheads. Chiropractic adjusting, heat and ice therapy, and electro-muscular stimulation loosen and stretch the muscles/tendons back to their proper form.

Knee Sprains and Strains

The knee goes through a lot in sports. Tennis is no exception, much like basketball and volleyball, with all the jumping, pounding, shifting, twisting, losing balance, or extending beyond the normal range of motion causing injuries that result in:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Loss of the ability to move

Chiropractic care can help relieve pain and relax damaged muscles. Addressing the underlying issues can also speed up the healing process.

Ankle Sprain

An ankle sprain, also known as a twisted ankle, happens when the ligaments attached to the joint become over-stretched or partially torn. These sprains happen from the following:

• Quick start and stop movements
• Changing direction rapidly
• Quick sprints all around the court
• Causing the ankle to roll and/or twist.

A chiropractor will realign the ankle and provide physical therapy massage to allow the ligaments to heal properly and faster. Chiropractic treatment will allow the player to return to play quicker and prevent reinjury that, if not treated correctly, can become chronic. Having the proper personalized treatment plan will ensure the body heals correctly and prevent misalignments, loss of functionality, and/or range of motion.

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PUSH Fitness

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Aerobic Training

Aerobic exercise is a cornerstone for weight loss. Having the heart rate elevated for a continuous amount of time is the key. This is how calories are burned. Research has found that individuals involved in aerobic training lose more weight overall, including more fat mass, than in resistance training alone. Combined with aerobic and resistance training, individuals gain more fat-free mass, including lean muscle. Aerobics causes the cardiorespiratory system to adapt. Maintaining heart function and health and keeping the body’s energy metabolism system running optimally. Aerobic exercise for fitness and weight loss is key to maintaining the body’s health.

References

Dines, Joshua S et al. Tennis injuries: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment. The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons vol. 23,3 (2015): 181-9. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-13-00148

Minghelli, Beatriz, and Jassica Cadete. Epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries in tennis players: risk factors. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness vol. 59,12 (2019): 2045-2052. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.19.09842-6

Stuelcken, Max et al. Wrist Injuries in Tennis Players: A Narrative Review. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 47,5 (2017): 857-868. doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0630-x

Willis, Leslie H et al. Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985) vol. 113,12 (2012): 1831-7. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01370.2011