Tennis Injury Treatment & Prevention Chicago Chiropractic Care
Most Common Tennis Injuries
Tennis is enjoyed by millions worldwide and its blend of interval style running and upper body strength means it’s a brilliant competitive sport and form of exercise. Tennis requires endurance, flexibility and agility and it uses a lot of repetitive motions in the forms of different types of swing. Flexibility is an absolute must when playing tennis and it’s extremely important for preventing injury and keeping players fit and able. It’s no surprise, then, that some of the world’s top players like Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic use chiropractors to keep themselves at the top of their game
The most common injuries associated to tennis are repetitive strain injuries to the arms, wrists and upper body. One common injury is ‘tennis elbow’ which is used to describe pain located on the outer part of the elbow and the upper forearm. This overuse injury happens when the tendon becomes inflamed over the bony protuberance on the outer part of the elbow which is named the lateral epicondyle. Tennis elbow can be treated by a chiropractor who can encourage proper healing to the area through exercises.
The tennis serve places a lot of stress through one side of the body and can force motions through the pelvis and SI joints which become a common cause of one sided low back pain. If this force doesn’t travel with fluidity then joints become stressed easily and pain can easily be referred to other parts of the body. A correct diagnosis of referred pain is vital for healing the correct part of the body and chiropractors are adept at understanding the origin of an injury rather than just the area which hurts. The shoulder and scapula can also often become overused and then restricted and strained in their respective movements from the serve with such pain radiating across the back or down the arm.
Ways To Prevent Common Tennis Injuries
Common Tennis Injuries & Prevention Methods
Tennis is a exciting, competitive sport that tests your physical strength and strategic skills. Unfortunately, like most sports, there is always a chance that you can injure yourself during the game. According to the National Safety Council, In 2015, over 23,000 people visited the emergency room for a tennis injury.
Symptoms of a tennis injury include:
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Pain, tenderness, and weakness
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The injured area is warm to the touch
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Back pain that gradually worsens
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Weakened hand grip
Rotator Cuff Injury
The rotator cuff is full of tendons and muscles that provide stability and rotate the shoulder. A rotator cuff injury can happen gradually over time, or it can be instant. Swinging a tennis racket over and over can cause a rotator cuff tear, especially when overtraining. Chiropractic care can ensure that you have the proper treatment to get you back on the court.
Preventing a rotator cuff tear: To prevent a rotator cuff injury, we recommend daily stretches such as the parallel arm shoulder stretch and reverse shoulder stretch. It's also important to take adequate rest times and ice your shoulder after training and matches.
Ankle Sprains
Tennis is a fast-paced game, and it requires moving around the court quickly. Your ankles are under a lot of stress when having to switch directions in a second. Ankle sprains need to be treated right away so that you prevent damages to the tendons, muscles, and joints.
Ankle Sprain Prevention: Use padded tennis socks (or two pairs of regular socks). It may feel a little bit uncomfortable at first, but it is worth it to protect your ankles. Also, make sure to use athletic shoes that provide exceptional support.
Stress Fractures in the Back
When you hear about a fracture, it is easy to think of the worst, and though they aren't as severe, they are nothing to take lightly. Stress fractures are not always painful, and that is what makes them so dangerous. Over time these fractures gradually get worse, especially when playing a high-intensity game like tennis. Tennis can cause stress fractures in the back due to the movements required to serve the ball, and to bend and rotate as you play.
Stress Fracture Prevention: Hiring a tennis instructor to help you get your service right without excessively arching your back and how to balance your body weight. Back strengthening exercises will keep your back strong and help prevent injuries.
Jumper's Knee
For most players, jumping is a part of playing the game. This can cause small tears and strain on the tendon that attaches the kneecap to the shinbone. These small tears may not be painful at first, but over time they will get worse and lead to a more severe injury. Constant checkups with your sports injury specialist at Advanced Spine and Sports Care are essential to keep you on the court playing!
Jumper's Knee Prevention: The best thing you can do is to not push yourself too much. You love the game, but if you overexert your body, it will lead to unexpected accidents and injuries. Make sure to switch up your routine and do low-impact sports such as swimming and walking.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis Elbow is the most common tennis injury. It causes inflammation of the tendons connecting the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow. It is caused by the repetitive motion that happens every time you swing your back. Tennis elbow feels like pain or burning on the outside of the elbow and can also cause a weak grip. 
Prevention: Always use the right racket. Choose a professional racket from a local tennis center. You can ask them for the perfect racket that is right for you. They will ensure you have the correct:
- Grip size
- String tension
- Racket size
- Weight
If you do experience an injury while playing tennis and you don't want to wait a long time to get back to the game, contact Advanced Spine and Sports Care for quick and personalized treatment options. Though chiropractors are most widely known for their treatment of spinal injuries, their knowledge of musculoskeletal bodily functions allows them to better treat many other injuries which involve biomechanical structures. Through the increase of flow in nutrients enabled by chiropractic treatment comes a quicker path to healing the elbow and chiropractors can also assess your swing with a medically trained eye which can spot small errors which may pose an issue with your particular body.
It isn’t just elbow injuries though, tennis also involves a lot of twisting of the back which stresses the discs of cartilage and joints of the lumbar spine. This is the chiropractic’s chief specialism and restoring back flexibility can be achieved through adjustments which help restore nerve function and decompress muscles to reduce stiffness. Because of chiropractor’s knowledge in the nervous system they have an intrinsic understanding of bodily structures and how they’re controlled by our nervous system and tuning up this connection is a much respected way to increase tennis performance for professionals and amateurs alike. Staying flexible and fit is the best way to stay motivated to play as there’s nothing worse than experiencing pain when playing the sport you love and people find a couple of small adjustments made by a chiropractic can sort out vague and obvious issues alike.
Advanced Spine & Sports Care - Tennis Injury Treatments
Advanced Spine & Sports Care in Chicago - Chiropractic Treatments for Tennis Injuries
Though chiropractors are most widely known for their treatment of spinal injuries, their knowledge of musculoskeletal bodily functions allows them to better treat many other injuries which involve biomechanical structures. Through the increase of flow in nutrients enabled by chiropractic treatment comes a quicker path to healing the elbow and chiropractors can also assess your swing with a medically trained eye which can spot small errors which may pose an issue with your particular body.
It isn’t just elbow injuries though, tennis also involves a lot of twisting of the back which stresses the discs of cartilage and joints of the lumbar spine. This is the chiropractic’s chief specialism and restoring back flexibility can be achieved through adjustments which help restore nerve function and decompress muscles to reduce stiffness. Because of chiropractor’s knowledge in the nervous system they have an intrinsic understanding of bodily structures and how they’re controlled by our nervous system and tuning up this connection is a much respected way to increase tennis performance for professionals and amateurs alike.
Staying flexible and fit is the best way to stay motivated to play as there’s nothing worse than experiencing pain when playing the sport you love and people find small adjustments made by a chiropractic can sort out vague and obvious issues alike. With a professional and personal team, each patient will be given the time and energy from each of our professionals ready to assist them in every way possible. Visit Advanced Spine and Sports Care today to receive the customized tennis injury treatment in Chicago you need.